The University of Malta Maritime Platform (UMP), represented by Prof. Adriana Vella, Chair, and Dr Ritienne Gauci, Deputy Chair, recently held a productive meeting with the Hon. Minister Dr Clifton Grima at the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation. The meeting aimed to showcase the platform's role and functions, its continuous outreach activities, and recent strategies to strengthen synergies of collaboration with the local blue economy stakeholders.
The meeting was opened by Professor Vella who briefed Hon. Grima about the platform’s pivotal role in fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and key stakeholders in the marine and maritime sector. She highlighted the ongoing efforts of the platform to engage with industry leaders, organisations, and educational institutions to understand the current skills gap and emerging needs of the blue economy and its environmental, social and governance (ESG) developments.
Fruitful discussions ensued around the importance of developing education strategies that align with the evolving and challenging requirements of the blue economy sector. The Minister acknowledged the platform's commitment and expressed appreciation for the dedication of its committee members, especially those forming the Education Action Group, to promote new teaching avenues in the marine and maritime education.
Furthermore, Minister Grima expressed his interest to receive valuable feedback from UMP about the forthcoming national strategy for education, currently in preparation by his Ministry. The strategy, scheduled to be launched for consultation in October 2023, aims to propose new policy directions for educational growth and address skills gaps across various sectors, including the blue economy.
On behalf of the University of Malta Maritime Platform, Prof. Vella thanked Hon. Grima and confirmed the platform’s commitment to continue building mutual collaborative efforts with the Ministry and other relevant stakeholders to foster innovation, research, and education in the blue economy. Prof. Vella reiterated that ‘by addressing education and skills requirements, the platform aims to contribute to a nation-wide conversation on how highly skilled workforce can contribute effectively to the sustainable growth and development of the marine and maritime sector.’
The meeting was concluded with Dr Gauci presenting a SEA-EU DOC volume, recently published by the University of Malta’s Doctoral School. The publication entitled, Inspiring Alumni Stories: Testimonials of Blue Doctorate Holders, showcases the education-to-employment journey of 60 PhD graduates in the diverse non-academic career paths offered by the marine and maritime sector.
The University of Malta Maritime Platform is a collaborative initiative that brings together academia, industry, and key stakeholders in the maritime sector. It aims to promote excellence in the marine and maritime education, research, and innovation while addressing the evolving needs and challenges of the blue economy. The platform serves as a bridge between academia and industry, fostering collaboration, knowledge transfer, and skills development.
Membership to University Maritime Platform is open all year round to academic members of staff with a maritime and marine interest and who are willing to contribute towards the objectives of the platform.
For information about the University of Malta Maritime Platform and its initiatives, please visit its website and dedicated Facebook page. Kindly contact Prof. Adriana Vella by email for additional information.
