More local research opportunities, work-based learning prospects, and placements within Government departments will be made available to university students over the next two years.
This has been made possible as the University of Malta strengthened its collaboration with the Government through its Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture forms part of the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, and is responsible for regulating, monitoring and controlling these activities while gathering data for decisions underpinning the sustainability of fish in Maltese waters.
The two entities met this week in order to sign an updated Memorandum of Understanding, thus renewing the already existing collaboration between the academia and the rest of the industry.
This endeavour has also been made possible through the intervention of SEA-EU, or the European University of the Seas, an alliance formed between the University of Malta and five other European universities, who are jointly encouraging excellence in education and research on the marine environment.
“We are here today as this collaboration gives evidence of the long-standing and productive relationship between the University, through its Department of Biology, and the Government, through the Ministry responsible for Fisheries and Aquaculture”, said Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, the University’s Pro-Rector for International Development & Quality Assurance and UM co-ordinator for the SEA-EU alliance.
Dr Alicia Said, the Director of Fisheries within the Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, spoke about the need to produce new knowledge in order to be able to affect change and engender sustainability of Malta’s fisheries and aquaculture industries. Other than being a great incentive for students to go into this area, the mutual presence of the industrial and the academic perspective will certainly lead to a healthy exchange of common ideas and know-how.
It is also extremely likely for this collaboration to be extended beyond this period, making this collaboration a long-lasting one.
“I am pleased to be in the presence of both my colleagues and our partners at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, not just because we value the potential of our students, but because we are united by the common interest of improving the sustainability and survivability of the critically important marine industry”, said University Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella.