The Hellenic Mediterranean University, in collaboration with ATHENA European University and partners from African universities in Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria, organised a congress entitled " ATHENA’s First International Week with African Universities".

The meeting took place from 1 to 5 April 2024 at the auditorium of the Faculty of Management and Economics in Heraklion, Crete.

The Congress was attended by around 60 representatives from European and African universities, including representatives from the University of Maribor Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The event was organised by the International Exchange Office of the Hellenic Mediterranean University.

The congress included project presentations and lectures on precision agriculture, digitisation, food production and food safety. Workshops were organised on obtaining European funding, cooperation with African universities on new calls and projects, internationalisation and student exchange. At the congress, UM representatives presented some of the past and current projects on the use of ICT in agriculture and new approaches to teaching. Participants were also invited to the upcoming ipa.um.si summer school.

Future cooperation with African universities is important to share knowledge and experiences that can contribute to addressing global challenges such as food security, sustainable agriculture and digitisation. In addition, this cooperation promotes cultural understanding, strengthens international research networks and provides access to new opportunities for students and researchers.