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| Centre for Mediterranean Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Mediterranean Studies |
| Established | 1987 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Location | Mediterranean region |
Centre for Mediterranean Studies is an interdisciplinary research institute focused on the study of the Mediterranean basin, its societies, environments, histories, and cultural interactions. Drawing on expertise from archaeology, history, linguistics, economics, and environmental science, the centre engages with partners across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East to address regional challenges. Its work interfaces with institutions such as European Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Bank, Council of Europe, and national research councils.
The centre was founded in 1987 amid debates involving European Community, NATO, Council of Europe, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and leading universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne University, Università di Bologna, University of Barcelona, University of Athens, University of Malta, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Early projects connected with archaeological campaigns at sites like Knossos, Pompeii, Leptis Magna, Akko (Acre), and Byblos and with maritime studies referencing Battle of Lepanto and Battle of Actium. Through the 1990s the centre partnered with European Investment Bank, United Nations Environment Programme, International Maritime Organization, Greenpeace, and World Wide Fund for Nature on coastal management initiatives. Major milestones included collaborative grants from Horizon 2020 predecessors and cooperative workshops with Mediterranean Games organizers and Cultural Olympiad committees. Directors and visiting scholars associated with the centre have included researchers from British Academy, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo, and Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique.
The centre's mission aligns with strategic frameworks promoted by United Nations, European Union, African Union, League of Arab States, and regional authorities such as Rabat Process stakeholders to promote sustainable development, heritage preservation, and intercultural dialogue. Objectives include supporting research on ancient networks like Silk Road maritime connections, documenting heritage after crises such as Syrian civil war, coordinating policy briefs for G7, G20, Union for the Mediterranean, and advising heritage agencies including ICOMOS, UNESCO World Heritage Committee, and national ministries like Ministry of Culture (France), Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Türkiye), Ministry of Tourism (Greece), and Ministry of Antiquities (Egypt). The centre emphasizes applied outputs for institutions such as European Parliament, European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, World Health Organization European Region, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Research programs span maritime archaeology, climate science, agrarian history, urban studies, migration studies, and cultural patrimony. Projects have investigated topics related to Minoan civilization, Phoenicia, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire, Al-Andalus, and post-colonial transitions after events like the Treaty of Lausanne and Sykes–Picot Agreement. Environmental studies link to initiatives involving Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, European Environment Agency, Mediterranean Action Plan, and Barcelona Convention. Migration research interfaces with datasets from International Organization for Migration, case studies on routes affecting Lampedusa, Lesbos, Valletta, Tangier, and Alexandria, and legal frameworks such as 1951 Refugee Convention and Schengen Agreement. Economic and trade histories draw on archives related to Marseille, Genoa, Venice, Alexandria (Egypt), Tripoli (Libya), Tunis, and Istanbul. Cultural-linguistic research connects with corpora from Arabic language, Greek language, Latin language, Berber languages, Ottoman Turkish, and works like The Odyssey, Histories (Herodotus), Geographica (Strabo), and Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
The centre offers postgraduate fellowships, doctoral supervision, and summer schools in collaboration with universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne University, Università di Padova, University of Barcelona, American University of Beirut, University of Palermo, University of Naples Federico II, and University of Tunis El Manar. Curricula and short courses address topics featured in syllabi from European University Institute, Bocconi University, Sciences Po, King's College London, Columbia University, and Brown University. Training programs for heritage professionals have partnered with ICOM, UNESCO Institute for Training and Research, Getty Conservation Institute, and national conservation schools like Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Student exchange links include frameworks with Erasmus Programme, Fulbright Program, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and bilateral scholarships from institutions such as British Council, DAAD, Campus France, and DAAD.
The centre publishes monographs, working papers, and peer-reviewed journals with editorial collaborations involving Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Brill Publishers, Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, Elsevier, Springer Nature, and regional presses like Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Publications. It organizes annual conferences often hosted in cities such as Barcelona, Valletta, Athens, Beirut, Rome, Tunis, Istanbul, Alexandria, and Lisbon, and thematic symposia tied to exhibitions at Louvre Museum, British Museum, Vatican Museums, Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples), National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and Pergamon Museum. Proceedings have addressed issues linked to Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe, Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, Barcelona Process, and reports to European Council committees.
Governance typically includes a board of trustees with representatives from institutions like European Commission, Council of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain), Embassy of France in Rome, and academic partners such as Università di Roma "La Sapienza", École normale supérieure, Heidelberg University, University of Copenhagen, and University of Warsaw. Administrative divisions comprise research units named for fields tied to Maritime Archaeology Unit, Climate and Coastal Studies Unit, Migration and Mobility Unit, and Cultural Heritage Unit; these coordinate with funding bodies including Horizon Europe, European Regional Development Fund, Mediterranean Trusts, Rockefeller Foundation, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Ethical oversight aligns with standards from Declaration of Helsinki and archival partnerships follow guidelines used by International Council on Archives.
The centre maintains partnerships with intergovernmental organizations, museums, and universities: UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Commission, International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, Mediterranean Universities Union, Union for the Mediterranean, European University Institute, Wikimedia Foundation projects, Istituto Nazionale di Studi Etruschi, Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, British School at Rome, École Française de Rome, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII, and NGOs such as IUCN, Greenpeace, MedPAN, BluePlan, and Sea Alarm. Collaborative fieldwork and policy briefs have been produced with municipal partners including Municipality of Naples, Barcelona City Council, Athens Municipality, Valletta Local Council, Tunis Municipality, and heritage authorities like Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio and General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (Lebanon).
Category:Research institutes