SIMAD University has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the University of Tuscia, Italy, establishing a new partnership to advance academic, research, and institutional cooperation between the two universities.

The partnership reflects the University’s continued commitment to internationalization by building academic relationships that expand opportunities for students and staff, strengthen institutional capacity, support research collaboration, and increase engagement with universities beyond Somalia. Cooperation with the University of Tuscia further strengthens SIMAD’s academic connections with European institutions and provides a framework for developing practical joint initiatives.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdikarim Mohaidin Ahmed, Rector of SIMAD University, and Prof. Tiziana Laureti, Rector of the University of Tuscia. It brings the two institutions together around shared interests in science, technology, education, research, and human capital development.

Areas of Cooperation and Mutual Opportunities

Under the partnership, SIMAD University and the University of Tuscia will pursue cooperation through student and staff mobility, joint teaching and research activities, collaborative research and publications, joint and dual academic programmes, international project and research grant applications, summer courses, short-term training programmes, Erasmus+ mobility, and other academic exchanges. The agreement also provides a basis for joint supervision of Master’s and PhD students and for organizing workshops, conferences, and other academic activities of mutual interest.

For SIMAD University, an important area of the partnership is human capital development, including a framework for academic staff to pursue Master’s and PhD studies at the University of Tuscia. The cooperation can also create wider opportunities for SIMAD students, academics, researchers, and administrative staff to gain international exposure, participate in mobility and training activities, contribute to joint research, and engage in future collaborative academic programmes.

The partnership is designed to benefit both institutions by bringing together their academic expertise, research interests, and institutional experience. Through joint initiatives, the universities can exchange knowledge, develop collaborative research, pursue international funding opportunities, and strengthen connections between their academic communities.

SIMAD University and the University of Tuscia will now work to translate the agreement into specific activities and programmes, with a timetable for implementation to be developed jointly. The partnership provides a foundation for sustained cooperation and for creating meaningful academic, research, and mobility opportunities for both university communities.