This week marked an important milestone in a journey that began almost a year ago with conversations, shared interests, academic exchange and a growing recognition that two universities from different countries had much to learn from one another.
I am delighted to share that Teesside University and the University of Macerata have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), creating a framework for collaboration in research, education and knowledge exchange. To formalise the MoU, I had the pleasure to meet Professor John McCourt, Rector of the University of Macerata and discuss more in detail the next phase of our collaboration. The partnership will support joint research projects, staff and student mobility, collaborative publications and new opportunities for international engagement.
For me, this is particularly meaningful because I have had the privilege of serving as the institutional coordinator for the agreement on behalf of Teesside University as a result of my time as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism at the University of Macerata. What started as a period of teaching, discussion and intellectual exchange soon revealed significant synergies between our institutions. Despite our different contexts, we discovered common interests in education, cultural heritage, public engagement, digital innovation and the role of research in supporting communities and social change.
Over the following months, colleagues from both universities worked together to identify areas where we could develop a more structured and long-term partnership. A significant step forward came with a visit by Professor Pierluigi Feliciati from Macerata to Teesside University earlier this year, which helped strengthen academic connections and explore future opportunities for collaboration.
What excites me most about this agreement is not the document itself, but the opportunities it creates. The MoU provides a framework for fostering interdisciplinary research, developing joint funding applications, sharing expertise and supporting the mobility of academics, researchers and doctoral students.
As someone whose work focuses on participatory storytelling and public policy, I have always been interested in the power of relationships, dialogue and knowledge exchange. Universities play a unique role in creating spaces where ideas can travel, where different perspectives can come together and where new forms of understanding can emerge. International partnerships are one of the most powerful ways of making this happen.
The timing of this agreement is also significant. As discussions continue around the future of UK-European academic collaboration, partnerships such as this demonstrate the enduring value of building direct relationships between institutions, researchers and students.
Media coverage:
Il Resto del Carlino:
https://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/macerata/cronaca/unimc-guarda-al-regno-unito-c60e85ce
Cronache Maceratesi:
https://www.cronachemaceratesi.it/2026/07/08/unimc-guarda-al-regno-unito-firmato-laccordo-con-teesside/2083676/
Centro Pagina:
https://www.centropagina.it/macerata/universita-macerata-unimc-guarda-regno-unito-firmato-accordo-teesside-university/
Picchio News:
https://picchionews.it/scuola-e-universita/unimc-guarda-al-regno-unito-accordo-con-la-teesside-university
Antonia Liguori / Participatory Storytelling 