JosAnn Cutajar has had the opportunity to study in some of the best universities in the English speaking world. After obtaining a Masters in Sociology in Education from the Institute of Education, University of London, Cutajar won a scholarship to study for a Masters in Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex. In 1997 she won a Commonwealth scholarship which enabled her to study for a Ph.D. in Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at OISE, University of Toronto. The dissertations and thesis submitted for these courses focused on gender, while adopting an intersectionality approach. Before moving to the Department of Gender Studies, Cutajar was a member of the Department of Sociology. She still lectures in this department. She also teaches about feminist community research and gender and development in other university entities. Apart from lecturing, she also supervises students at diploma, B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. level. In 2013 she was appointed Director of the University of Malta's Cottonera Resource Centre. The remit of this Centre is to promote the tangible and intangible heritage found in the Cottonera and Kalkara area. The primary objective of this Centre however is to promote education in a formal and non-formal way. This Centre is also visited by a number of Maltese and foreign university students and professionals who want to learn more about the area, and/or want help in conducting research about and with the communities in question. Apart from the teaching, community activism and administrative work a lecturer has to conduct on a daily basis, Cutajar has also been involved in a number of research projects. She has worked with the Employment and Training Corporation, Centre for Faith and Justice, as well as Ernst & Young as a social expert specializing in gender issues. Through the Centre for Faith and Justice she has conducted research for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and EIGE from 2010 to 2014. She was a member of the Commission for the Advancement of Women within the Ministry for Social Policy and Gender Issues Committee within the University of Malta.
Member of Association for Commonwealth Universities Higher Education Taskforce working group on Access
Chair, Gender Equality and Sexual Diversity Committee, University of Malta since 2020.
Designed Good Practice for Inclusive Language, University of Malta (2019) https://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/425229/goodpracticeinclusivelanguage.pdf
Chair and Director of the University of Malta Cottonera Resource Centre 2012-2017
Community Engagement Consultative Council for the Promotion of Women's Rights The Malta Trust Foundation
Research projects GenderAction - GENDer equality in the ERA Community To Innovate policy implementatiON (Horizon 2020) EQUAL REC-AG-2018/REC-RGEN-WWLB-AG-2018 CASPER co-creation workshop 2020 ESF.02.162 – ‘Y-Assist Programme Supporting Mothers, Children and Service Providers
Awards EPALE Award 2016 - Outstanding community learning initiative
