Letter of Intent Signed for Mediterranean University
A memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a Mediterranean University was signed on Wednesday by Piran Mayor Tomaz Gantar and Higher Education Minister Jure Zupan, who said the government was fully backing the project.
The signing follows a joint proposal of the government and the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED), which received broad support at the third Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Tunis in mid-March.
Minister Zupan, who was at the coast as part of the government's working visit to the region, said that if Slovenia got one of the seats of the university (to be based in Piran) it would establish itself as a Mediterranean nation and take on a key role in the region.
Zupan said this would not present a competition to existing universities, on the contrary it would expand, complement and provide a boost to the higher education system, as it would attract a lot of foreign students and teachers.
According to him, extensive lobbying will now be required in Cairo, where the final decision on the seat of the university is to be taken.
"Most likely a single seat will not be appropriate, as the Mediterranean is a big region. According to plans the university would have two to three seats and Slovenia would vie for one," he said.
The Mediterranean is a crossroads of European, Muslim and other cultures, so the the university is seen as an important platform for inter-cultural exchange.
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