In a conference room in Cairo far removed from Yemen’s frontlines, university leaders from institutions divided by geography, political realities and years of war gathered around one table to sign what many described as a historic first for the country’s higher education sector.
The moment itself appeared administrative: signatures placed beneath memoranda of understanding and governance documents.
But for the academics involved, the launch of Yemen’s first national network of university international relations offices (IROs) represented something far larger – an attempt to rebuild Yemen’s connection to global academia after more than a decade of isolation.
For years, international discussion surrounding Yemeni higher education has focused almost exclusively on conflict, destruction and emergency response.
University leaders say that the humanitarian narrative, while grounded in reality, has often left higher education neglected by international donors who prioritise immediate aid over institutional continuity.
That effort to reconnect took a significant step forward during the final conference of the YHELD project (Youth Higher Education Leadership Development), held in Cairo from 13 to 14 May.
Funded under the European Union’s Erasmus programme, the initiative builds on prior regional cooperation to enhance the capacity of Yemeni higher education institutions to operate on an international level.
The initiative formally brought together eight public and private Yemeni universities into a coordinated national framework for international cooperation: the University of Aden, Hadhramout University, Abyan University, University of Lahej, Seiyun University, University of Shabwah, Taiz University and Al-Adel University.
Through newly signed terms of reference, the universities committed to creating a shared structure for international partnerships, research collaboration, academic mobility and institutional capacity-building.
From fragmentation to coordination
The prolonged conflict in Yemen has deeply affected the country’s universities through damaged infrastructure, interrupted funding and a lack of qualified employment opportunities that has discouraged student participation.
For years, universities pursued partnerships independently, depending heavily on short-term personal contacts – a model that became increasingly unsustainable.
“The establishment of a unified Yemeni IRO Network marks a strategic shift from isolated institutional efforts toward coordinated national collaboration,” said Dr Mohamed Salem Baazab, director-general of international relations at the University of Aden and local coordinator of the YHELD project.
“Through this platform, Yemeni universities can collectively share expertise, harmonise internationalisation practices and present a stronger, more credible voice to global partners.”
Beyond mobility: Internationalisation at home
The YHELD consortium was designed to pair experienced European universities with Yemeni counterparts seeking to move beyond emergency-orientated engagement and focus on long-term institutional reconstruction.
Critically, the capacity-building efforts target multiple layers of the university ecosystem – including university governance, researchers and technical and administrative staff.
According to Silvia Marchionne, senior project manager at the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED), all eight participating Yemeni universities have now operationalised and staffed international relations offices.
Sixteen senior university representatives completed intensive training programmes designed to convert broad concepts into measurable institutional strategies.
Inside the participating universities, administrators say the framework is already changing how institutions view their future.
Morshed Salim Abdullah Al-Jaro, acting director of the IRO and dean of the College of Women at Seiyun University, noted that with severe mobility constraints, universities must pursue an ‘internationalisation at home’ approach, integrating global academic standards and digital tools directly into local educational environments.
“For many Yemeni students, international cooperation provides access to global academic practices, modern pedagogical approaches, digital learning tools and collaborative research environments that are otherwise difficult to access due to local constraints,” said Al-Jaro.
“The network aims to strengthen participation in international programmes such as Erasmus and Horizon Europe while also promoting coordinated capacity-building initiatives across Yemeni universities.
Equally important, the network promotes peer learning and institutional knowledge sharing among Yemeni universities themselves.”
A medical research system seeking visibility
The implications of the network extend beyond administration into specific academic problems, such as the absence of locally generated research from global scientific literature.
“As head of the Laboratory Medicine Department at Hadhramout University, I believe the establishment of the National Yemeni IRO Network represents a strategic step towards strengthening medical research and academic excellence in Yemen,” said Dr Lotfi Bin Dahman, associate professor and consultant of clinical biochemistry.
According to Bin Dahman, some of Yemen’s most pressing public health challenges remain significantly under-represented in global academic research due to local isolation and technical resource gaps.
“Many important health challenges in Yemen, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and metabolic disorders, remain under-represented in global scientific literature despite their growing impact on public health,” he said.
“Through stronger collaboration with European and international institutions, Yemeni researchers will gain improved access to research mentorship, joint publications, scientific networks and advanced research methodologies. This cooperation can also facilitate multicenter studies and improve the quality and credibility of locally generated health data.”
The sustainability question
Despite the optimism, university leaders acknowledge that the project now enters its most difficult phase as the Erasmus funding cycle for YHELD formally concludes at the end of May 2026. This raises a familiar question: what happens after external financing ends?
Project coordinators insist that sustainability planning was built into the initiative from the beginning. One proposed step involves creating a dedicated follow-up unit within Yemen’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
At the same time, the universities have agreed to operate the network through a rotating leadership structure to avoid dependence on a single institution, while formally committing to integrating IRO staffing and operational costs into their own annual budgets.
Logistical restrictions meant that European and Yemeni coordinators were unable to meet in person until nearly two years after the project had already begun.
“When I think that we only had the chance to meet in person two years after the project began and consequently only in the last six months, it is a great pity,” said Andrea Damiani, the project coordinator from Link Campus University in Italy.
“Meeting in person allowed us to get to know each other better and achieve excellent results. Understanding and respect made all of this possible. When you connect with other people and cultures, work becomes easier and more rewarding.”
Marchionne described this dynamic as a shift towards a partnership model based on mutual academic collaboration rather than treating Yemeni institutions solely as recipients of aid. “While structures and memoranda are necessary, the success of cooperation relies on human capacity, mutual trust and long-term personal engagement,” she said.
Reframing Yemen’s higher education story
The challenge remains substantial. Yemen’s universities continue operating inside an environment shaped by economic crisis, political division and infrastructure constraints. Yet project participants argue that precisely because of those pressures, internationalisation has become essential rather than optional.
Rather than focusing exclusively on institutional collapse, the project highlights universities attempting to create long-term academic strategies under exceptionally difficult conditions.
“Our message to international university leaders, donors and EU stakeholders is that Yemeni higher education institutions, despite years of conflict and challenges, remain resilient, committed and determined to contribute to regional and global academic development,” Laswar said.
“Supporting higher education in Yemen is not only an investment in universities but also an investment in the country’s future stability, human capital and hope for the next generation.”
For now, the newly established network remains a fragile experiment the success of which will depend on maintaining cooperation after international funding ends.
But in Cairo, as university leaders signed documents establishing the country’s first coordinated framework, participants argued that the effort itself already represents a significant shift.
In a higher education system shaped for years by fragmentation and isolation, Yemeni universities are attempting to build something increasingly rare in conflict environments: a shared long-term academic vision.
University of Aden
YHELD Final Conference in Cairo Reinforces Euro-Yemeni Academic Cooperation and Internationalisation of H ...