Meeting of Representatives from the Four Institutes of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies
On 3 and 4 February 2025, the Working Group on Education of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) held a meeting at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (CIHEAM Chania). The meeting brought together the Secretary General of the CIHEAM, Professor Teodoro Miano, along with representatives from the General Secretariat and the four Institutes of the CIHEAM, located in Greece (Chania), France (Montpellier), Italy (Bari), and Spain (Zaragoza).
The event was honoured by the distinguished presence of Professor Adel AbdElazeem, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Egypt, President of the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), and Egypt’s representative on the CIHEAM Governing Board. With 10,000 researchers and 40,000 employees, the ARC plays a key role in advancing agricultural research in Egypt. Discussions focused particularly on strengthening collaboration between the ARC and CIHEAM, especially with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, with the aim of developing common strategic objectives between the two institutions.
During the meeting, key issues related to the postgraduate education strategy of the CIHEAM were discussed. Participants discussed academic regulations, the need to harmonise procedures and programme content across the four Institutes, as well as quality assurance in education.
Particular attention was given to enhancing the professional profile of CIHEAM graduates, with the aim of better preparing them for the demands of the job market in the fields of agriculture, rural development, economics, natural resource management, climate change, and environmental education. The discussions provided an opportunity to share best practices and perspectives to strengthen cooperation between the Institutes and encourage innovation in education and vocational training.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening postgraduate education for CIHEAM students, continuously improving their MSc programmes, and ensuring that the CIHEAM remains a benchmark for training and capacity building in the agri-food sector.