Photo shows l to r: Prof. JoAnn Cassar (Faculty for the Built Environment & Board Member Heritage Malta), Dr Joseph Buttigieg (Chairman Heritage Malta), Prof. Joe Friggieri (Pro-Rector), Minister Owen Bonnici, Mr Kenneth Gambin, (CEO Heritage Malta).
A Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Malta and Heritage Malta was signed by Prof. Joe Friggieri, Pro-Rector, and Heritage Malta Chairman, Dr Joseph Buttigieg, in the presence of Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, the Hon. Owen Bonnici.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Malta and Heritage Malta was signed by Prof. Joe Friggieri, Pro-Rector, and Heritage Malta Chairman, Dr Joseph Buttigieg, in the presence of Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, the Hon. Owen Bonnici.
The Agreement is aimed at consolidating the longstanding existing relationship between the two Parties and allows for the mutual use of technical and scientific equipment located at Heritage Malta Conservation Division, and at the laboratories of the Faculty for the Built Environment, the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering and the Department of Chemistry of the University of Malta. The MoU also caters for the provision of teaching and Continuing Professional Development services on an as-needed basis, as well as establishing modalities under which Heritage Malta and University of Malta libraries can be accessed by users in both entities.
Prof. Friggieri commented that this MoU should go a long way towards ensuring that the close collaboration experienced by these two organisations over the past years is set on a more secure footing, for the benefit of staff and students. “The University of Malta is running conservation and cultural heritage management courses which can benefit from the expertise and equipment, which the National Agency has built up over the years, as well as provide needed technical and academic support to Heritage Malta in these specific fields,” he said.
Minister Bonnici said that the responsibilities of Heritage Malta have increased over the years, and its role in the cultural heritage sector has grown considerably. “In order to continue to live up to its mission of protecting and interpreting the cultural heritage assets entrusted to it by the Government, and to deliver according to increased expectations of the local and foreign public, Heritage Malta has to strike agreements with strategic stakeholders. This Memorandum of Understanding is, therefore, above all, an investment in its staff complement to empower it to do more and better,” he said.
Representatives from all University of Malta Departments and the Faculty concerned, as well as from Heritage Malta were present for the Signing.