FORT project aims at “forging ties and building bridges between the Mediterranean Higher Education Institutions” in order to contribute to the building up of the Euro-Mediterranean higher education area through the co-financed by the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus Programme, under Action 4 ‘Enhancing Attractiveness.’

Given the increase of international academic collaborations and exchange, and mobility of students and academic staff, this internalisation implies challenges between the higher education institutions, such as, academic recognition, quality assurance standards and compatibility of qualification frameworks.

With the implementation of Bologna Process in Europe, a unified educational system has been introduced which tackle the problems of academic recognitions and the compatibility. This significant educational reform has also brought influence to the European neighbourhood. The Mediterranean region is an example of cross border bologna impact and as a result, a Euro-Mediterranean higher education area is been created.

In order to achieve the goal, two particular groups are being targeted:

• Group One: Students and their families, and other stakeholders (society, enterprises…etc.) who are often found unaware of the existing exchange opportunities to Europe and of its benefits.
• Group Two: The university managers, persons in charge of exchange programmes and quality assurance mechanisms who need assistance to incorporate their HEIs into the worldwide education market and more specifically, into the European Higher Education which is going through the educational reform, Bologna Process.