Who are we
For thousands of years, the Mediterranean has been the meeting point of dozens of civilizations and cultures that intermingled and cross-fertilized, and also struggled on its four banks: north and south, east and west. As the Mediterranean was the meeting point of the three ancient world continents: Europe, Asia, Africa in the past, it has become a scene for the interactions of all international and regional actors from all continents of the world since the twenties of the 20th. century.
Having control over the Mediterranean has become the bedrock of the major powers to control the world, not only in military and security terms, but also politically, economically, culturally, intellectually and socially.
During the twentieth century, the Mediterranean was the scene of the two most important world wars in the modern and contemporary history which have led to forming maps of several countries, not only those overlooking the Mediterranean, but many others in all continents of the world.
With the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean remained at the center of international interactions, amid emergence of conflict theories and strategies, such as clash of civilizations and waves of political transformation in eastern European countries. With the beginning of the second decade of the 21st. century, the conflicts and dangers aggravated in the Mediterranean region against the backdrop of the political transformations in countries of North Africa, West Asia on the one hand, and discovery of huge natural gas wealth in the Eastern Mediterranean, which opened the door wide to emergence of many cooperative and conflict interactions. Accordingly, , the Mediterranean will remain for decades to come one of the main theaters of international and regional interactions.
Taking into account the significance of describing, analyzing and interpreting these interactions and forecasting their strategic implications and future tracks and how to deal with them, the idea of this research center has come to undertake this task and present scientific and objective assessments and policy papers necessary to manage these interactions.
Vision
Besides its significance as a strategic waterway over thousands of years, the Mediterranean is also a bridge between civilizations and cultures, not only across the three continents surrounding it, but also between forces and currents that have interacted (cooperatively or militarily) on its wealth, potentials, values, and cultures, and shared interest in its issues and challenges. Accordingly, the future of the Mediterranean region depends on the ability of these currents and civilizations to manage their interactions in a manner that guarantees security, stability and prosperity for the countries of the world in general, and the Mediterranean region in particular.
Mission
One space … One human race … Common fate
Objectives
The Mediterranean Center for Strategic Studies (MCSS) is an independent research institution launched for the preparation of researches, studies, assessments, and policy papers; the organization of scientific and academic events; and provision of consultations on political, strategic, economic, intellectual and social interactions in the Mediterranean region, as well as associated regional and international interactions.
Research units
- Security and Defense Studies
- Strategic and Future Studies
- Political and Economic Studies
- Cultural and Civilizational Studies
Mediterranean Forum for Thought and Dialogue
The Mediterranean Forum for Thought and Dialogue (MFTD), organized by the Mediterranean Center for Strategic Studies (MCSS), is intended to be a domain for thought and dialogue, where scientific and research activities, conferences, workshops, public lectures, a monthly intellectual salon, brainstorming sessions, simulation models, and other activities are organized to boost direct interaction between academics, experts, researchers and decision makers all over the world, in various fields, issues and files of interest to the MCSS.
Organizational Structure
The MCSS organizational structure consists of:
- The board of trustees
- The advisory body
- The academic body
- MCSS chairman
- MCSS director
- MCSS Forum
- Research units
- Administrative and other supporting units
Human Resources
The MCSS human resources are divided into two basic groups:
First: the main team
The main (permanent) team focus on the basic pillars necessary for securing a stable operation of MCSS, including its administration, as well as the supporting research and administrative units, according to a clear employment policy, governed by legal, administrative and organizational regulations in the country of the MCSS main headquarters and the countries of MCSS branches
Second: External contribution
External contributions rely on experts and advisors hired in accordance with the needs of MCSS and requirements of its operation, as well as researchers and writers who provide contributions based on MCSS research interests, according to a set of administrative and organizational controls as well as MCSS writing and publishing controls.