2^nd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference

 EU Commissioner for Research and 16 ministers to attend 2^nd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education, Research and Innovation

The Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, in co-operation with France and Egypt, co-presidents of the Union for the Mediterranean, and Spain’s EU Council Presidency will organise the 2^nd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education, Research and Innovation at Brdo on 25 and 26 April. The event will be attended by participants from 43 states of the Union for the Mediterranean. Ministers responsible for higher education and research from Albania, Algeria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Malta, Montenegro (Deputy Prime Minister), Morocco, Palestinian National Authority, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Slovenia, Egypt, Croatia and Austria have already confirmed their participation. The event will also be attended by the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. This is the second meeting in this ministerial format. The first was held in Cairo in 2007.

The purpose of the meeting is to assess the results of co-operation between partners in the field of higher education, research and innovation in the period from the conference in Cairo to the present, and to strengthen existing co-operation with new approaches and methods. To this end, experts from the member states of the Union for the Mediterranean are preparing an action plan to be adopted by the ministers at this meeting. This plan should include the objectives of further co-operation, specific projects to attain these objectives and mechanisms that will facilitate the implementation and financing of these projects. 
 

The Ministerial Conference will start at 14:00 on Sunday, 25 April, in the Brdo Congress Centre, where the two expert groups for higher education and research will hold their meetings simultaneously.  The ministers will meet for the opening of the conference at 9:15 on Monday, 26 April, in the Brdo Congress Centre. Opening addresses will be given by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk; the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Valérie Pecresse; the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Hany Helal; the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia Mendizabál; and the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. A photo opportunity will be arranged at 10:30 at Brdo. This will be followed by a conference session dedicated to discussion at 11:00. The Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Gregor Golobič, will conclude the meeting at 13:00. A press conference will take place at 13:15 in the Brdo Congress Centre.

The press centre will be open in the Brdo Congress Centre on Sunday and Monday, 25 and 26 April – from 14:00 to 17:30 on Sunday and from 8:30 to 15:00 on Monday. Journalists, photographers and cameramen covering this event are kindly invited to apply for accreditations by completing the accreditation form on the conference’s website: http://www.euromed2010.si/ and sending it to pr.mvzt@gmail.com by Tuesday, 20 April. They will receive their accreditations on Sunday and Monday at Brdo during the press centre’s opening hours.

                                                                                           Nataša Gerkeš

                                                                                          Public Relations Office

For further information see: pr.mvzt@gov.si (telephone: +386 1 478 46 85)

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“2^nd Euro- Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education, Research and Innovation”

(Slovenia, Brdo pri Kranju, 25 - 26 April 2010)

MEDIA ACCREDITATION FORM

 Please send the completed accreditation form to e-mail pr.mvzt@gov.si
by Tueseday, 20 April 2010 at the latest.

For any questions please contact PR Office of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Natasa Gerkes, phone: +386 1 478 46 85, mobile: +386 31 396 582.

Date:

Collected personal data will be used and verified by the Police for the accreditation purposes only.

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