The 2023 International Labour Organization (ILO) youth survey revealed that in Tunisia and Egypt, 80% of youth aged 15-29 worked informally while youth inactivity reaches 17% in Spain and 25% in Türkiye (Education at a Glance 2023 report). The same report claims that for multiple reasons young Mediterranean women are much more vulnerable and affected by dropping out of school and precarious employment. International reports indicate that inadequate learning and skills are key factors contributing to high NEET (youth Not in Employment, Education or Training) rates. Most education systems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region do not focus on developing critical thinking and other skills necessary for the labour market and active civic life.
Mediterranean Youth Academy MYA
Project Budget
EU Contribution
Countries
Partners
- To co-design and develop a transnational training program for Mediterranean youth CSOs, blending digital and face-to- face methods, focusing on engagement as a key skill for employment and addressing regional challenges through social and artistic innovation.
- To support and engage young Mediterranean people to advocate for positive changes in Mediterranean societies through the implementation of concrete local and transnational creative actions and promoting original projects.
- Trained 200 young people from Türkiye, France, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt, co-developing and applying innovative learning methods that fostered engagement and enhanced employment skills – digital, creative, and analytical – while addressing Mediterranean challenges.
- Strengthened young people’s civic actions.
- Fostered a transnational participatory dynamic.
- Co-design of a pedagogical framework for the MedYCI training program developed by young Mediterranean participants and experts across five regions.
- Creation of a multidisciplinary team of 30 trainers.
- 5 MedYCI training sessions implemented across 5 countries, directly engaging over 200 youngsters.
- Establishment of five MedYCI studios which will be fully operational to enhance creative young participants skills in each region.
- Strategic recommendations for the Mediterranean Youth Council ensuring they are informed by diverse youth perspectives across the Mediterranean.
- 5 showcases of 50 innovative ideas for a better future of the Mediterranean.
- 25 simultaneous local creative engaged actions executed by youth, across the Mediterranean.
- •10 transnational webtv show (Medtalk) created by MedYCI trained Mediterranean youth.
EVENTS
EVENTS
edition
First Edition
The “Mediterranean Youth Academy” project is an initiative launched under the patronage of Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Central Administration of Parliament and Civic Education – Youth Leadership Department, and the Mediterranean Youth Foundation for Development. This project aims to bridge the connection between Arab youth and the Mediterranean countries, which span three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. In Europe, 13 countries border the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, France, and Greece. The Asian countries include Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus, while in Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia are among the relevant nations.
The Academy plans to train and qualify 80 young individuals in its initial stage through a one-week program designed to raise awareness about the Mediterranean’s regional issues and the various challenges faced by these countries. The program emphasizes the importance of involving youth in addressing these challenges through knowledge and skill development, thereby fostering a sense of responsibility and agency among participants in their respective communities.
Objectives
Introducing Mediterranean issues such as climate change, gender equality, irregular migration, and extremism. Getting to know the successful experiences of some Mediterranean countries in various fields. Establishing a Mediterranean base, having Egypt as its headquarter, to network among the youth of the Mediterranean countries. Opening horizons for a youth discussion to offer innovative solutions to the issues of the Mediterranean and the role of the Egyptian youth in doing so.
- The number of participants: 80 males and females.
- Location: The Olympic Center in Maadi.
- Date: From 26 August to 1 September 2021.
Second Edition
Under the patronage of the Egyptian Prime Minister, Prof. Mostafa Madbouly, the Mediterranean Youth Foundation for Development, with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Egypt headed by Prof. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, is lunching the second edition of the “Mediterranean Youth Academy” project, in partnership with civil, governmental and international organizations, through the Central Administration of Parliament and Civic Education, moreover the General Administration of Civic Education for Youth Leaders moreover the Central Administration for the Affairs of the Minister’s Office, General Administration of Public as well Foreign Relations.
Program Goals for the second edition focus on several key topics including Human Rights, Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment, Youth Empowerment and Facilitating Mobility, Mediterranean National Security, and Climate Change. Building upon the foundation laid in the first edition, this iteration will highlight 13 youth initiatives that have been successfully implemented.
Additionally, the program aims to identify successful experiences from various Mediterranean countries and explore how these can be adapted and applied within the Arab Republic of Egypt. A significant goal is to establish a Mediterranean youth network based in Egypt, which will facilitate networking among youth across Mediterranean countries.
Moreover, the initiative seeks to create platforms for youth discussion that foster innovative solutions to pressing Mediterranean issues, emphasizing the crucial role that young people play in addressing these challenges.
Partners in implementing the program include
- Holy Azhar, who contributed through a representative discussing the Document on Human Fraternity and facilitated youth engagement with the Grand Imam.
- The Egyptian Church also delegated representatives to address human brotherhood and organized a meeting with the Pope.
- UN Women focused on gender equality and provided a handbook for participants.
- The European Union discussed irregular migration and offered informational materials.
- The Ministry of Environment addressed environmental challenges and hosted discussions with the Minister.
- Ambassadors from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, and Spain participated in a session on Mediterranean cooperation.
- The Union for the Mediterranean facilitated political accreditation and speaker nominations, while the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport provided logistical support.
Third Edition
The 3rd edition of MYA involved around 100 young individuals from 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries in a 4-day training event held in Barcelona from November 5th to 10th, 2023. Co-organized by UfM and MYF, with support from GIZ, the initiative focused on climate change, youth employment, and social inclusion. Participants engaged in panels and workshops, proposing key policy recommendations, and launching the “Tomorrow’s Leaders Begin Today” report. The MYA aims to enhance youth participation in decision-making, build capacity to address global challenges, empower youth for Mediterranean initiatives, facilitate dialogue with decision makers, and contribute to a skill-building guidebook for the region.
General MYA Objectives:
- Enhance youth participation in decision-making and policy processes.
- Build youth capacity to face global challenges and contribute to SDGs.
- Empower young men and women to launch initiatives linked to Mediterranean issues.
- Open a dialogue platform between youth and decision makers for sustainable solutions.
- Contribute to the “Initiatives for the Mediterranean” guidebook as a skill-building tool.
Methodology
The cluster mixed informative sessions and interactive working groups, starting by exploring the topics of labor market policies and services specific to the Mediterranean region and the challenges of starting a career as a young person, followed by understanding the concept of VET and its benefits for youth and presenting some case studies of successful VET graduates and concluded by discovering the multifaceted landscape that migrants face in the Mediterranean region, taking into account demographic disparities in some countries and economic and labor market challenges across the entire region.
Fourth Edition
The fourth edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy (MYA) will take place from November 13 to 17, 2025, in Nice, France, aligning with the 10th anniversary of the Master’s in Mediterranean Studies. Building on prior editions in Egypt and Spain, it aims to empower 70-80 young leaders through a four-day training program focusing on climate action, gender equality, and youth employment. With support from key organizations, the MYA will foster dialogue and skill-building among participants to strengthen their roles as agents of change in tackling Euro-Mediterranean challenges. The event highlights the urgency of addressing interconnected issues through inclusive and sustainable growth, establishing the MYA as a vital platform for youth engagement in the region.
The MYA 4th Edition focuses on thematic clusters aligned with Euro-Mediterranean priorities and the UfM Youth Strategy 2030, addressing climate action, gender equity, and youth employment.
Thematic Cluster 1: Climate Action & Justice
– Component 1: Loss and Damage Mechanisms include funding for vulnerable communities facing climate impacts.
– Component 2: Just Energy Transition promotes renewable energy access and green job capacity for underrepresented groups.
– Component 3: Carbon Markets and Climate Finance Innovations investigate carbon trading mechanisms and optimize access to global climate funds.
Thematic Cluster 2: Gender Equity & Transformation
– Component 1: Tackling Structural Discrimination targets biases in laws and policies, advocating for gender-responsive budgeting and leadership roles.
– Component 2: Challenging Gender Stereotypes addresses cultural narratives that perpetuate gender norms and promotes intercultural dialogue.
– Component 3: Advancing Gender & Social Inclusion focuses on inclusive policies that consider intersecting challenges faced by marginalized women and communities.
Thematic Cluster 3: Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship
– Component 1: AI-Powered Vocational Training integrates technology into skill development for high-demand sectors.
– Component 2: Smart Entrepreneurship encourages innovation-driven business creation using digital tools.
– Component 3: Entrepreneurship and Market Readiness equip youth with skills and opportunities for success in the evolving global economy.
Results and outputs for the 4th edition of the MYA include training for 70-80 young people on critical Mediterranean issues such as climate action and justice, gender equity, and youth employment. Additionally, 2-3 youth-oriented initiatives or policy papers will be developed through a bottom-up approach, addressing concerns relevant to the UfM and other stakeholders in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Lastly, MYF will compile a final report summarizing the recommendations and initiatives proposed during the event.
Project card
English (PDF)
Objectives
It is a “dialogue platform for Mediterranean youth” that works to raise youth awareness of issues related to the Mediterranean region, such as human fraternity, climate change, the environment, youth and gender equality, youth empowerment and facilitation of mobility, in addition to irregular migration. The Mediterranean Youth Academy aims to achieve effective, dynamic and sustainable youth participation for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Tenth, Thirteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth, developing sustainable solutions and policies, building partnerships, North-South cooperation, and South-South cooperation.
In addition to the collaborative design and implementation of initiatives in the Mediterranean community that achieve regional integration and cooperation. The Mediterranean Youth Academy project works to take a step forward linking the various priorities of the Union for the Mediterranean such as economic development and employment, social and civil affairs, water, environment, blue economy, energy, and climate action.
The first edition of the Academy was implemented in Cairo, Egypt from 25 August to 1 September, 2021, the second edition was implemented from 14 to 19 September, 2022 in Alexandria – Egypt, and the third edition was implemented from 6 to 9 November, 2023 in Barcelona- Spain under the incubation of Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The fourth edition was implemented in Nice, France from 13 to 17 November 2025.
project includes:
Project Status
Ongoing
Countries covered
5
Start date
01-01-2025
End date
31-01-2026
Programme
Erasmus+
Key Action
Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type
Mobility of youth workers