Malta is aiming to become the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world and research and development and innovation will be key to this, Education Minister Louis Galea said.

Speaking during a visit to the Faculty of Science at the University of Malta, which is holding an open week for the public, particularly students at secondary level, to inform them about the courses and career prospects available, Dr Galea said the sciences are and will offer new opportunities for growth both on a personal level and also for the whole economy.

Over 1,000 students from state, Church and private secondary and post-secondary schools attended sessions organised by the Faculty and sponsored by the University of Malta and Science on Stage (Malta). The Faculty of Science, which offers a range of degree courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level, is composed of seven departments: biology, chemistry, computer information systems, computer science and artificial intelligence, mathematics, physics, statistics and operations research.

The aim of the open week is to encourage the younger generation to pursue a career in the sciences by arousing their interest in science subjects. Teachers, parents and students are being informed about the various degree courses (undergraduate and postgraduate) offered by the Faculty of Science and are also being given the opportunity to listen to talks about work carried out in the Faculty of Science and to take a tour of the laboratories.

During a tour of the faculty, where Minister Galea met students who were visiting various departments, he said he was pleased to see the high academic standards that students and graduates of the faculty were achieving.

“An education in the sciences, as that offered by this faculty, is essential to ensure that the local economy is provided with highly skilled and trained human resources. This is not only true in sectors such as that of ICT, the pharmaceutical or food production industry where graduates in chemistry or biology are in high demand, but also in sectors such as banking, insurance, the gaming industry, etc., where in recent years the industry has come to realise the importance of employing graduates in scientific subjects, particularly in mathematics or statistics.”

Dr Galea said the government’s efforts to attract more students to the science subjects were giving the desired results with student intake in this particular faculty increasing from 62 in 2002 to 132 this academic year. Apart from a generous supplement to the maintenance grants that students receive, the government was investing more in this area both at tertiary level and all the way down through the education system.