Welcome Speech – Kick-off Meeting in Rome

23 March 2026

Good morning everyone and welcome to Rome.

Before starting, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge something important.

We wish to express our sincere regret for the absence of the Lebanese partner and the Jordanian university here in Rome. We would have truly appreciated having everyone together on this important occasion. We are aware that the current situation in the region, marked by conflict and instability, has made participation more difficult, and we would like to express our sadness about this. The times we are living in are complex and, in some cases, deeply unstable.

We cannot say that we feel fully confident about the future. However, we strongly believe in our role as organisations capable of contributing to transformation.

For us, TIA stands for Transformation in Action: we cannot change what belongs to the past, but we can build something new together. And this is exactly why we are here today.

So, it is a pleasure to host you here today for the official start of this project, which will accompany us over the next three years. We would like to wish all of you a productive meeting and, above all, a strong and successful project implementation.

As an organisation, in light of how the programme rules have evolved, we have placed particular emphasis on a continuous and structured monitoring role. Our objective is to ensure that all activities are implemented in full alignment with what is required by the European Commission, so that the project can achieve meaningful and positive results.

In this context, we would also like to clearly outline the operational approach that will guide this partnership.

Our role will be to ensure constant monitoring of the implementation. At the same time, the development and execution of tasks remain under the responsibility of each partner, as well as the respect of deadlines that will be defined and shared. This balance between autonomy and responsibility is essential for the proper functioning of the project.

Regarding governance, the coordination of the project is formally under our responsibility. This means that any operational directions that differ from those defined at coordination level will not be accepted, in order to ensure coherence, quality, and compliance with the project obligations.

We are fully aware that this role comes with significant responsibility. As coordinators, we are committed to implementing the project in full respect of the Grant Agreement and in line with what has already been shared and agreed with the Project Officer.

In case of any potential difficulties or critical issues, we will adopt a transparent and timely approach, informing the Project Officer immediately, as foreseen by the programme rules.

At the same time, we would like to acknowledge that there have already been some challenges with certain partners. On this matter, we have clarified our position with both the Project Officer and the European Commission, always in the spirit of transparency and correct implementation.

The project will be coordinated on a daily basis by Giancarlo, who will lead the activities. Both myself and Ángel, with different roles, will support him throughout the process.

In addition, our financial and legal team, although not present today, is actively working behind the scenes to ensure full compliance and support.

In parallel, we are also working on the development of a new project proposal. Not all partners will be involved, we will contactthe ones we will choose if interested.

To conclude, we wish all of you a successful cooperation and a strong project journey.

Thank you!
Ines Caloisi