ijems|editorial
TransformativeStrategies
forUniversitiesinthe21stCentury:
NavigatingChallengesandEmbracing
Innovation
abdelhamidel-zoheiry
Euro-MediterraneanUniversity,Slovenia
zoheiry@emuni.si
https://emuni.si/ISSN/2232-6022/16.5-6.pdf
Throughouthistory,universitieshaveplayedafoundationalrolein
shapinghumansocieties,economiesandcultures.Theyhaveper-
formedthistransformativerolethroughcreatingandadvancing
knowledge,educatinganddevelopingtheskillsofyouth,graduat-
inggenerationsofskilledprofessionals,leadersandcriticalthinkers
thatcontributedtodrivingeconomicgrowth,fosteringinnova-
tionandaddressingsocietalchallenges.Moreover,universitieshave
beenattheforefrontofadvocatingforequalrights,socialjustice,
andsocietalprogressthroughresearch,activism,andcommunity
engagement.Whiletheimportanceoftheroleoftheuniversityre-
mainsunchanged,itsabilitytocontinuefulfillingitslongstandingrole
inmodernsocietiesis–todaymorethaneverbefore–debatable.
Recently,universitieshavebeenfacingunprecedentedchallenges
toadjustandadapttoanever-changingecosystem.Thesechallenges
stemfromadiversityoffactors,likeglobalisationandinternational-
isation,rapidtechnologicaladvancements,anincreasinglydynamic
jobmarket,changingstudents’attitudesandexpectations,andlast,
butnotleast,socioeconomicandpoliticalpressuresfacinguniversi-
ties.
Tonavigatethesechallengesandremainrelevant,universities
mustembraceinnovation,fosterinterdisciplinarycollaboration,es-
tablishnetworksandalliancesbetweenthem,createstrongerpart-
nershipswithindustriesandcommunities,investinprofessional
volume16|2023|number1|5–6

[6]
AbdelhamidEl-Zoheiry
developmentforfacultyandstaff,andcultivateacultureofadapt-
ability,sustainability,andlifelonglearning.Byaddressingthese
challenges,universitiescancontinuetoplayatransformativerole
insocietyandeffectivelypreparestudentsforthefuture.
TheEuro-MediterraneanUniversity(emuni)playsasignificant
roleinaddressingthechallengesfacingtheregion.Itprovidesaplat-
formforuniversitiestocollaborate,shareknowledge,anddevelop
jointsolutionstocommonissues.Throughitsinitiatives,emuni
contributestothesocial,economic,andenvironmentaldevelop-
mentoftheregion,whilefosteringinterculturaldialogueandun-
derstandingamongitsdiversepopulations.
Oneoftheimportanttoolsatemuni’sdisposaltoimplement
itsaforementionedroleistheInternationalJournalofEuro-Mediter-
raneanStudies(ijems).TheJournalservesasaplatformforknowl-
edgeexchangeamongacademics,researchers,andexpertsandthere-
fore,contributestoabetterunderstandingandanalysisofthere-
gionwhileprovidingsolutionsforthesocial,economicandpolitical
challengesitfaces.
Ontheoccasionofits15thanniversary,andfollowingconsul-
tationwithitsdiverseandeminentexpertsspanningtheMediter-
ranean,emunihasdecidedtoaddresstheexistentialchallenges
facinguniversities,globallyandregionally,byholdingitsannual
conferenceunderthetitle‘NewModelsforSustainableUniversi-
ties:AdaptingtoChange.’Inlinewiththeconferencetheme,the
editorialboardofijemsdecidedtopublishaspecialissueon‘In-
novationandEntrepreneurialUniversityEcosystemsintheEuro-
MediterraneanCountries.’
Wedohopethatthedeliberationsalongourannualconference
andthearticlesofthespecialissueofijemswillcontributetomak-
ingourinstitutionsmoreversatile,resilientandsustainable.
ijems