The University of Malta, through its Department of Youth and Community Studies, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ.
Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, signed the MoU on behalf of University, while Chief Executive Officer, Ms Miriam Teuma, signed on behalf of Aġenzija Żgħażagħ. Mr Joseph Caruana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Employment, and Dr Andrew Azzopardi, Dean, Faculty for Social Wellbeing and Head of the Department of Youth and Community Studies, were witnesses to the signing of the MoU, in the presence of Minister Evarist Bartolo.
Both Parties agreed that all collaborative initiatives undertaken by them in the context of this MOU shall be guided by the aims and strategies of the National Youth Policy Towards 2020.
The Agreement which is valid for three years formalises the already strong relationship between the two Parties. Aġenzija Żgħażagħ provides the main thrust regarding service provision and this link with the youth sector is important for University. The Agreement is intended to consolidate this relationship, increase collaboration in research, develop supervision training, and enhance Erasmus cooperation.
The MoU is another step in a list of accomplishments of the University’s Department of Youth and Community Studies, this year. Amongst these, the Department started a new M.A. in Youth Justice, and introduced a B.A. in Youth & Community Studies day course. The youth sector evolves rapidly and the Department seeks to ensure that its courses are truly responding to what young people need. Its mission is to carry out research within the areas of youth and community studies and, in conjunction with other interested bodies, to set up and deliver courses in youth and community studies, which lead to academic / vocational qualifications. It also seeks to engage in public debates on issues that concern young people through the organisation of conferences and fora with the aim of contributing to the identification of deficiencies and lacunae in legislation and in the youth service, as well as to challenge dominant discourse on youth.
The Agency’s mission, on the other hand, is to manage, implement and regulate the National Youth Policy to promote and safeguard the interests of young people.