Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), the window of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the world, continues pioneering the advancement of higher education in the country. In February, EMU became a member of Eurasian Higher Education Union (EURAS) which has nearly 140 member universities all over Europe, Asia and Middle East. In this context, EMU advanced its international prestige by joining the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED). UNIMED has 168 member universities from 25 countries.
EMU was represented at the UNIMED General Assembly held on 23-24 October 2024 at Istanbul Aydın University. The said event was organized under the auspices of the European Parliament and UNIMED with the theme of “Boosting University Alliances for Peace and Academic Freedom”. Being granted the membership at the General Assembly, EMU was represented by Vice Rector for Promotion and Institutional Communication Prof. Dr. Ali Öztüren and Institutional Development and International Academic Affairs Office Coordinator Assist. Prof. Dr. Cahit Ezel.
Founded in 1991, UNIMED is a network of Higher Education and Research Institutions, active in promoting academic cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region and in Sub-Saharan Africa, in Middle East and in Western Balkans. UNIMED aims to facilitate international academic and research cooperation in order to enhance the scientific, cultural, social, and economic development of the region. Making a statement on the topic, Eastern Mediterranean University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç noted that these steps taken by EMU in line with its internationalization strategies hold great importance. Rector Prof. Dr. Kılıç continued; “Becoming a member of UNIMED will support our goals of strenghtening academic partnerships and raising our university’s profile internationally. As EMU, we will maintain a key role in fostering scientific and cultural collaborations within the region. This membership will allow us to engage in academic and research projects worldwide, with a special focus on the Mediterranean region”. Prof. Dr. Kılıç also underscored that collaborations like this one will continue for the advancement of EMU in the international arena.
