Andrew Decelis is a senior academic at the University of Malta’s Institute for Physical Education and Sport (IPES), where he has served as Director for over 15 years. He holds a B.Ed. (Hons) and an M.Ed. from the University of Malta and a PhD from the University of Bristol. His 25-year career in higher education is built upon a decade of foundational experience in school-based physical education.
A prolific researcher and advocate for youth wellness, Professor Decelis focuses on monitoring physical activity, fitness, sedentary behaviour, and gender equality in sport. He has pioneered impactful interventions in Maltese schools and higher education, including the Walking Bus, Skip a Rope for Fitness, and The Daily Mile in primary schools. He extended The Daily Mile to the University of Malta, where he also introduced Exercise Snacks. Additionally, he led FitMAP (Fitness Monitoring of Adolescents) and MYPASS (Malta Young People Physical Activity and Sport Study).
A major proponent of the "dual career" model, he introduced the Student-Athlete Support Programme (SASP) at the University of Malta in 2017-18. This initiative followed his participation in the Erasmus+ Project ESTPORT, which developed an Innovative European Sport Tutorship model for the Dual Career of Athletes.
In Malta, he has shaped sport policy as Chair of the National Sports Council, founding President of the Maltese Association for Physical Education (MAPE), and Vice-President of the Malta Handball Association. At the University, he has served as Head of Department and Rector’s Delegate for Sport. He also recently established the Malta Sport Education Network (MSEN) to foster stakeholder collaboration.
Internationally, Professor Decelis represents Malta on the Global Observatories for Physical Activity (GoPA) and Physical Education (GoPE), as well as EUPEA and FIEPS. He is a Governing Board member of the Council of Europe’s EPAS, including a four-year tenure on its Bureau, and has contributed to European Commission Expert Groups regarding Green Sport and Human Resource Development. Through these roles, he bridges the gap between Maltese initiatives and global standards in sports education and governance.