On Thursday 12 October 2023, the University of Malta formalised an agreement with GS1 Malta, Express Group, Xone Yacht, ST MicroElectronics and SSM Group, top industry players in the logistics and supply chain market, to collectively advise the Faculty of Economics, Management, and Accountancy (FEMA) on the formulation of a new MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. The five companies’ representatives highlighted the importance of logistics and supply chain for the Maltese economy and the value of a new programme to educate new talents for the industry.
The new postgraduate course, which is in its final stages prior to approval, will be offered as of February 2024, with applications to be launched within the next few months.
An innovative element of this taught MSc is that it will assess the skills and knowledge of its students through a portfolio-based dissertation approach, rather than a written thesis, something that will enable pupils to get tactical about and delve deeper into actual industry matters whilst getting practical experience throughout their studies. Furthermore, the programme’s coordinator Dr Enrico D’agostini is working to get the programme endorsed by CILT (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport).
Prof. Vincent Cassar from the University of Malta’s Department of Business and Enterprise Management announced the involvement of two scholars of international repute within the logistics industry, Prof. Glenn Richey (Auburn University, USA) and Vipul Gupta (LM Thapar School of Management, India), who will also advise on a breadth of topics that will enrich the scope of this course.
FEMA will continue to develop a close working relationship with the programme’s stakeholders, welcoming their assistance in teaching certain subject areas, and their support in providing access to their organisations for dissertation purposes, over the coming years.
University Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, said the involvement of so many entities ready to step in and share their knowledge speaks to the need of bringing logistics to the forefront of the nation’s agenda, not just because of its strategic geographic position as an island but also because logistics affect and determine so many aspects of our lives. He also mentioned the University’s involvement in the SEA-EU Alliance, a group of nine European coastal universities that share an integrated, long-term strategy for education and research across all scientific disciplines, saying that this collaboration could also help build a framework for more effective ocean governance.