The Community of Mediterranean Universities’ (CMU) annual General Assembly meeting took place on 9-12 December, 2022 at Ismail Qemali University in the city of Vlore, Albania. Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Education Faculty, Foreign Language Education Department faculty member Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam attended the event.
In the meeting, the CMU Director conveyed information on topics including migration movements in Mediterranean Region, human rights, environment, quality norms in education and clean energy work. Adding more, new Euromediterranean MA programs planned to be launched in the 2023-2024 academic year were discussed and decisions were taken in this respect. The 2023 budget was also discussed and approved during the event.
On the second day of the meeting, Executive Board members Prof. Dr. Andrea Malqari, Prof. Dr. Massimo Guarscio and Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam presented project proposals to the CMU Executive Board. Prof. Dr. Osam and his research team’s project proposal titled “Revisiting the Language Policies of Higher Education” was approved by the Executive Board. In the final session of the meeting, a consensus was reached on the amendment of the CMU law and the Law Amendment Commission was formed. Prof. Dr. Massimo Guarisco from Italy, Prof. Dr. Jon Chircop from Malta, Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam from North Cyprus and Prof. Dr. Caim Hamas from Israel was elected as the members of the commission. Moreover, Evaluation and Monitoring Commission for individuals who are to submit membership applications for CMU was formed during the session. The said commission is to serve until 2025 pursuant to the approval of the CMU Executive Board.
CMU was founded in 1983 at the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy as one of the most competent independent institutions of UNESCO. The institution still has an institutional structure that develops cooperation opportunities in the field of culture, environment, industry and education in the Mediterranean Region with the membership of 170 universities. After a long process in 2018, it was accepted that the 2019 general assembly would be hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean University in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Community of Mediterranean Universities General Assembly Meeting was held in 2019, hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean University. In 2021, Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) was accepted as a CMU member following its achievements.
