Téthys Network: General Assembly - April 10 and 11, 2019 - Rome, Italy

The General Assembly of the Téthys network, organised by Aix-Marseille University in collaboration with the University La Sapienza in Rome (Italy), is an important annual event in the life of the network that brings together the presidents, rectors and representatives of member universities of the network.

This year, more than 50 people attended the event, representing 28 members and invited institutions (UPM, UNIMED, RMEI, AAU, RESUFF, European Commission...). The delegation from Aix-Marseille University was composed by Mr Michel Autric, President of the network, Mrs Sylvie Daviet, Vice-President in charge of international relations, Mrs Nolwenn Lécuyer, Vice-President in charge of gender equality and the fight against discrimination, Mrs Mariane Domeizel, Vice-President in charge of sustainable development, along with Mrs Capucine Edou, Director of international relations and her team members.

The General Assembly of 10 and 11 April 2019 was organised around three workshops:

1. The presentation of the Mediterranean networks working in the field of higher education and research (Téthys, UNIMED, RMEI and AAU) laid the foundations for more structured cooperation between these networks, supported by the Union for the Mediterranean and extended to the entire African continent. The topical issues presented by DG CONNECT (and the Representation in Italy of the European Commission as well as the project of Franco-Tunisian University for Africa and the Mediterranean (UFTAM) made it possible to explore new ways of financing and lobbying.

2. The scientific debate on the issue of gender and equal opportunities within universities in the Mediterranean basin has generated a strong interest among members. The network will meet virtually over the coming months to develop collaboration on this issue.

3. The Board of Directors, open only to members, took place on the morning of April 11 in relation to the internal life of the network. Two new members, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Universities of Mostaganem (Algeria) and Autonoma de Madrid (Spain), have joined the network, bringing the number of members who signed the 2017-2021 agreement to 61. During this session, the network's current projects and prospects for collaboration were also presented.

The Téthys network was created on 28 January 2000 by 22 universities around the Mediterranean as an extension of the Barcelona Process. Supported by Aix-Marseille University, it currently includes 61 universities from 19 countries. It is a place for cultural and scientific exchanges allowing a strong and sustainable contribution to the construction of the Euro-Mediterranean area of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

Next year, the 20th anniversary of the Téthys network will be the occasion to organize a major anniversary event that will be hosted by Aix-Marseille University.