Erasmus, why to choose Malta

Many times the choice of a destination for studying abroad is not a choice at all. In every Italian university when the possible Erasmus destinations are published, more or less the same situation always occurs:

Destinations in Northern Europe, the UK in the lead, but also the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Scandinavian countries, are the most sought after but have limited places, causing students to fall back on other destinations or even to give up completely.

The main reason for the success of the UK & company as an Erasmus destination is the English language: fluent English is somewhat of a necessity in a globalised world and opens doors to half the world. In addition, Erasmus is the first experience of life abroad for many young people and going to a country where the local population doesn't know English could be discouraging.

This article therefore aims to shed light on another Anglo-Saxon speaking country, included in various Erasmus programmes, that tends to fall into the background, clouded by the biggest Northern European countries: Malta.

Let's explore in detail what is available for students that visit Malta with the Erasmus+ program:

Erasmus Students

Due to the small size of the island there is only one University and one professional school. The state university of Malta is based in Msida, halfway between the party-centre of Paceville and the capital of Valletta. The educational offer is varied with 11 faculties:

• Art
• Architecture and Environmental Construction
• Dentistry
• Economics
• Management and Accounting
• Education
• Engineering
• Information & Communication Technology
• Law
• Medicine and Surgery
• Science and Technology

In addition, there are various Interdisciplinary Centres and Institutes, including:

• Agriculture
• Anglo-Italian Studies
• Baroque Studies
• Confucius
• Criminology
• International Environment
• Health
• Islands and Small States
• Linguistics
• Maltese Studies
• Public Administration & Management
• Physical Education and Sport
• Sustainable Development
• Sustainable Energy

The University of Malta hosts around 1000 foreign students out of 10,000 in total, coming from the ever growing agreements between universities and other foreign institutions. It is also connected with the major Italian universities through bilateral agreements, and even has a branch in Rome. Find out if your university has any mobility agreements with the University of Malta.

Erasmus Placements

If a mobility agreement between the two universities is essential to obtain an Erasmus Student Scholarship in Malta, there is no requirement to obtain the Erasmus Placement Scholarship, if not enrolled in a European University. The main European internship databases feature offers by Maltese companies; the most popular are language schools, betting and real estate companies, as well as businesses in the tourism sector. To be chosen for an internship in Malta it is necessary however to have at least a basic knowledge of the English language; a short course in one of the island's many English schools could help.