Beirut: The Middle East regional directorate of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) officially launched the EUSEEDS project on September 3, 2025. The initiative, aimed at boosting employability, entrepreneurship, and digital skills among young people in the Eastern Mediterranean, is co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED program.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, the project is coordinated by AUF in Lebanon and targets the creation and consolidation of dedicated university centers to support these objectives. The EUSEEDS project boasts a total budget of £2,808,499.10, with £2,499,564.20 (89%) funded by the European Union.
The online kick-off meeting organized by AUF brought together all project partners, including the Center for Social Innovation (CSICY, Cyprus), Enroot (Egypt), Aix-Marseille University (France), Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (JYIF, Jordan), Forward MENA (Lebanon), and Palestine Information and Communications Technology Incubator (PICTI, Palestine). This event fostered collaboration among partners, outlined project goals, expected results, activities, and discussed financial and communication plans, while also setting the operational calendar for the first semester.
Jean-No«l Bal©o, AUF Middle East regional director, highlighted the project’s ambition and social impact in his opening remarks. He emphasized the goal of generating significant outcomes with short-, medium-, and long-term impacts through the establishment of sustainable university structures.
The first concrete step of the EUSEEDS project will involve launching a call for applications to select 20 beneficiary universities across Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. These universities will receive support to develop or strengthen their employability centers, which are essential in bridging the gap between academic training and professional integration.
Through EUSEEDS, AUF and its partners, backed by the European Union, reaffirm their commitment to equipping Mediterranean youth with skills necessary to tackle labor market challenges and to contribute to regional economic and social development.