Last week, a consortium of six European higher educational institutions, addressed a media conference held at Hotel Kennedy Nova in Gzira to launch an innovative online programme which is certified by the National Commission for Further & Higher Education in Malta, the NCFHE, and co-funded by Erasmus+.

This is an 18-month online 90 ECTS Credits Level 7 Masters programme led by Advenio eAcademy with the participation of another five European HEIs including the University of Ioannina - Greece, Szent István University - Hungary, University of Bari Aldo Moro ‒ Italy, University of ?ilina ‒ Slovakia and Poltava University of Economics & Trade ‒ Ukraine.

Each of the representatives of the HEIs spoke briefly on the motivation of their universities to join the project which sought to identify and develop best practice in online learning at post graduate level for entrepreneurs.

In addressing the media conference, Stephen D'Alessandro, director of Advenio eAcademy, the lead partner in the consortium, spoke about the shared objectives of the consortium to develop and enhance best practices in online graduate education.

He explained that the MHEI-ME was an innovative programme in many ways, primarily because it:

- is the fruit of collaboration over the past three years between six European Higher Educational Institutions;

- is an online course designed as a holistic programme, delivered in English and integrating six foundation subjects and three specialist subjects, an internship module and a business plan module;

- provides a combination of self-learning and collaborative learning activities designed to meet the needs of international graduate entrepreneurs who require post graduate education which will give them a competitive advantage in leading their SME organisations; and

- is an on-line course certified in Malta by the NCFHE providing students with a certainty on the validity of the ECTS accreditation at Masters level.

D'Alessandro spoke about the opportunities for continued development which the partner HEIs envisage as this project could prove to be the start of a major initiative to provide cross border quality graduate education to entrepreneurs. This would highlight Malta's role as an international knowledge hub.

D'Alessandro thanked the GRTU Chamber of SMEs and the Malta Employers' Association for their support and encouragement reflected by their presence at the launch of an activity which should be of direct benefit to their members.

The MHEI-ME is an Erasmus+ co-funded project reflecting the EU recognition of the initiative. This co-funding also provides for granting of scholarships to students on the first intake commencing in April 2018. Applications for Intake I are now open to entrepreneurs in possession of a first degree and direct experience in the SME sector.

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