Prof. Raphael Vella was recently invited by universities in Germany and Canada to present ongoing research carried out in an Erasmus-funded project entitled ‘Critical Arts Education for Sustainable Societies’. The project brings together partners from five European countries, including Poland, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Spain. Research conducted over the last two and a half years has involved the participation of hundreds of in-service and pre-service teachers in the partnering countries and will be finalised in the coming months.
During his guest lecture at Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität in Landau (Germany) and a research seminar at the University of British Columbia (Canada), Prof. Vella expanded on the notion of empathy in art education, linking it to current events such as the war in Gaza and challenges associated with cultural responses to traumatic situations. Professor Vella’s international activities in 2024 include his participation in an international exhibition in Barcelona in May and regular visits to the National College of Art & Design (University College Dublin) in Ireland, where he serves as external examiner and audits the college’s Professional Masters in Education.
