TRENDS Research & Advisory began its research tour to Italy, where it signed an MoU with the Italian Center for International Studies (Ce.S.I.) to strengthen research and strategic cooperation in economic studies, advisory, and knowledge exchange.
Through its virtual office in Italy, TRENDS also held a discussion session with experts from the Italian Institute for International Affairs (IAI), focusing on enhancing collaboration and knowledge partnerships to produce research promoting tolerance and coexistence. The session also addressed current developments in the Middle East and Europe and the Italian and regional perspectives, particularly the agreement to end the war in Gaza. Participants stressed the importance of supporting research efforts to achieve sustainable peace.
The signing ceremony was held at the Ce.S.I. headquarters in Rome, with a distinguished group of experts, analysts, and researchers from both sides. The memorandum aims to establish a sustainable framework for cooperation through joint studies analyzing global events-especially peacebuilding efforts and geopolitical transformations-and collaboration in organizing conferences, symposiums, and workshops that promote intellectual dialogue and the exchange of perspectives among experts and researchers.
Effective International Partnerships
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, stated that the strategic cooperation with Ce.S.I., one of Italy’s and Europe’s leading think tanks, aligns with TRENDS’ vision to expand its effective, strategic international partnerships and build bridges of intellectual and academic collaboration with global research institutions.
Dr. Al-Ali explained that cooperation with Ce.S.I. will go beyond producing joint research and studies to include developing shared visions on the challenges facing the Middle East and Europe amid the rapid transformations the world is witnessing. He added that this constructive collaboration will help generate in-depth analyses and practical solutions to security and stability issues, while strengthening a mutual understanding of geopolitical developments.
Collective Knowledge Approaches
Dr. Al-Ali also underscored the importance of strategic dialogue with the Italian Institute for International Affairs, particularly as global challenges intensify and call for collective, knowledge-driven approaches based on scientific foresight. He emphasized that such dialogues and intellectual engagements help unify efforts and complement roles in conducting joint research, organizing scientific events, and exchanging expertise that contribute to stability, peace, and sustainable development.
Expanding Research Horizons
Professor Andrea Margelletti, President of Ce.S.I., stated that signing the MoU with TRENDS, one of the world’s most prominent and respected think tanks, marks an important and encouraging step toward broadening research horizons in the Middle East and Europe. He explained that understanding the regional and international interconnections requires genuine scientific and knowledge partnerships to analyze them and produce realistic insights about them.
Margelletti added that Ce.S.I. seeks to combine its Euro-Mediterranean perspective with TRENDS’ deep understanding of regional and global affairs to generate new, high-value knowledge for leaders and policymakers. This cooperation will also open constructive channels for strategic dialogue on energy security, innovation diplomacy, and cultural and creative diplomacy.
Understanding Geopolitical Transformations
Michele Valensise, President of the Italian Institute for International Affairs (IAI), affirmed the institute’s commitment to strengthening cooperation and partnership with TRENDS, which has become an inspiring global knowledge platform in building bridges of communication and intellectual rapprochement, and promoting the concepts of tolerance and moderation. He highlighted that the collaboration will also support UAE-Italian cooperation in areas such as AI, technology, and economic development as supporting elements for achieving shared prosperity.
Valensise added that bringing together IAI’s longstanding expertise in policy analysis and European affairs with TRENDS’ advanced research capabilities in future studies will open new pathways for better understanding the geopolitical and economic transformations across the Middle East and Europe, fostering constructive dialogue and producing innovative solutions to shared challenges.
Promoting Peace and Coexistence
Dr. Maria Luisa Fantappié, Head of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Africa Program at IAI, stated that both sides agreed to establish a strategic framework for cooperation aimed at producing rigorous research, launching joint initiatives that promote the values of tolerance, coexistence, and peace, and organizing a series of regular meetings to enrich intellectual dialogue and produce forward-looking studies that serve the academic community.
