Maltese education officials at Paris conference

For the second consecutive year, education officials from Malta took part in the annual Education Leaders Forum (ELF), a one-day forum jointly organised on July 9 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and Microsoft at the renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris.

Microsoft said at the ELF that it has committed up to $50 million in higher education resources, training and certifications through the Microsoft Education Alliance Program agreement. As part of the agreement, Microsoft will provide resources and tools for short-term workforce training and higher education enhancements to help higher education institutions support economic stimulus efforts and workforce development strategies.

Over 150 education ministers, senior education officials and policy advisors at the ELF discussed how governments and universities can take full advantage of e-technology's potential to address the current knowledge and skills challenges facing higher education.

The delegates also discussed policies that should be adopted to close the gap between the supply of higher education and the demands of industry.

Malta's higher education faces similar challenges as much larger nations and ICT will play an ever more important role in higher education access, lifelong learning and quality assurance measures.

The Maltese delegation at the ELF was composed of director general for quality and standards in education Grace Grima, director for curriculum management and e-learning Ray Camilleri, Philip von Brockdorff and Jacques Sciberras, chairman and CEO respectively of the National Commission for Higher Education. The delegation was accompanied by academic programme manager for Microsoft Malta Fabianne Ruggier.

The ELF was held back-to-back with Unesco's World Conference on Higher Education at Unesco headquarters in Paris.

The four-day conference ended with a call to governments to increase investment in higher education, encourage diversity and strengthen regional cooperation to serve society's needs.