University of Malta and the Foundation for Social Welfare Services sign Collaborative Agreement

The University of Malta and the Foundation for Social Welfare Services have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for further collaboration.

Rector Prof. Alfred J. Vella and pro-rector Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, signed the agreement on behalf of the University of Malta, while FSWS was represented by its chief Executive officer, Alfred Grixti and by its manager for Social Enterprise Development, Mario J. Gerada.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between the parties in a range of social economic educational areas. Both parties will be working together to enhance services according to their mission. The University of Malta aims to support and advance social, economic and professional development through the provision of tertiary education services. This includes edu- cation services that may be required in the promotion of sustainable cooperative societies.

The designate academic unit at UM that will promote cooperative education and development, as also envisaged in this agreement, is the Centre for Labour Studies. On the other hand, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services aims to promote the empowerment of vulnerable persons in the pursuit of dignified lives and employment. This also includes supporting such persons in the setting up and running of cooperative societies.

Through this agreement the parties wish to establish a relationship of cooperation in a range of social, economic and educational areas and to work together towards providing consultancy services to governmental departments, non-governmental organisations and private social organisations.

They also wish to explore the possibility of creating joint ventures and initiatives for the development of programmes of higher and further education in the fields of social economy, social enterprise and cooperative learning, within Maltese society and internationally.