The annual general meeting of the Malta Institute of Management was held in May at its premises in Pembroke. In his address to the meeting, Lawrence Mizzi, president, outlined the activities and main events of the Institute of the past year.

The year marked the end of a very busy one, which, through the collective effort of the council, yielded positive results. In actual fact it was a year that further consolidated the Institute’s position as the leading body representing the management profession in Malta.

To this end, MIM took an active role in national issues affecting its members by putting forward its views through position papers, by attending public fora and also by meeting public officials such as government ministers, Opposition spokespersons and other government representatives. The resolution behind its contributions was always the development of the management profession in Malta.

Research work was also top on the council’s agenda. Last year, the institute published a study entitled “The impact of EU membership on the Food & Beverage Retail and Wholesale Sector”. MIM is also currently taking part in an EU funded project requiring a research study on restructuring in 10 different EU members States. RKW of Germany heads the project.

MIM has also continued to develop its business school. Its strategic alliance with Edinburgh Business School has been strengthened by the institute’s appointment as an EBS Approved Learning Centre, allowing the institute to hold tutorial classes in Malta. An agreement with Heriot-Watt University has enabled the institute to offer first degrees from next October. But perhaps the most ambitious project of the institute was the Tenor Programme, which started this year.

Tenor is the first Advanced International Diploma in Business Management developed entirely by MIM. The institute is also already in discussion with the NCHE to have it accredited locally within the EFQ.

The main achievement of the institute last year was, however, its election to the presidency of the European Management Association (EMA) of which MIM has been an active member for a number of years. EMA is a pan European Association of national institutions and organisations concerned with the management profession. MIM will hold the presidency for two years (2008/9).