The Faculty for Social Wellbeing and the Department of Family Studies, University of Malta (UM), have signed two separate Agreements with the Ministry for the Family, Children鈥檚 Rights and Social Solidarity (MFCS) in the presence of the Hon. Michael Falzon, Minister for the Family, Children鈥檚 Rights and Social Solidarity.
The three year Agreement with the Faculty for Social Wellbeing as beneficiary, was signed by Rector, Professor Alfred J. Vella, and Faculty Dean, Professor Andrew Azzopardi, while Mr Mark Mus霉, Permanent Secretary, signed the Agreement on behalf of the Ministry for Family, Children鈥檚 Rights and Social Solidarity.
The Faculty for Social Wellbeing seeks to carry out its research, teaching and mentoring in close touch with what is happening in the community. The Faculty Dean and the academic members of staff are committed and geared towards having research that will inform social policy. In view of this, the Agreement will seek to identify, in collaboration with the Ministry, service gaps and areas requiring research in order to identify ways of improving social policy. The Faculty is this year offering 35 courses and is seeking ways of how to keep increasing its student intake to respond to the needs in the social sector.
The second Agreement signed by UM Rector, Prof. Vella, and MFCS Permanent Secretary, Mr Mus霉, regards a grant for the UM鈥檚 Department of Family Studies. This will support research that will focus primarily on the implementation of the Positive Parenting Strategy and will particularly address the needs of vulnerable families and their children, in line with the Department鈥檚 strong belief in the important role of early intervention. It is also in line with the overall objective of the Department that seeks to organise, encourage and promote research on all aspects of family life especially in the Maltese context. The Department of Family Studies originally was set up as a Centre for Family Studies in 2008 with the support of all Members of Parliament.
Through this Agreement the Department of Family Studies will be specifically offering its contribution by providing research, training and policy implementation in the area of Family Studies.
