The European Commission, through the Socrates Programme, has awarded financing to the Environmental Education Section (Department of Mathematics, Science and Technical Education, Faculty of Education) for the co-ordination of the EMPEE Project (European Masters Programme of Environmental Education).

The project proposal submitted by Dr Paul Pace in 2001 focuses on the setting up of a Master's degree programme in environmental education involving partner universities in Cyprus, the UK, Israel, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland.

The project's philosophy focuses on the pooling of expertise and resources available in these universities towards the development of a substantial number of modules in the field of Environmental Education.

The wide choice would enable EMPEE students to design a programme of studies that suits their particular research interest in the area of Environmental Education.

Dr Pace, the project co-ordinator, chaired a highly intensive three-day preparatory workshop held recently in Malta. This first encounter was crucial to the development of this project since partners discussed and finalised various issues related to the logistics of the masters programme as well as the study modules that will be offered.

The first project outcomes have received a positive review from members of the European Commission on a recent visit to the University of Malta.

Although the Master's Programme is forecast to start functioning in the next academic year, expressions of interest have already been received from universities in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Russia and Sweden.

Vincent Caruana, the project secretary, also participated in the preparatory meeting. The EMPEE project has the support of the Socrates Office at the University.