Accent on quality of degrees, diplomas

Education Minister Louis Galea said the university and other higher education institutions must work together to ensure that the quality of their diplomas and degrees passed the quality assurance test of the external evaluations and accreditation agencies that were being set up as part of the process leading to the European Higher Education Area.

This would be of great benefit to Maltese students and workers who would be better placed to further their studies and training abroad and to be more mobile in the development of their careers.

He was addressing a seminar for top officials of the university, MCAST, the Malta Centre for Restoration, the Institute for Tourism Studies and the Employment and Training Corporation, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. The seminar was organised by the Education Ministry for authorities of higher education to ensure the best networking possible between Maltese institutions in the implementation of what has become known as 'The Bologna Process'.

The ministers of 29 European countries, including Dr Galea signed the Bologna Declaration on June 19, 1999.

This declaration builds on the Sorbonne Declaration, signed in May 1998 by the Ministers of Education of France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Dr Galea said that next month he will be in Berlin together with other European ministers for a meeting to agree on the way forward in higher education.