The University of Malta has been included in the first 'European Universities' alliance, just announced today by the European Commission.

UM submitted an application as part of a six-member consortium, led by the University of Cádiz, Spain, and comprising the University of Kiel, Germany; Western Brittany, France; Split, Croatia; and Gdansk, Poland. All six are coastal universities, deeply involved with the sea: indeed, the consortium’s focus is on marine and maritime matters.

The six institutions came together to form the European University of the Seas. This project, which was competing with 54 other proposals involving some 300 higher education institutions, was given the green light by the European Commission following an evaluation carried out by a team of independent external experts including rectors, professors and researchers specifically appointed for this task.

This is the first project of its kind that will form alliances among European universities. The University of Malta will benefit from increased mobility of students and staff as the initiative will enhance the quality, inclusiveness and competitiveness of European higher education.

University of Malta Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, welcomed the news that UM has been successful with its proposal at its first attempt and has thus been selected to form part of this prestigious platform of 'European Universities'.

"The announcement comes at the time when the University of Malta is celebrating the 250th anniversary since its foundation as a public university. Furthermore, it also demonstrates that the University of Malta can pitch in with its own expertise and research acumen to match top educational institutions across the EU," the university said. 

The alliance which has been named Sea-EU, The European University of the Seas, will receive up to €5 million over the next three years. The Commission has voted €85 million for these 17 pilot projects.