No other region in the World can claim such a prominent role in the development of human society as the Mediterranean. The lands which surround this comparatively small area of sea have witnessed the birth of civilizations, the fall of empires, the creation and the clash of religions which have conquered the hearts and souls of people around the globe.
It is also a perfect reflection of the deeply established political, ideological, religious, environmental and economic conflicts which the World faces. No region better describes the issues that we as a global community must overcome and no region is more suited to becoming the cradle and inspiration of new approaches to the four issues which this conference seeks to bring to public attention.
If society truly believes that in the light of increasing environmental, geopolitical and demographic factors the principal challenge facing the modern world is the creation of a sustainable global community based on equality of race, gender and individual identity as defined by the European Union within its search for a twin transition to a green and digital economy, then it is essential that an ample, heterogeneous social audience composed of all parts of the Quintuple Helix, with distinct levels of scientific comprehension ranging from the concerned but hitherto uninformed layman, the professional stakeholder, the political decision maker and the specialised scientific and technical expert be informed of the broad global issues which must be addressed, each person according to their needs.
