The University of Malta has officially been accorded a UNESCO Chair in Global Adult Education.
This is the result of a collective effort by the University, the Malta Commission to UNESCO, Malta鈥檚 Ambassador to UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Employment The Chair鈥檚 incumbent is Professor Peter Mayo from the University of Malta鈥檚 Department of Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education, Faculty of Education. The Chair involves twinning with the University of Kalyani in West Bengal, India.
As part of the work package, there are plans to re-establish the ICAE (International Council for Adult Education) flagship adult education journal Convergence - originally founded by the late J. R Kidd -as an electronic open access outlet. There are also plans to offer the University MA in Adult Education internationally and online. There is hope that the book series on International Issues in Adult Education Professor Mayo has been editing for Brill Sense, and which is now going into its 34th published volume, will also be connected with this Chair.
This is the first time ever that a UNESCO Chair has been established at the University of Malta.
In officially announcing the news communicated to him by UNESCO, Malta 's Ambassador to this global institution, H.E. Joseph Vella Gauci wrote " It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I receive the news of the favourable evaluation of the University of Malta鈥檚 request for the establishment of a UNESCO Chair on Global Adult Education. This proposed UNESCO chair鈥檚 mandate falls within the goals of SDG 4, i.e. to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. As it is also one of the identified deliverables being undertaken in the context of the University of Malta鈥檚 Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and coincides with the University鈥檚 ambition to further internationalise its campus and community, I am very confident that the administration of our University will be seizing this opportunity of Malta鈥檚 first ever in-house UNESCO Chair to make a success story in the adult education sector."
The University awaits the draft standard Agreement between UNESCO and the University of Malta and the text on the provisions of Article 2 of this Agreement.
