A black sea flooded the Instituto Italiano di Cultura as 45 European students, all dressed in their specially-made Summer University black t-shirt, basked in the limelight of AEGEE-Valletta’s Opening Ceremony. On Friday 22 August, the participants, originating from 17 different countries, were welcomed by special guests being the first secretary of the Italian Embassy Domenico Bellato, Frans Borg the Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry and Alexei Dingli, Valletta mayor.

A summer university is usually a two-week event organised by an AEGEE antenna where students come together from all over Europe. Summer Universities are organised by students for students with the aim of offering new perspectives of the multicultural dimension of the European continent. It also promotes understanding among European students, removing national borders and creating a European feeling.

Indeed, AEGEE-Valletta’s Summer University entitled “MalTeasers Ahoy!”, as Dr Bellato acclaimed, is a “cultural cocktail just as were the Knights of Malta who founded Valletta”. In fact the students will be hosted by AEGEE-Valletta from 21 August till 3 September and will be treated to a jam-packed two-week programme including various hot spots from the temples to the beaches, from Mdina to Marsaxlokk, the three cities to Valletta. All this is to make sure that the participants realise what Mr Frans Borg stated that “Malta is the smallest island in the European Union, yet its size doesn’t define its importance.”

The ceremony ended by an informative speech about Malta’s capital city by the mayor of Valletta and a welcoming note by Mr Pierre Vassallo La Rosa the President of AEGEE-Valletta. This was followed by a small reception kindly organised by the Instituto Italiano di Cultura.