The International Hellenic University (IHU) and Epimorfotiki Kilkis sm LLC, lead beneficiary of the MED-QUAD project, hosted a 2-day Cross-Border Meeting on May 25-26, 2023 in Kilkis, Greece. The meeting aimed to bring together representatives from project partners and local representatives from universities, businesses, government, and society, as part of the quadruple helix approach. The goal was to inform both locally and internationally about the contribution of MED-QUAD in creating a sustainable future for the Mediterranean through the assistance of "Civic Universities." 

The meeting took place at the IHU Department in Kilkis and was attended by over 100 people in person and remotely. In addition to the Greek partners, representatives from the following universities were also present: 

• University of l'Aquila (L'Aquila, Italy) 

• Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport- AASTMT (Alexandria, Egypt) 

• Al-Balqa' Applied University – BAU (Salt, Jordan) 

• University of Sousse (Sousse, Tunisia) 

• Palestine Polytechnic University – PPU (Hebron, Palestine) 

Representatives from the local community including the members of the City Development Group, including the Kilkis Municipality (project’s associated partner), the Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage of Kilkis -DEYAK, the Regional Unit of Kilkis, the Kilkis Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Kilkis Development Agency of Kilkis S.A. (ANKI S.A.), and others also participated. 

During the meeting, the project partners had the opportunity to present the achievements of the project, the progress of the research activities, and particularly the piloting "living labs" for "Smart Water Use Applications" (SWUAP) and for “Applied Research on Cultural Heritage Exploitation” (ARCHEO). These presentations were made to the audience present at the meeting as well as to those watching via YouTube. 

The MED-QUAD project is a cross-border cooperation project aiming to foster effective cooperation between key actors in education, research, technological and sustainable development and innovation, together with the citizens, following the Quadruple Helix approach. 

By showcasing the achievements of the project at the meeting, it provided practical evidence of the MED-QUAD project's vision for universities. The vision is to transform universities into "socially aware" organizations that, together with businesses, local government, and society, fully respond to their role by operating not only "in" the city/local community but "for the city," i.e., for the social benefit of citizens. The participants had the opportunity for continuous interaction, exchanging ideas, and engaging in discussions about the implementation methods and the evolution of the role of Social Universities. 

With funding from the European Union through the ENI CBC MED Programme, the partners acquired special technological equipment for the laboratories installed in each country for research purposes, studies, and scientific work.  

By utilizing modern equipment as a crucial tool, universities will succeed in fulfilling their role, demonstrating their educational and social impact. 

During the meeting, IHU executives presented the digital mapping carried out in the Kilkis Cave. A pleasant surprise was the visit of a small group of students from the 1st Vocational Lyceum of Kilkis, who were informed about using virtual and augmented reality for a digital tour of the cave. This was followed by on-site visits for the partners to the Kilkis Cave and the Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage of Kilkis -DEYAK, where the project equipment for water quality investigations had been installed. 

The participants from Greece and partners’ countries drew critical conclusions about the innovative approach of the Quadruple Helix, with an emphasis on the Civic University framework. They expect that the project will have a positive impact on everyone even after its completion.