In July 2010, at the initiative of the University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli, 19 island universities from all over the world came together to create a common environment for academic and scientific work from islands on the subject of island status.
With the signature of the first Framework Convention, on the premises of the Palazzu Naziunale in Corte, the RETI, an Excellence Network of Island Territories, was born.
In seven years of existence, the network continues to manage to prevent the issue of insular dynamism becoming marginalised.
It develops an organisation and logistics capable of helping insular scholars to meet, to build on common projects, and add value to their work and reflections in the broadest possible way. For this purpose, the RETI has its own decision-making bodies. It organises, on a regular basis, its own symposiums and summer schools intended for both seasoned researchers and students. It is also working to create inter-island mobility by promoting the existence of a "RETI community".
Finally, its ultimate purpose is to establish itself as a benchmark in terms of knowledge transfer on island territory policies, intended for public institutions.
Download the leaflet of the founding symposium.
19th-21st June 1997: The origins: “Laboratory Island” conference at the University of Corsica, organised by Anne Meistersheim, who, for a long time, had seen the island as a complex space but also “a place of utopia and experimentation” that could be an subject of research. The idea of the RETI begins to emerge.
9th July 2010: signing of the first framework convention. The RETI is born. First RETI Symposium.
21st-23rd July 2011: First Governance Committee meeting in Maderia, Portugal. Accession of new partners. The network has 24 members.
1st-7th July 2012: 1st Summer Schools of the RETI. “Tourism and Coastlines”, presented by the University of Corsica. “Integrated Management of Island Territories and Marine Resources", presented by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
20th October 2012: 3rd Governance Committee meeting in Levos, Greece. The RETI now has 26 members. Creation of a Permanent Operational Management Team based at the University of Corsica. Island Journal Studies becomes the official journal of the RETI.
20th June 2013: 4th Governance Committee meeting of the RETI in Sassari, Sardinia. The Professor José Regidor Garcia succeeds Antoine Aiello and becomes the second President of the RETI.
27th June 2015: 6th Governance Committee meeting in Kirkwall, UHI, Scotland. Creation of the RETI Science Committee.
23rd July 2016: President Clive Mulholland from the University of the Highlands and Islands is elected President of the RETI.
22nd-23rd September 2016: 7th Governance Committee meeting of the RETI in Corte, University of Corsica. New membership: The RETI now consists of 27 members.
2010- 2013: Professor Antoine AIELLO, Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli (Corsica).
2013-2016: Professor José REGIDOR GARCIA, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canaries).
2016-2019: Professor Clive MULHOLLAND, University of the Highlands ans Islands (Ecosse).
