The University of Malta rector was recently conferred the International Ocean Institute’s Elisabeth Mann Borgese Medal in recognition of his support of the IOI and its capacity development, education and training programmes offered in Malta.

Past notable recipients of the medal include former UN Secretary Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon. The IOI, which is headquartered at the University of Malta, was founded by Elisabeth Mann Borgese in 1972 as an NGO devoted to the sustainable development of the oceans.

The award specifically recognises Prof. Vella’s dedication and foresight in championing the MA degree in Ocean Governance, jointly run by the University’s Faculty of Laws and the IOI, and his input and guidance in academic issues for the IOI’s strategic plan of action.

The award ceremony, which was held at the University’s Valletta campus, was attended among others by IOI honorary president Dr Awni Behnam, IOI governors, University pro-rectors, University registrar Veronica Grech, Malta’s climate change ambassador Simone Borg, IOI governing board member Prof. Louis Cassar, IOI headquarters manager Antonella Vassallo, and Prof. Alan Deidun, director of the IOI-Malta Training Centre.

The event was also attended by participants in the latest IOI ocean governance training course in Malta and the students of the MA degree in Ocean Governance.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.