A five-year memorandum of understanding was signed between the Faculty of Education, University of Malta and the School of Education, University of Leicester, early this month.

The agreement was signed by Professor Paul Cooper, Director of the School of Education at the University of Leicester and Dr Carmel Borg, Dean of the Faculty of Education, in the presence of Professor Alfred Vella, Pro Rector, University of Malta.

The bilateral agreement is the result of the close collaboration – ranging from teaching to research and publications – that has flourished between the two universities over the past three years.

This collaboration includes teaching and research staff exchange visits at both universities and the publication of the second Faculty of Education Monograph. Other initiatives involve a national research project on social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in Maltese schools, and the first European conference on social, emotional and behavioural competence and difficulties, being held in Malta this year.

Various staff members of the University of Leicester will be contributing to the Faculty of Education M.Ed in Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.

This agreement consolidates the existing partnership between the two universities and provides a framework for other initiatives on teaching, research, publications and course design, among others, in the years to come.