The DAAD funded research cooperation funding scheme with the research project AURORA (Sustainable AgricUltuRe and sOcial-ecological systems approaches in higheR education in the MENA region) is a subject-related partnership in higher education between University of Kassel, Germany; INRGREF, IRESA and ESA Mograne, Tunisia; American University of Beirut, Lebanon; and IAV Hassan-II, Rabat, Morocco. The AURORA project strives to contribute to sustainable development of agri-environmental systems and, ultimately, to food security and resource-efficient and environmentally sound agricultural production in the MENA region.