Andrew Decelis is a senior academic at the Institute for Physical Education and Sport (IPES) at the University of Malta, where he has served as Director for over 15 years. He holds a B.Ed. (Hons) and M.Ed. in Physical Education from the University of Malta and a Ph.D. in Sport, Exercise, and Health from the University of Bristol.

With more than a decade of experience in school-based physical education and over 25 years in higher education, Professor Decelis has made significant contributions to teaching, research, and academic leadership. His research focuses on monitoring youth physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health, and fitness, as well as gender equality in sport and the dual careers of student-athletes — supporting young athletes in balancing education and high-performance sport.

He has played a key role in shaping sport policy and governance in Malta, serving as Chair and Director of the National Sports Council, founding President of the Maltese Association for Physical Education (MAPE), and Vice-President of the Malta Handball Association. Within the University, he has held various leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Consumer Studies within the Faculty of Education, and Rector’s Delegate for Sport and Physical Activity. He has recently established the Malta Sport Education Network (MSEN), a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among educators, professionals, and stakeholders in the field of sports education in Malta.

Internationally, Professor Decelis represents Malta on the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA), the Global Observatory for Physical Education (GoPE), the European Physical Education Association (EUPEA), and the International Federation of Physical and Sport Education (FIEPS). He is currently a member of the Governing Board of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), where he also served on the Bureau for four years, and has served as a member of the European Commission’s Expert Groups on Human Resource and Skills Development in Sport and on Green Sport.