The Foundations

2002

MQRIC was set up in 2002 and it was established following Act XVIII of 2002 of the Reciprocal Recognition of Qualifications, as well as the convention on the recognition of qualifications related to Higher Education in Europe.

2005

Malta Qualifications Council (MQC) was set up in 2005 under Legal Notice 347 of 2005. MQC was remitted to oversee the development of the National Qualifications Framework in the context of lifelong learning and to work in partnership with learners, employers, as well as training and education providers to achieve and maintain excellence as a contribution towards the national effort for competitiveness.

2006

In 2006, the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) was set up as a consultative and advisory body to government on the higher and further education sectors. NCHE contributed towards the development and launch of the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme, it drafted recommendations for a Further & Higher Education Strategy, and in 2010 published a Guide to Financial Support Schemes for Students in Further & Higher Education.

2009

The Referencing Report is Malta’s national document which describes the Malta Qualifications Framework and the different levels of qualifications in Malta. The first edition of the Referencing Report for Malta was published in 2009. Malta was the first country (as recognised also by the Council of Europe) to reference its framework to two European overarching frameworks (EQF and QF-EHEA) as well as the TQF. Currently Malta is using the fourth edition of the Referencing Report.

2010

The National Commission for Further and Higher Education incorporated both the Malta Qualifications Council as well as the National Commission for Higher Education. In 2010, MQC was merged administratively with the NCHE and the two functioned as a single organisation (NCHE-MQC).

2012

The NCHFE was set up to seek to promote and develop further and higher education in Malta by means of regulation and by the promotion of best practices. Act 13 of 2012 provided the legal framework for the amalgamation of the Malta Qualifications Council (MQC) and the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) to form the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) which is the foundation of the MFHEA.

2020

The Malta Qualifications Database (MQD) was officially launched in 2020. The MQD features detailed information on qualifications and awards in Malta and it is a reliable source to find answers to important questions which should be asked when looking into various study programmes.

2021

The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) was officially launched on the 8th January 2021 and is legislated by the revised Education Act which came into force on the 1st January 2021.

2022

In the year 2022, the MFHEA will embark on a calendar of activities to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the enactment of Act 13 of 2012.

Celebrating 10 years of fostering excellence in further and higher education.

In the year 2022, the MFHEA embarked on a calendar of activities to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the enactment of Act 13 of 2012. This act provided the legal framework for the amalgamation of the Malta Qualifications Council (MQC) and the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) to form the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) which is the foundation of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA).

The MFHEA is an independent, transparent, and international authority. The team at the MFHEA works to ensure the highest education standards and foster a competent community of empowered individuals, with the right skills to follow their dreams and make the future happen. The MFHEA was officially launched on the 8th January 2021 and is legislated by the revised Education Act which came into force on the 1st January 2021.

The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) celebrated the tenth anniversary of its establishment during an evening celebration event at Casino Maltese in Valletta, commemorating the milestone achieved for this authority. The evening was part of several activities organized to celebrate 10 years of fostering excellence in further and higher education in Malta.

“As a country, we are committed to bring growth to our nation and our people. Committed to provide access to quality education in an equitable manner, we do not simply provide access to institutions – but through the services of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, we nurture a community where everyone feels valued and accepted. Therefore, investment in education is the basis for development that leaves a real impact on society”, said the Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima.

In a speech during this evening, Minister Grima said, “This authority operates in a way to legitimize and protect both the institutions, the study programmes they offer and the students.
It works in line with the standards of the European Union with the aim of further promoting education in the community”.

The emphasis is also on quality education because quality assurance is very important to guarantee transparency and efficiency. This helps to create a reliable local education system, for the benefit of both national and international students. Furthermore, quality assurance is the backbone of any National Qualifications Framework.

The Chief Executive of the MFHEA, Rose Anne Cuschieri, said that the authority fully believes in the role and importance of Fundamental Values in Further and Higher Education of Good Quality. She said that, “If we consider the reasons for the success of the authority, I believe that the MFHEA was able to strengthen the relationship with the providers who are contributing strongly and directly to education in this very important sector for our country. Trust and reliability are crucial conditions in this area”.

The Band of the Armed Forces of Malta led by Captain Jonathan Borg presented a concert during this evening, with the participation of the mezzo-soprano Graziella Debattista.

Armed Forces of Malta Band

Conductor Captain Jonathan Borg

The Band of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), formerly known as the Royal Malta Artillery Band (RMA Band), was established in the late 19th century (1890) yet it can trace its origins way back to the year 1800, when a band with fifes and drums formed part of the Malta Light Infantry Regiment. During the years 1939 to 1942, owing to the war circumstances, the band was put into suspended animation and its members served in support of the parent regiment, the Royal Malta Artillery. It was reformed in 1943. The AFM Band was established in 1970 under the baton of Warrant Ocer I Chircop Anthony.

Today, the AFM Band which has a compliment of 43 musicians and is directed by Captain Jonathan Borg is the only specialised Band on the Island. The Band’s President is Colonel Edric Zahra whilst the Band Secretary is Lt. Dorothy Gauci. As a Military Band, its primary role is to fulfil a range of commitments in support of the Armed Forces of Malta on numerous ceremonial occasions. Its wide repertoire ranges from military marches to classical and popular music. Besides their duties as bandsmen, the personnel also perform all military duties such as basic military training, internal security duties and much more.

Throughout the years, the band had various opportunities to participate in massed–band displays, Military Band Festivals and Tattoos organized by the British Army of the Rhine at Monchengladbach, Germany. On other occasions it was invited to participate in Cyprus and Sicily. In the last decade the AFM Band was invited for various military tattoos and festivals such as in Germany, Italy, Russia, Libya, Switzerland and Scotland.

Mezzo Soprano Graziella DeBattista

Graziella DeBattista, Maltese dramatic mezzo-soprano, has graduated from the University of Malta under the guidance of Dione Buhagiar. She continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with a Masters in Arts, majoring in performance under the guidance of Jonathan Papp and Ryland Davies. Graziella is currently followed by Juliette Bisazza Zanni (Malta) and Dolora Zajick (USA).

Graziella performed in numerous significant events, ones both local – commissioned by the Maltese president for the Russian, German and British ambassadors to Malta – and abroad, such as the celebration of the Agrigento Christmas period, Christmas concerts organized in Hampstead, and the 2015 Wimbledon International Music Festival. Graziella performed numerous roles in various concerts in Malta, Italy, England, and America.

She was one of the winners of the international opera competition by Paquale Pappano in Benevento. She has attended masterclasses and summer programmes for young artists as part of her continuing professional development, collaborating with equally renowned world-famous artists such as: Ian Partridge, Angela Gheorghiu, Carmen Giannatassio, Richard Bonynge, Barbara Frittoli, Beatrice Benzi, Dolora Zajick, and Antonio Pappano. Graziella made her debut at the Teatro Filarmonco di Verona, performing the part of Zia Prinsessa.

Her future engagements include a Gala Concert in the concert season of “The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra” conducted by Pasquale Valerio with The Villages Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, Florida; the interpretation of Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin with Opera Spanga, Holland; and Ulrica at the Teatro Filarmonco di Verona. Graziella is supported by the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, the Malta Arts School, and Mr Ian Lochhead.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the President of Malta H.E. George Vella and the Minister for Education and Sport Hon. Clifton Grima visited the offices of the Authority in Hamrun.

On Friday 7^th January, H.E. George Vella, President of Malta and the Hon. Clifton Grima, Minister for Education and Sport, visited the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) in Hamrun to commemorate the 10^th Anniversary since the setting up of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) which is the foundation of the Authority.

During this occasion, the Chief Executive Officer Dr Rose Anne Cuschieri explained that the Authority’s mission is to foster the development and achievement of excellence in further and higher education in Malta through research, effective licensing, accreditation, quality assurance, and recognition of qualifications established under the Malta Qualifications Framework. These services work together as a chain, pulling forward further and higher education towards more excellence. Dr Cuschieri said that excellence in education views competencies and skills as the starting point; it lies in the creativity to adapt to the future challenges of society.

The Chairman of MFHEA, Judge Emeritus Dr Noel Cuschieri said that in this occasion, the Authority is not only looking at what has been done in the past, but also looking forward to the future of society. This occasion celebrates the work that has been done in the context of further and higher education, hand in hand with learners, employers, as well as training and education providers to achieve and maintain excellence as a contribution to the national competitiveness.

The Hon. Minister Clifton Grima acknowledged the work being done by the team at the MFHEA and he said that education is the basis for the continuous development of society. He said that quality education ensures that Malta’s business ecosystem attracts quality professionals.

H.E. George Vella, President of Malta said that it is important that the country invests in the human resource and that quality education is the best tool we have for developing best practices that nurture a competent community.