As part of the project “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the dots“, co-funded by the European Union and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), we are opening calls for researchers to take part in five different Joint Study Groups.

The EuroMeSCo Joint Study Groups 2020 will be made up of four Authors, including a Coordinator, who will jointly produce a Policy Study over a period of 6-7 months. Interested researchers may apply as Authors or as Authors & Coordinators to each Joint Study Group. In both cases, they will have to complete the online form and submit their application before 14 June (included).

Here is a brief description of the rationale of this Joint Study Group:

Covid-19: an opportunity for terrorist groups in Africa and the MENA region?

Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism has been a priority on the EU Foreign Policy Agenda over the last years and has significantly tainted Partnership Priorities to date between the EU and its Southern Mediterranean partners. While a number of publications have already been released on the issue of how terrorist groups may take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis, analyses grounded in field work and primary sources are still missing on how they have started to do so, and how the crisis and the response to the crisis may offer a fertile ground for those groups. Amid concerns that the COVID-19 may lead to a priority shift that would challenge the PVE and CVE efforts deployed until now, this EuroMeSCo Policy Study should look into the issues mentioned above, evaluate the possible new threats and formulate policy recommendations regarding EU approaches and cooperation mechanisms with its Southern Mediterranean neighbours. It should also include a foresight exercise and explore future scenarios for the terrorist landscape in the region, including with regards to Daesh.

The other four Joint Study Groups will be dealing with the following topics: cyber-security in the MENA region; green economy in the MENA region; human smuggling 2.0; and post Covid-19 trade relations between the EU, its Southern Neighbours and Africa. You may apply to more than one Joint Study Group, but may eventually only be selected to join one of them.

See the EuroMeSCo Joint Study Groups 2020 Terms of Reference for more information.