Opening of the 2025/2026 academic year and PIConference 2026
Date Start: February 5, 2026
Place: Casino Maltese
The event organized by MED.E.A. University in Valletta on February 5–6, 2026, represented a major international milestone for the Euro-Mediterranean academic and institutional community. The two-day gathering celebrated both the inauguration of the 2025–2026 Academic Year and the official recognition of MED.E.A. University’s status by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), strengthening the institution’s role as an international hub dedicated to cooperation between Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa.
The initiative brought together university rectors from 22 countries and 5 continents, alongside European and Mediterranean institutional representatives, creating a platform for dialogue on educational innovation, sustainability, and international cooperation. Among the distinguished guests were European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, former Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Malta’s Minister for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, and Malta’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg.
The highlight of the event was the Lectio Magistralis delivered by Roberta Metsola, entitled “Innovative Educational Tools for the Euro-Mediterranean Ecosystem and Sustainable Challenges in Europe–Africa Relations.” In her speech, Metsola emphasized the need to build a new model of dialogue between Europe and Africa based on trust, shared investment, and genuine collaboration, underlining the strategic importance of education and training in addressing global challenges related to migration, employment, security, and energy.
The event also featured an international roundtable focused on educational innovation as a driver for a sustainable and inclusive Euro-Mediterranean migration ecosystem, reinforcing the university’s commitment to promoting research, cultural exchange, and shared development across the Mediterranean region.
The second day was dedicated to PIConf 2026, coordinated by Rosette Fenech and structured around three thematic areas: Leadership, Learning, and Business. The conference explored emerging global socio-economic scenarios, the evolution of educational models, and the development of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems, further consolidating MED.E.A. University’s international vocation as a global platform for education, research, and innovation)