First Frederician Euro-Mediterranean Days, An Intercultural Journey.

Naples becomes the beating heart of the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, from October 15 to 17, 2025, with the first edition of the "First Frederician Euro-Mediterranean Days, An Intercultural Journey," a major event promoted by the SULIEIA Project coordinated by the University of Naples Federico II in partnership with the MUNA - Mediterranean and Middle East University Network.

For three days, the Federico University will open its lecture halls and monumental spaces to academics, institutions, activists, artists and students from different countries of the Mediterranean and Balkan area, to reflect on common challenges and shared perspectives: from gender equality to the protection of rights, from international mobility to inclusion, and the link between food, health, environment and society.

The Workshop will be inaugurated on Oct. 15 at the Aula Magna Storica of the Federico II University, with institutional greetings from the Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi and University Vice-Chancellor Angela Zampella, followed by the presentation of the MUR-funded SULIEIA transnational project led by Professor Valeria Costantino.

The day will then be dedicated to one of the most urgent and cross-cutting issues: gender equality, the focus of the SULIEIA project in WP4 coordinated by Professor Antonella Liccardo. The topic will be addressed through academic interventions, institutional experiences and an international panel discussion, which will feature scholars, activists and representatives of the legal and political world from Bosnia, Morocco, Tunisia and Italy.
In the afternoon, space will be given to culture and storytelling with the "SULIEIA Reading" cycle, which will give voice to female authors engaged in the narrative of identity, migration and rights. The Reading is curated by Dr. Laura Valente, as part of the Celebrations of Naples 2500. It will be followed by the unprecedented "Frederician Wonders" theatrical tour to discover the history and heritage of Europe's oldest secular university.

An institutional highlight will be the Meeting of the Rectors of the 35 member universities of the MUNA network, to be held in the prestigious Board Room of the Federico II University. Leading the work for the MUNA network will be Professor Gilberto Sammartino, in his capacity as general coordinator of the network and the University's delegate for international relations for the Mediterranean Area.

This is a unique opportunity to strengthen academic and cultural collaboration between universities in the Mediterranean and the Balkans, fostering the development of joint projects and the sharing of strategies to address global challenges.

On Oct. 16, the activities, coordinated by Francesca Galgano and Maria Paradiso, will move to Palazzo Gravina, home of the Department of Architecture, with panel discussions on rights, mobility and integration. Experts and representatives of academic institutions and civil organizations will discuss the Mediterranean as a space of challenges but also of extraordinary opportunities for cooperation.

The day will be enriched by artistic and informative moments, such as the meeting with choreographer Mvula Sungani ("Sabir. A Mediterranean Journey") and the presentation of the podcast "Naples, the City, the Women," up to the project "Abitare Migrante," dedicated to new forms of urban inclusion.

October 17, on the other hand, will be the day dedicated to the combination of food and health. Coordinated by Giulia Guerriero, it will feature talks by international experts on the One Health model, which combines human, animal and environmental well-being. Studies on the Mediterranean diet, innovative natural resources, food quality and new nutritional challenges will be presented, with an interdisciplinary approach ranging from veterinary medicine to agriculture and social sciences.

The afternoon, hosted at the Department of Engineering, will see the continuation of the work with thematic sessions on the environment, animal resources, food and well-being, culminating in the closing ceremony with greetings from the coordinators of the SULIEIA project and the MUNA network.

Alongside the scientific work, the Workshop will also offer events open to the public, such as a concert by Fede'n'Marlène at the Scalone Minerva and a social dinner with SULIEIA photo contest award ceremony at the Monumental Complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

The First Frederician Euro-Mediterranean Days represent much more than a conference: they are a unique opportunity to build bridges between universities, institutions and civil society, bringing different cultures and skills into dialogue with a view to Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

An intercultural journey that starts in Naples to project itself towards the future of a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable Mediterranean.