Maltese people living abroad are no less Maltese than those residing on the islands and, at times, they are even more Maltese, according to Maltese Studies Institute director Henry Frendo.
Speaking at the Convention for Maltese Living Abroad meeting in Valletta, Prof. Frendo cited scholar Alfred Zimmern who had said that, without nationality, without the "past and from the immemorial traditions, affections and restraints which bind them to their kin and country" there would be nothing left to work on.
To preserve and promote Maltese culture, identity and language, Prof. Frendo recommended founding a Maltese institute, which would be what the Dante Alighieri and the Alliance Francaise were to Italy and France.
The institute, he added, "should not be aimed only at the lowest common denominator, as happens in local broadcasting". Significant funding should be made available for this "living monument to migration and an investment in us, our nation and the countries where Maltese live in".
The convention opened on Sunday and ends on Saturday.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, opening the convention on Sunday, addressed the gathering in Maltese and said he was proud of the good reputation emigrants had garnered for the country over the years.
Speaking on his visits to Canada and Australia, known for their strong Maltese communities, Dr Gonzi said Maltese living abroad had two distinct but complementary emotions: their love for Malta and its traditions as well as the fondness shown towards the countries they had moved to.
He spoke of the impact a globalised world had on Malta, where "what happens in Sydney, New York, London or Beijing has an impact on us too". This did not only affect the country's economy but it also had the potential to affect Maltese identity and this situation had to be addressed, Dr Gonzi said.
"We know that various Maltese communities living abroad have managed to export a 'little Malta' wherever they went; all this has meant to us to see part of our spiritual and cultural territory in other countries.
"Malta as a whole is the one that is spread across all the continents, not the one confined to our archipelago," Dr Gonzi said.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat spoke of the importance of the Maltese language in giving the Maltese their identity and said it was important that second, third and fourth generation islanders were given the opportunity to learn the language in Malta itself.
Education Minister Dolores Cristina said her ministry planned to offer five scholarships every year to first, second and third generation Maltese living abroad to follow a course at the University of Malta, which would lead to an education degree with a specialisation in Maltese language.
The ministry was also encouraging teachers of Maltese to teach the language in countries where expatriates were living and where adequate structures were available.
Mrs Cristina said her ministry was also proposing to make better use of IT for distance learning so as to further assist the language's teaching abroad.
The aid extended also to Maltese publishers who wanted their books to be distributed to Maltese communities overseas.
Culture Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said the Draft Cultural Policy, launched recently, included expatriates and he encouraged the Maltese living abroad to read the document online and give their comments about it.