In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract young people to politics and public administration, Malta’s Office of the Ombudsman has teamed up with the University to offer a master’s degree aimed to train future leaders.
A first-of-its-kind in Europe, the course will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to investigate and evaluate public administration, detect abuse, and devise action plans to improve current administrative practices.
They will also learn how to identify and apply the principles of good governance, devise and employ implementation strategies for stronger and more effective management, and engage in social dialogue among stakeholders.
The Office of the Ombudsman – which turns 30 years this year – is an independent institution that investigates complaints against public authorities in Malta. The Ombudsman’s job is to ensure that public authorities act fairly and impartially and that they respect the rights of individuals.
The Ombudsman’s most recent shocking and damning report was released in January with the finding that the prison degraded and intimidated inmates between 2018 and 2021.
Nowhere else at present is there any other academic programme of its kind- Ombudsman spokesperson
The Master of Arts in Ombudsman Law and Governance will be a five-semester, part-time, hybrid course and will begin in October.
It is a collaboration between the Ombudsman’s Office, the Department of Policy, Politics, and Governance, and the Faculty of Laws at the University of Malta.
It is targeted at individuals who have an interest in the Office of the Ombudsman, human rights, consultancy firms, public administration and other integrity institutions such as the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life.
In comments to Times of Malta, a spokesperson for the Ombudsman said the office has stood the test of time for the past 30 years, playing a crucial role in strengthening public administration and governance. During this time, it proposed a new Ombudsman Bill to government to widen its present remit to include the promotion and protection of human rights and to serve as the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) for Malta.
“The degree programme will be another opportunity for graduates to cultivate and apply the core principles of good governance, such as transparency and accountability, within the framework of Ombudsman legal principles as they result from the present Ombudsman Act and as they evolved in other legal systems,” he said.
“What makes this course even more significant is its uniqueness in the sense that nowhere else at present is there any other academic programme of its kind.”
Applications are now open. More information can be found on the University of Malta website.