The Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) organised its opening ceremony for the new academic year 2022-2023, welcoming students back on campus. This year the College received around 3819 applications from new prospective students, a substantial increase compared to last year. The third and final call for applications opened on the 3 October 2022. The number of international students applying for MCAST courses also increased considerably to 1606 applicants from over 87 countries.

The Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Dr Clifton Grima, said, “The work of MCAST is reflected in the number of applications from prospective students, which are increasing year after year. This year, in two calls for applications, MCAST received a 17% increase over last year’s applications. This is good news for the work this College is carrying out and for the students who have chosen MCAST to continue their studies.”

Principal Professor Calleja said in his message to students, “We encourage you to make the most of your student experience. Campus life can help you acquire knowledge and skills to make a difference in our society. The world is facing challenging times, and change is happening whether we like it. Now more than ever, we need our youth to believe their ideas and actions can make a true difference.”

The President of the Board of Governors, Professor Ian Refalo, spoke of the importance of vocational and professional education in preparing tomorrow’s skilled workforce. The Student Council President Bradley Debono spoke about the importance of inclusion, which will be further strengthened with the new equality policy being implemented at the College.

The ceremony closed with an interfaith ceremony led by representatives of different faiths. MCAST student Alexia Micallef presented, and violinist Bernard Curmi played the music during the ceremony.