An agreement to set up a collaborative master's degree in cross-cultural counselling has been signed between the University of Malta and the University of Maryland.

This is the fourth addition to the portfolio of collaborative master's with US universities provided at the Valletta Campus of the University of Malta.

The agreement was signed at the University of Maryland campus in Washington, by rector Juanito Camilleri and University of Maryland senior vice-president and provost Ann G. Wylie.

The collaborative master's programme in cross-cultural counselling has been developed as a partnership as a result of collaboration between Prof. Courtland C. Lee, counsellor education programme at the Maryland University Maryland and Dr Dione Mifsud, head of the department of psychology at the University of Malta.

The programme, which was officially launched recently, has already attracted a sizeable class.

The three other collaborative degrees that make up the International Masters Programme at the are in sustainable environmental resource management with James Madison University, conflict resolution and Mediterranean security with George Mason University and in integrated marketing communications with San Diego State University.

There are a number of other links currently being considered with a view to further expanding the portfolio of collaborative programmes with US universities.