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7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 JULY 2025 COMMERCIAL BOV and University Of Malta seal 5-year strategic collaboration BANK of Valletta (BOV) and the Uni- versity of Malta (UM) have entered into a strategic five-year agreement aimed at strengthening collaboration on joint research initiatives and pro- viding new career opportunities for students. This partnership represents a significant investment in Malta's future workforce, linking academic potential with real-world work experience in a fast-changing financial landscape. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Professor Alfred J. Vella, Rector of the University of Malta, the Dean of FEMA, Prof. Emanuel Said, the Dean of the Faculty of ICT, Prof. Ing. Carl James Debono, and Ray Debattista, BOV's Chief People and Culture Officer, in the presence of Antoine Aquilina, Chief Information Security Officer at the Bank. This agreement brings together Malta's longest-standing academic institution and Malta's leading financial services provider, creating new opportunities at the intersection of education and in- dustry. The University of Malta, with over 400 years of academic excellence, continues to drive innovation through its forward-looking faculties. Bank of Valletta, on its part as Malta's Bank of Choice is evolving in step with the fi- nancial world, offering a wide range of specialist areas of employment from risk management, cybersecurity, and digital transformation to sustainability finance, customer experience, and data science. Speaking at the signing, Professor Al- fred J. Vella, Rector of the UM, said, "This agreement strengthens our ties with one of Malta's most prominent fi- nancial institutions. We believe in bring- ing together academic knowledge and real-world experience, and this partner- ship provides a platform for students to view firsthand the demands and oppor- tunities of the evolving financial sector." Ray Debattista added, "We're proud to collaborate with the University of Malta to attract and develop the next genera- tion of talent. This agreement highlights BOV's commitment to nurturing local talent and reflects our belief in long- term investment in people, adding val- ue not only to the Bank but to the wider student community, cementing its role as a future-focused, inclusive employer of choice." The Faculty of Economics, Manage- ment and Accountancy and the Facul- ty of Information and Communication Technology at UM will lead the aca- demic engagement in collaboration with BOV's Risk Management function. 10th anniversary of the University of Malta's Department of Geosciences THE Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta has proudly marked its 10th anniversary, celebrating a dec- ade of academic leadership, pioneering research and impactful collaborations. The commemorative event, themed 'A Decade of Progress and Collaborations with Xjenza Malta', was held at the Es- plora Planetarium Hall, in Kalkara's Vil- la Bighi, in partnership and co-funding with Xjenza Malta. Established to meet the growing need for scientific understanding of environ- mental systems, the Department has grown into a nationally and regionally recognized centre of excellence. Its in- terdisciplinary focus spans operational oceanography, seismology and geophys- ics, marine geology, and atmospheric and climate studies. These are all fields that are increasingly relevant in the face of global climate change and environmental challenges. The evening opened with remarks by Dr Tonio Portughese, Chairman of the Consultative Committee of Xjenza Malta, who described the past decade as more than just a milestone, but also a testament to a decade of vision, partnership, and purpose. He highlighted how the Univer- sity of Malta's Department of Geoscienc- es, with the help and support of Xjenza Malta, has emerged as a vital contributor to the understanding of the Earth systems that sustain us. He was joined in the wel- come by Prof. Alfred Vella, Rector of the University of Malta. A keynote address was delivered by Dr Tony Stabile of Italy's Consiglio Nazion- ale delle Ricerche (CNR), underscoring the Department's expanding internation- al collaborations. Concluding remarks were shared by the Head of the Depart- ment, Prof. Sebastiano D'Amico, and Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra, Dean of the Faculty of Science. Despite Malta's small size, the Depart- ment of Geosciences has significantly contributed to monitoring and research- ing the island's terrestrial, marine and atmospheric environments, placing local expertise within a broader Mediterrane- an and global context. Its active research groups and state-of-the-art facilities sup- port thriving undergraduate and post- graduate programmes and a growing portfolio of EU and international projects. With strong foundations and growing momentum, the Department of Geo- sciences looks ahead to a future of contin- ued impact, discovery and collaboration. "Our mission has always been to en- hance the scientific foundation upon which sustainable development and en- vironmental resilience are built. This anniversary is both a reflection of our achievements and a springboard toward even greater contributions to society and the scientific community," said Professor Sebastiano D'Amico, Head of the Depart- ment of Geosciences at the University of Malta.