The University of Malta today underlined its commitment to supporting and protecting diversity and the rights of all individuals and dissociated itself unreservedly from all actions, whether verbal or otherwise which attempt to promote discrimination and/or incitement to racial hatred against any groups of people.

It was reacting to reports that a lecturer had taken to the social media to give a gender history of a person who had protested during an activity organised by an organisation that calls itself the Patrijotti Maltin. The lecturer, Stephen Florian, has since apologised.

In its statement today, while affirming the right to freedom of expression and association, the University of Malta condemned all actions which are motivated, wholly or partly by any form of hostility towards diverse groups.

The University said it prides itself in fostering diversity and provides a welcoming learning environment to more than 12,000 students including over a thousand undergraduate and post-graduate students hailing from 92 countries. The lecturing community is in itself international and diverse.

By way of clarification, and contrary to some reports included in sections of the media, the individual in question, Mr Stephen Florian (photo) is not a full-time academic but a visiting part-time lecturer.

The University of Malta said it is investigating the matter with immediate effect.