University of Malta
University of Malta (UM) is the sole public and highest teaching institution in Malta, with its structures being in line with the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education area. UM has a 400-year history and there are over 11,500 students including 1,000 foreign/exchange students from nearly 92 different countries, following full-time or part-time degree and diploma courses. Around 3,500 students graduate each year. UM is comprised of 14 Faculties and several other campuses: at Valletta, Marsaxlokk and Gozo. As of 2020, the UM employed a total of 2,848 employees including academics, administrative, technical and industrial staff (1,885 on a full-time basis and 963 on a part-time basis).
Over the past ten years, the UM has been involved as coordinator and partner in numerous EU-funded projects under various Programmes including Horizon 2020 (70 projects), Erasmus+ (114 projects), INTERREG EU-MED-ITALIA MALTA (44 projects), FP7 (47 projects), Lifelong Learning Programme (76 projects) and various other international and national programmes and initiatives. The UM is also represented in a number of European and International University networks and groups. Furthermore, the UM team will be supported by the following departments:
- Research Support Services Directorate;
- Project Support Office;
- Knowledge Transfer Office;
- Communication Office;
- Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation;
- Legal Office; and
- IT services
The Department of Nursing seeks to be a centre of excellence, contributing to the Maltese health care service through the education of nurses, research and participation in health care and social policy development.
We offer full-time and part time courses at undergraduate level in general nursing, leading to registration with the Council for Nurses and Midwives. All under graduate programmes are aligned with the EU Directive for nurse education. We work collaboratively with national public and private health care institutions which provide support for clinical experiences in diverse clinical settings. Our undergraduate students are well supported by clinicians in practice, as well as by academics during their three year course of studies, with the aim of educating nurses of the highest quality. Our Department seeks to foster collaboration with other Universities and actively promotes student and faculty exchange through the Erasmus programme.We seek to promote lifelong learning of practising nurses by offering a range of programes in undergraduate, post-graduate certification, masters and doctoral level. Research is carried out by academics and post-graduate students across an array of partnerships and collaborations with local and international stakeholders.
University of Malta team members
Ms. Adrienne Grech is a final year PhD student at Swansea University, UK and full time assistant lecturer at the UM. The aim of her doctoral research study is to inform future curriculum development in relation to ethical nursing practice and understand the impact of undergraduate nursing education, on the ethical development of nursing students. Furthermore, exploring how nursing students learn about ethics and become morally competent nurses, will directly enhance the quality of patient care. The EthCo project is directly related to this field of research and expertise.
Dr Maria Cassar is a senior lecturer at the Department of Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta. (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria-Cassar-2)
Maria received her nurse training in Malta, and later completed masters and doctoral studies at Kings College, University of London, and the University of the Aberdeen, Scotland. She pursued training in online education at University of Illinois, in the US. She has worked as a clinician and nurse educator in various continents. Her main areas of professional interest are curriculum development and evaluation, internationalization of higher education and the use of technology and simulation in teaching and learning, nurse registration, mobility and the regulation of nurses across different countries, including undocumented (qualified) refugee nurses (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9w8eBTMAAAAJ&hl=en). Maria has completed training at the IAIE and the Tuning Academy, Spain in this regard. She has participated in transnational ERASMUS+ projects related to education including the TUNINGMEDA project (nursing care) and the CALOHEE project (nursing care) and led the ISPAD project alongside Dr Roberta Sammut (budget award 334730 €). She is currently in the UM team leading the DigiT project (budget award 419378 €) and TOViD Project (budget award 242397 €). She is participating as a partner in the New Nurse Educator project, and the SG4NS project as lead of the partner team from the UM. In 2019 she was elected to the executive committee of FINE, European Federation for Nurse Educators.