Higher Education for Cohesion: UNIADRION and the Internationalisation of the Adriatic-Ionian Region

The internationalisation of higher education institutions (HEIs) is a strategic driver of regional integration and EU cohesion. This paper examines the UNIADRION network as a case study of cross-border academic cooperation in the Adriatic–Ionian Region. Embedded in the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), UNIADRION connects 53 universities across ten countries, facilitating student and staff mobility, joint research programmes, and policy-oriented collaboration. By drawing on recent literature, policy analysis, and empirical data, the study explores UNIADRION’s contribution to macro-regional governance, the strengthening of innovation ecosystems, and the mitigation of brain drain (Sospiro, 2025; Fasola, 2019). Key initiatives include Erasmus+ partnerships, postgraduate programmes, and the Facility Point Project, which have helped align academic resources with EUSAIR’s thematic pillars. Results highlight both achievements and systemic barriers—fragmented policy frameworks, uneven institutional capacity, and limited funding (Ibrahimi, 2018; Ruggeri, 2021). Despite these constraints, UNIADRION demonstrates how universities can operate as strategic actors of cohesion and talent circulation, offering a replicable model for cross-border academic cooperation in complex geopolitical contexts, offering concrete insights for EU cohesion policy, higher education strategy, and the future of regional academic integration.