The Fourth Mediterranean Student Summit took place in Girona, Spain, from October 1st to the 3rd of 2025. Co-organised by UNIMED - Mediterranean Universities Union and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), with the invaluable support of the University of Girona, the event brought together students from Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Spain, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon. The event brought together nearly 30 passionate students from the Euro-Mediterranean region, including an ESN volunteer from Albania, as well as participants from Anna Lindh Foundation and Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.
Over three days, participants engaged in dialogue, workshops, and collaborative sessions focused on one common goal: building bridges between universities and civil society. The summit provided a unique space for young people from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to share ideas, exchange perspectives, and collectively reflect on their role as active contributors to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The programme agenda combined moments of reflection with concrete actions. On Thursday morning, participants had the opportunity to meet with the Vice-Rector for Students and the Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Territorial Commitment of the University of Girona. This exchange allowed students to better understand how universities can foster engagement beyond academia—strengthening connections with local communities, promoting sustainability, and supporting student leadership.
Throughout the summit, students worked together on key themes such as intercultural dialogue, youth participation, and student mobility—all central to both ESN and UNIMED’s mission of empowering students as agents of change. The discussions highlighted the need for stronger cooperation between higher education institutions and civil society actors to ensure that students’ voices are truly heard in shaping policies and initiatives that affect their future.
What made this edition especially meaningful was its collaborative and human dimension. Participants discussed challenges, built relationships, developed ideas, and laid the groundwork for future cooperation across borders. In a region as diverse and interconnected as the Mediterranean, these bonds are essential to fostering understanding, solidarity, and collective action.
Moreover, one of the summit’s insights is its focus on concrete outcomes. Participants are not only invited to exchange perspectives but to co-create actionable proposals and policy recommendations that will be presented to stakeholders at the conclusion of the event. This collaborative spirit reflects ESN’s core values: fostering participation, dialogue, and the empowerment of young people to shape the future of education and society.
As ESN takes part once again in this inspiring initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that students remain at the centre of the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue—as bridge builders, innovators, and changemakers. The Mediterranean Student Summit stands as a testament to what happens when students from diverse backgrounds unite under a shared vision: they don’t just imagine a better future; they start building it together.
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