The Summit
The Middle East and Mediterranean (MEM) Summer Summit stems from years of experience and research at the Università della Svizzera italiana. In 2018, with the support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the MEM Summer Summit was launched, with a focus on youth and their future.
The MEM Summer Summit offers the opportunity to bring together young people from the Middle East Mediterranean region, who do not usually have opportunities to meet, by providing them with a safe space to imagine and experiment with common projects, to develop new narratives and to transform challenges into opportunities.

Objectives
Our main objectives are:
- to offer a safe space for dialogue between young change-makers from the Middle East Mediterranean region where to lay out a vision for common future of the region, by starting from the present
- to build a common ground and intergenerational exchange between young people and decision-makers, public and private institutions, non-profit organisations, social enterprises
- to develop novel approaches to tackle persisting critical issues
- to act as a breeding ground for developing across border and multilateral project proposals
- to initiate collaboration and start networks among several actors in the region
The MEM Summer Summit is composed of a Seminar and a Forum that take place in Lugano, Switzerland.
Objectives
Our main objectives are:
- to offer a safe space for dialogue between young change-makers from the Middle East Mediterranean region where to lay out a vision for common future of the region, by starting from the present
- to build a common ground and intergenerational exchange between young people and decision-makers, public and private institutions, non-profit organisations, social enterprises
- to develop novel approaches to tackle persisting critical issues
- to act as a breeding ground for developing across border and multilateral project proposals
- to initiate collaboration and start networks among several actors in the region
MEM Highlights
Watch the highlights of MEM’s journey until now – 6 Editions, 540 Young change-makers from 35 Countries, 360 Speakers, 18 Cultural events, 11 Collaborations and projects, 7 Workshops in the MEM region and countless life-changing moments.
Call for Applications
The Call for Applications for the MEM 2023 is now open. If you are a young active person from the Middle East Mediterranean region or Europe with an interest in the region and social engagement, and you are willing to discuss and debate pressing issues and collaborate on across border projects with participants coming from all over the region, find out how you can apply to participate in the Summit here: