Award of the International Ocean Institute’s Elisabeth Mann Borgese Medal to Professor Alfred J. Vella rector, University of Malta

The International Ocean Institute, established in 1972 and headquartered in the premises of the University of Malta, decided, through unanimous decision of the Board of Governors, to confer on Professor Alfred J. Vella, rector, University of Malta, the IOI’s Elisabeth Mann Borgese Medal in recognition of his invaluable support of the IOI and its capacity development, education and training programmes offered in Malta.

The award ceremony was held at the Valletta Campus of the University of Malta. Present at the ceremony were Dr Awni Behnam, honorary president of the IOI; the registrar and the pro-rectors of the University of Malta; Ambassador Simone Borg and Professor Louis F. Cassar, IOI governors; Antonella Vassallo, managing director of IOI HQ and Professor Alan Deidun, director of the IOIMalta Training Centre.

The celebration was also attend- ed by current beneficiaries of ocean governance training in Malta following the IOI Training Programme on Regional Ocean Governance for the Mediterranean, Black, Baltic and Caspian Seas, and the students following the M. A. Degree in Ocean Governance offered jointly by the Faculty of Laws at the University of Malta and the IOI.

On behalf of the IOI, Dr Behnam extended words of welcome and spoke of the IOI’s appreciation of the support of Professor Vella over the years of his association with the IOI’s education and training programmes.

Another speech of appreciation was made by Professor Borg, Ambassador for Malta on climate action and ocean governance and representative of the Government of Malta to the IOI Governing Board. Cosmin Chivu spoke on behalf of his colleagues, the IOI alumni and training programme participants.