The recent award of about 1,000 scholarships for Master’s degrees and doctorates is indeed an excellent educational initiative.

It has spurred all these young men and women to maximise their academic, and consequently, professional expertise.

The only significant resource Malta has is human resources and such a measure maximises its potential. Our resources cannot cater for all specialisations and, in most cases, our students have to go abroad to achieve their specialisation but they probably could not afford the expense. The awards facilitate the fulfilment of this wish and need.

Furthermore, this measure has a long-lasting and cumulative effect. The knowledge gained by these scholarship holders will remain with them all their lives and other people will also benefit from their new expertise.

The individuals and the nation benefit, as the scholarships enrich the working population.

I consider this measure as further confirmation of the government’s belief and determination to constantly upgrade and update our educational system at all levels, from pre-kindergarten to the establishment of the extensive Lifelong Learning programme and the University of the Third Age.

The extensive reform of our primary and secondary education with the curriculum reform and provision of technological aids as well as the extensive building programme; the foundation of the Mcast and the huge increase in courses at University; the Lifelong Learning programme and, now, the scholarship awards have together given a new lease of life to our educational system and new opportunities for all.

May these scholarship holders prosper in their studies and career for their own and the country’s benefit.