MCAST hosts the 44th annual EAIR Forum

The Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) hosted the 44th edition of The European Higher Education Society (EAIR) annual forum 2022 at the College's Main Campus in Paola. The Forum attracted over 165 participants from 90 higher education institutions in 26 countries, including countries outside Europe like Australia, Canada, Chile, Malaysia and the United States.

With the theme, Accelerating the Future of Higher Education, this year's EAIR forum is pivotal in supporting research and development in higher education research, policy and practice to the general benefit of higher education locally and internationally.

During the Forum, discussions about the best ways to disseminate information that supports policymaking, policy implementation and good practice in higher education were held. The EAIR Forum also serves as a good networking opportunity within higher education.

In the Forum's opening address, the Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation Clifton Grima said: "If we wish to accelerate the future of higher education, we need to bring down institutional barriers that make learning in practice difficult. Education is all about applied learning. Fora such as this contribute to embark on the much-needed transformation process to narrow the gaps between the world of education and the world of employment."

MCAST principal and CEO Professor Joachim James Calleja said: "MCAST is a unique example of an educational institution that provides programmes of education and training at all levels of our qualifications framework, including higher education, to the extent that last year the College launched its first doctoral degree. We have strengthened the research element over the past years and want to ensure that research is attractive to prospective students. MCAST's mission blends well with the EAIR's overall educational objectives."

The plenary session also included speeches by Dr Nicoline Frolich, EAIR chair and Dr Mark O'Hara, EAIR vice-president. The keynote speech was by Professor Rosalind Pritchard, Emeritus Professor of Education, former head of school and Distinguished Research Fellow of Ulster University.

The EAIR forum aims to encourage higher education research and promote institutional management, planning and policy implementation development.

The Forum was supported by The Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, MG2i, APS and the HSBC Malta Foundation.