How can education help tackle environmental challenges? The HEEFTA project brings Mediterranean universities together to equip students with green and blue skills and promote a new holistic approach to sustainability.
The environmental challenges facing the Mediterranean are growing more complex every year. Climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and social inequalities are deeply connected. Preparing future generations to understand and address these challenges requires a new approach to learning.
The HEEFTA project – “Holistic Environmental Education from Training to Action” has officially been launched under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, co-funded by the European Union. The project aims to reshape environmental education by linking knowledge, skills, and real-world action.
With a total budget of €981,602.50, of which 89% (€873,626.22) is financed by the European Union, HEEFTA will run for two years, supporting interdisciplinary environmental education across the Mediterranean region.
The project’s online Kick-off Meeting, held on 7 November 2025, brought together representatives from the Interreg NEXT MED Joint Secretariat, the Managing Authority, the Branch Office for the Western Mediterranean, and project partners. The meeting marked the beginning of a shared journey to strengthen environmental awareness and promote cooperation between universities and civil society organizations.
Environmental issues rarely exist in isolation. Climate, agriculture, biodiversity, public health, and economic development are all connected. Yet traditional education often studies these topics separately. HEEFTA introduces a holistic approach to environmental learning that connects these perspectives. By bringing together knowledge from different disciplines, the project will help students understand how environmental, social, and economic systems interact. This approach encourages critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving—skills that are essential for addressing today’s sustainability challenges.
At the heart of the project is a commitment to empowering young people, HEEFTA will develop a transnational training programme that helps university students build green and blue skills. These skills are increasingly important in emerging sectors linked to sustainability, environmental protection, and the green transition.
Through interdisciplinary training and collaboration with experts, students will gain practical knowledge that prepares them to contribute to sustainable solutions in their communities and future careers.
Beyond training activities, HEEFTA will also create a Mediterranean network for environmental education.
This network will connect universities, research centers, NGOs, and experts working on sustainability across the region. By encouraging cooperation and knowledge exchange, the network will help spread new ideas, strengthen partnerships, and promote long-term advocacy for sustainable living.
As part of this effort, the project will develop a Memorandum of Understanding and a holistic training curriculum designed to integrate sustainability and systemic thinking into higher education programmes.
The project is coordinated by the Centro Tecnológico Nacional de la Conserva y Alimentación (CTNC) in Spain and brings together partners from six Mediterranean countries:
Education, Geriatrics, Ecological Farming & Tourism Foundation (Türkiye)
Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (Egypt)
Through this collaboration, the partners aim to strengthen environmental education, empower students, and build stronger connections between academia and society, by connecting education, research, and cooperation, HEEFTA seeks to inspire a new generation of environmental changemakers.
The project demonstrates how cross-border collaboration can help equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to address shared environmental challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future for the Mediterranean region.
Last Update
06/03/2026
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