UK study costs to fall sharply

The cost of studying in the UK will fall sharply for Maltese students once the Island joins the EU, effective from the academic year 2004-05, British High Commissioner Vincent Fean has said.

He was speaking at a reception to mark the departure of 10 Chevening scholars to further their studies in the UK.

Guests of honour at the reception were Education Minister Louis Galea and Mrs Galea.

The British High Commission said that each year, a number of Maltese students were awarded Chevening Scholarships by the British High Commission and British Council, funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Maltese and British businesses and institutions.

Dr Galea spoke most warmly of the highly effective contribution of the British Council to education and training in Malta.

Mr Fean pointed to ever-stronger ties between the UK and Malta in the context of Malta's EU accession, which the UK greatly welcomed.

Both the minister and the high commissioner thanked the current sponsors - Farsons plc, Midi plc, Salvo Grima & sons, Cable & Wireless, Middlesea Insurance plc, the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Malta Resources Authority.

The 2003/04 Chevening Scholars are: Vanessa MacDonald, Thompson Foundation for Journalists (summer course now concluded), Claudia Galea, Masters Business Administration, Christopher Buttigieg, MA European Law & Society, Maria Borg Barthet, LLM Maritime Law, Nerissa Sultana, PhD War Studies, Nadia Cassar LLM Taxation, Corporate/Commercial Law, Sharon Spiteri, MA International Journalism, Jesmond Manicaro, LLM Public International Law, Susannah Anastasi MA Environment & Business Studies and Conrad Chircop, MSc Telecommunications, sponsored by Cable and Wireless.