The government is again extending an invitation to qualified persons to apply for the Malta government scholarships to read for a postgraduate Master Degree or a Doctorate, for which a sum of Lm200,000 (e465,874) has again been voted.

The first 2006 group of 35 beneficiaries is carrying out postgraduate studies, training and research in different fields in Malta and abroad.

Education Minister Louis Galea spoke about the scholarships at a press conference in which he outlined the regulations of the scheme, based on the experience gained from the first round of scholarships.

Dr Galea explained that the key objectives of the Malta government scholarship scheme were to:

• assist exceptional students to pursue further levels of academic research;

• encourage and promote more student participation at a postgraduate level of academic research, both locally and internationally;

• contribute towards research in identified areas of national priority;

• increase research activity at the University of Malta; and

• increase the capacity and level of research, innovation and development activity in Malta.

Dr Galea said that over the last decade, Malta had witnessed significant overall expansion in the advanced and higher education sector, with over 70 per cent of students following post-secondary education and 22 per cent following tertiary education. At the same time, the number of persons following Masters and Doctorate programmes was also on the increase.

“In a knowledge-based economy, it is imperative to have a strong base of Masters and Doctorate programmes researching innovative and creative hypotheses that ultimately bring intellectual and economic growth to society,” the minister said.

High-quality postgraduate education was of central importance to a number of objectives, among others:

• increase of research and development activity in Malta;

• development of new academics and fields of study and research;

• an ever more highly skilled workforce;

• precious impact and social benefit of ground-breaking discoveries.

Dr Galea said the government was convinced that postgraduate education formed an increasingly important part of any country’s economic and social agenda and supplied a key part of many people’s continuing professional development.

It was for this reason that the government was again making available a considerable amount of money under the Malta Government Scholarship Postgraduate Scheme. He said the government was contributing tangibly towards research, innovation and development and towards increasing the participation rates at post-graduate level. The scheme complemented other schemes, such as the University of Malta scheme, the Chevening Scholarship offered by the British Council, the Commonwealth Scholarship, and the Youth Specialisation Studies Scheme, which was a result of collaboration between the government and APS bank.

Further information and applications may be collected from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, Floriana or may be found online at: www.

education.gov.mt/mgss.htm. The closing date for applications is Thursday 31 May.