Are you looking to join a six-month hybrid and travel-based training program to explore and understand Mediterranean identity, build a shared narrative, and bring high-impact projects to life in the region?
Join the 25 project leaders who will take part in the Academy of Mediterranean Talents (ATM).
HOW THE PROGRAM
BEGAN
In his closing speech at the “Sommet des Deux Rives” in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the urgency of imagining a new “Mediterranean world” - a positive, shared future that unlocks the region’s full potential. A future shaped by committed young leaders ready to take ownership of their destiny.
The Academy of Mediterranean Talents was launched in 2021 by AFD Campus and StartUpBrics, and is now led by the AFD Group through its Campus, with support from the North Africa Regional Office and backing from the Interministerial Delegation for the Mediterranean (DIMED). Operated by INCO, the Academy brings to life the ambition of renewing perspectives between both shores of the Mediterranean by empowering young changemakers to build collective, community-rooted projects that transform their societies.
The program was officially announced on 7 February 2022 by President Emmanuel Macron during the opening ceremony of the Forum des Mondes Méditerranéens in Marseille. For this new edition, AFD Group and INCO are joining forces once again through the Academy of Mediterranean Talents to continue promoting a more sustainable, fair, and resilient Mediterranean.
Discover a glimpse of the experience lived by the participants of cohort 2 during one of our key in-person moments in Tunis!
THE MEDITERRANEAN:
TODAY'S CHALLENGES,
TOMORROW'S OPPORTUNITIES
The Mediterranean basin, positioned at the intersection of three continents, has always been a natural hub for human connection and exchange. Despite its divisions and contrasts, the region’s geography, history, and diversity give it a unique ability to bring people together.
The Mediterranean is also a major biodiversity hotspot. Although it represents less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface, it hosts 25–30% of all endemic marine species and 10% of all known marine species.
On land, the region contains around 10% of the planet’s higher plant species, concentrated in just 1.6% of the Earth’s surface.
This rich and fragile ecosystem plays a crucial role in maintaining global biodiversity balance.
OF THE WORLD'S MARINE BIODIVERSITY
As a strategic transit and exchange area, the Mediterranean Sea carries nearly 30% of global maritime traffic, even though it covers only 1% of the world’s oceans.
Yet the region is also marked by deep disparities. Unequal economic development between the two shores and rising migration flows reveal persistent social, economic, and political divisions.
30%
OF GLOBAL MARITIME TRAFFIC
+150
HERITAGE SITES
The Mediterranean region - shaped by centuries of cultures and civilizations - hosts more than 150 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its historic cities, known for their remarkable architecture, give the region its unique character.
But rapid large-scale urban expansion has reshaped many of these landscapes, putting this rich heritage at risk.
Preserving these exceptional shared assets is a major challenge for every city in the region, and essential to protecting our Mediterranean identity.
3rd Edition 2026
The Academy of Mediterranean Talents is a six-month hybrid program (online and in-person), running from March to September 2026. It is designed to explore and understand what defines Mediterranean identity, build a shared narrative, and turn high-impact ideas into concrete projects for the region.
The program is built around a “commons” approach - encouraging collaboration around shared resources and strengthening the sense of belonging to a unified Mediterranean community.
The Academy of Mediterranean Talents
WHAT THIS PROGRAM
AIMS TO ACHIEVE
UNDERSTAND
Challenge the myths and narratives surrounding the Mediterranean to better grasp today’s regional challenges.
INSPIRE
Imagine a desirable future and contribute to building a shared Mediterranean narrative.
ACT
Receive support to develop and launch a high-impact project.
MORE SUSTAINABLE, FAIRER, AND MORE RESILIENT.
AFD Group and INCO are joining forces through the Mediterranean Talent Academy to promote a Mediterranean that is:
BUILT AROUND
4 CORE THEMES...
ENVIRONMENT
Biodiversity, climate change, marine ecosystems, collaborative economy, blue & green economy, circular economy.
OUR CROSS-CUTTING PILLARS
GROW
Gain the tools you need to imagine change - and make it happen.
ENGAGE
Join a network of committed changemakers from both shores of the Mediterranean.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
FROM THIS PROGRAMME?
2 to 4 hours of weekly work (online sessions + individual work) to explore Mediterranean challenges, learn from regional changemakers, and take action by developing high-impact projects for the region.
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
Aged 20 to 40, from any professional field, and involved in initiatives relevant to the Mediterranean.
A citizen or resident of one of the following 13 countries: France, Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Italy, Malta, Syria, Palestine or Turkey.
Leading a project or initiative that has a positive impact on the Mediterranean.
Motivated to engage with Mediterranean issues and contribute to building a shared, positive narrative for the region.
Proficient in English and/or French, both written and spoken.
AFD Campus is a laboratory for educational innovation, designing and developing training programs - together with its partners - adapted to the skills needed by those shaping sustainable development policies and projects in AFD’s countries of operation.
Combining cutting-edge pedagogical expertise, informed by cognitive science, with deep knowledge of development challenges, AFD Campus works with a range of stakeholders to create innovative learning pathways that help learners understand complex transitions and take informed action to drive transformation.
