Students at the University of Malta and Junior College will be allowed free entrance to Heritage Malta sites and museums with immediate effect, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the university and agency.

Students who wish to benefit from this opportunity should present their eSIMS account – on their mobile phone or in print – at the entrance of their chosen site or museum.

The Ħal Saflieni hypogeum is excluded from the offer.

The collaboration agreement is for a three-year period. 

Other initiatives agreed upon include the sharing of resources such as libraries and equipment.

Heritage Malta’s executive director Mario Cutajar said that the opportunity being offered to university and Junior College students further strengthens the agency’s resolve to transform its museums from shrines of antiquity to centres of discussion and information, where visitors do not just browse around without gaining anything but leave brimming with new knowledge.

These centres need to be related to contemporary times to remain relevant, accessible and relevant to the present, Mr Cutajar said.

Heritage Malta chief executive officer Noel Zammit spoke of Heritage Malta’s role to make national cultural heritage accessible to all, and of the agency’s initiatives towards a visitor-centred experience at sites and museums.

One such successful initiative was the introduction of the Heritage Malta passport for primary and secondary school students and for senior citizens.

The next natural step was to facilitate accessibility for post-secondary and tertiary level students.