Celebrating 10 years of fostering excellence in further and higher education.
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. 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.
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 7th 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 10th 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.
The Foundations
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
