Sustainable development and international cooperation: Elio’s internship experience at CIHEAM Zaragoza
- As an MSc graduate in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation from the University of Turin, Elio Sallustio has spent three months at CIHEAM Zaragoza working at the Projects’ unit
Elio Sallustio holds a Master’s degree in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation (AGIC) from the University of Turin, a programme that aims to provide students with the skills required to operate in international cooperation with a solid background in the interdisciplinary field of area studies and unique competencies concerning a specific geographic/cultural area.
Elio’s academic background also includes International and Italian Law and international relations although his main interest is Mediterranean international cooperation and sustainable rural and local development practices. His countries of specialisation are Italy, Libya, and Syria.
Elio has spent three months at CIHEAM Zaragoza working at the Projects’ unit. We have asked him about his experience at our organization.
This is the testimonial he has shared with us:
| It has been over two months since the end of my internship period at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza). These have been dense and fruitful months in a stimulating working environment with many beautiful people who have marked my path towards international cooperation. As a master’s student in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation, I worked for the Institute’s Project Unit with Alun Jones, Antonio López-Francos, Diego Lozano, and Beatriz Gómez. They contributed to my professional training and introduced me to the world of CIHEAM from the very beginning. Furthermore, they were working on the generation of ideas and tools aimed at regional development. Their experience and their way of getting involved taught me a lot. During my training, I was personally involved in supporting the project management of a large European project on sustainable regional development called “SmartCulTour”. The project, financed by the Horizon 2020 programme, is a four-year project aimed at supporting regional development in all European regions with important tangible and intangible cultural assets, including those located in rural peripheries and the urban fringe, through sustainable cultural tourism. One of the challenges of this project is to transfer the results to CIHEAM non-European countries, where this kind of tools are less developed. Participating in the project’s activities allowed me to meet incredible people and to get closer to the world of cooperation, together with the Sustainable Development Goals’ practical implementation and the magical territory of Aragon. I’ve had the privilege of supporting impressive development initiatives unique in Europe. The Rio Vero Cultural Park, rural and resilient communities such as Alquézar, Buera, Huesca, and the Somontano wine-route experience are just small pieces of a wider development plot that involves the productive sector, public administrations, and development agencies. The Institute is also an educational institution. Each development project or project proposal relies on the personnel’s expert scientific advice. I think that being able to combine scientific research with any project idea is indispensable in the international cooperation world. The capability to innovate or propose a new, resilient way to cooperate is inevitably linked to the scientific effort. And, of course, innovations bring sustainable solutions for the future of our planet. Finally, choosing CIHEAM has been an opportunity to get to know its international network. The Zaragoza Institute operates within the European (and non-European) groups. The Greek, Italian, and French institutes work jointly under the supervision of the headquarters in Paris. Having a solid organisation with a clear and joint Mediterranean mission at your side gives you more creative opportunities and a political attitude to international solidarity. I want to thank the Spanish Institute staff, the friends who accompanied me on this journey and the Institute’s Director, Raúl Compés, for supporting me along the way. Special thanks go to my tutor Ramzi Belkhodja, and all the people who helped me during these months. I hope our paths will cross again, and may the future bring peace and solidarity between people and the Mediterranean. Elio Sallustio |
