This country’s strong determination to safeguard the nation’s health and implement measures to safeguard our different sectors during this pandemic outbreak has not only given results praised by locals, but these efforts have also not gone unnoticed outside Malta.

The efforts that the Ministry for Education and Employment has made to provide ongoing education through online means, as well as the provision of free lunches, internet connection and computer devices to vulnerable children has received very positive comments from abroad.

In a communication sent by the Trust of British Monarch Prince Charles to the Ministry for Education, the Trust praised the Ministry's efforts to provide continued education "in a holistic and co-ordinated way" and for providing assistance to vulnerable children.

Following this, the Party of European Socialists and the Commonwealth joined in to commend the Ministry’s efforts towards the more vulnerable students of our society. This time this came through a tweet reading: "Keeping all students in education and cared for, through free internet access, online classes and the delivery of free meals for children in need. Well done, Malta." This tweet also carried a link to teleskola.mt, the free website launched by the Ministry which contains more than a 1,000 lessons and educational activities spanning all ages of compulsory education.

Dr Greg Munro, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, on twitter described the efforts of the Ministry for Education as an excellent example of how national and local authorities are working to fight COVID-19: delivering meals; closing schools and delivering education remotely; providing IT equipment and holding extensive virtual meetings.

The three leading international institutions are unanimous in their praise for the efforts of our educators to keep providing online education and helping vulnerable children. This is testament to the commitment shown by our own educators who are working around the clock and giving their 100% during these challenging times.

We will continue to work in this sector to strengthen it and also continue with this determination to put our students, our educators, our education sector at the forefront of our priorities.

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Eleven additional research projects will be financed - the total sum amounting to  €600,000 - from the University of Malta, following a transparent and thorough evaluation by a panel of foreign experts. Usually only four research projects are funded by the University, but this year the number will increase by a further eleven projects, following a budgetary increase in research financing.

I am very pleased that this sum is being given to the University of Malta, which will benefit our students and their studies. Normally, the Research Fund Committee receives between 60 to 100 applications for funding of projects, with only four projects that can be funded per annum. These applications are grouped in four categories; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; ICT, Built Environment and Engineering; Life Sciences; and Natural Sciences. This year, we are seeing the possibility of having eleven extra project applications funded.

As University of Malta’s Rector Professor Alfred J. Vella explained, these newly funded projects will continue to elevate the University of Malta’s profile of research excellence in different areas, from the arts, to the humanities, to the life sciences and natural sciences, all of which will undoubtedly contribute to the cultivation of a culture of curiosity and desire for knowledge.

The research being funded are various and interesting, from the serious use of Virtual Reality to introduce audiences to digital, virtual journeys, for example, through a science project, an architecture simulation, an art installation or a performance to research of the fabric of Punic/Roman pottery found in selected sites in Malta.

These eleven additional projects will join four other projects which had already been awarded from internal funds.

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This week I launched the MCAST prospectus for the academic year 2020/2021.

MCAST has always provided an education that extends beyond the classroom curriculum with the opportunity to obtain an internationally recognised qualification. New programmes are constantly added to the list of courses, so the set-up is aimed at addressing the specific need of individual learners at the different course levels while providing a seamless progression.

It is extremely encouraging to see MCAST grow as an educational force that continues to attract not just young learners but also workers from all sectors of our workforce. I also hope to see a 24-hour vibrant Paola campus welcoming those who wish to study during the day and in the evenings and carry out research and study in the new Resources Centre during the night when this is ready to welcome students. I wish to see cultural activities taking place regularly on campus and the College becoming the centre for international, social and community events in the Southern part of the Island.

The new Prospectus has the capacity to make this vision a reality. The new Prospectus is a leap of quality into the post-COVID-19 period. My Ministry has been at the forefront to ensure that learning continues notwithstanding the unprecedented circumstances that we face through social distancing. However, it is often wrong to attribute this continuity of online learning solely to technology and artificial intelligence. We often hear, and probably rightly so, that the world will certainly change when it resumes its economic activity in the post-COVID period. What must not change is however, the human value when dealing with people especially in a learning and working environment. It is true that technology has kept us connected. But nothing substitutes the connectivity created by real human interaction.

With over 190 full-time courses catering for over 7,000 full-time students and 4,500 part-time students, it is clear that MCAST has come a long way for the benefit of their students and I wish to encourage more learners to choose this path as it is a truly rewarding one.

The College has made significant achievements thanks to the commitment of staff and educators. Even in the current exceptional circumstances, MCAST has ensured ongoing provision of online learning and an effective outreach programme so that students at all levels would possess IT hardware and connectivity to enable them to follow lecturers online from home. MCAST continues to position itself as an important catalyst to the Maltese labour market.

The Prospectus showcases a wide range of learning opportunities while capturing the students’ voice and creativity. The new Prospectus is designed and produced by MCAST students and lecturers at the Institute for the Creative Arts. It is an expression of the vibrant environment that the College has achieved over the last two decades. MCAST prides itself in offering an improved learning experience aimed at the specific needs of individual learners, relevant to the world of employment.

The Prospectus can be found on www.mcast.edu.mt or a copy can be collected from Local Council offices. The publication includes new courses covering a wide array of competences and skills.