The Second Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange National Information Day took place in Cairo on the 13th of November, hosted by Cairo University (CU) and organised in collaboration with the Egyptian National Erasmus+ Office, the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) and the Arab Council for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.

During the event, experts from Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange presented the latest developments and the upcoming opportunities of the programme. They highlighted the importance of integrating Virtual Exchange experiences within university activities as a way to provide young people with 21stCentury skills, such as digital literacy, teamwork, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding. 

The event involved high-level representatives, such as the Vice President of Cairo University, Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Zekry, and the Head of Mission of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, Mr Ivan Surkoš. 

During the event, the use of Virtual Exchange to complement student’s mobility and to foster university's internationalisation as well as student’s engagement, emerged as a clear priority for the Egyptian higher education and youth communities. As commented by Marcello Scalisi, Director of UNIMED: “Internationalisation is important for institutions but it's made by people, it's made by us, it's made by you.”

Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange is a ground-breaking project enabling youth in Europe and the Southern Mediterranean to engage in meaningful intercultural experiences online, as part of their formal or non-formal education. This flagship project is established under a contract with the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, financed by the European Union’s budget, and it is implemented by a consortium composed of Search for Common Ground, Anna Lindh Foundation, UNIMED, Sharing Perspectives Foundation, Soliya, UNICollaboration, Kiron Open Higher Education, and Migration Matters.