On Tuesday 5 July, Queen Mary University of London’s Malta Campus held its first ever Graduation Ceremony for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) class of 2022 at the historic Cittadella on the island of Gozo.
The ceremony was a success, opening with a procession and followed by addresses from His Excellency George Vella, President of Malta, the Honourable Prime Minster, Robert Abela, as well as the President and Principal of Queen Mary, Colin Bailey and the Dean for Education, Professor Anthony Warrens. 19 students graduated with MBBS degrees, taught by Queen Mary's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, with the graduands representing 12 countries including UK, Belgium, Caymen Islands, Uganda, Philippines, Austria, Malta, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ireland and Canada.
“Today is a celebration of all the hard work our graduands have put in over the last few years.” said Colin Bailey, President and Principal of Queen Mary.
The Queen Mary, Malta Campus is the first medical school located on Gozo. It supports the Government of Malta’s activities in upgrading healthcare across Malta, and is a fundamental part of Queen Mary’s plans to develop a university-level education hub on the island. The state-of-the-art Campus is situated on the grounds of Gozo General Hospital and features access to a 21st century Anatomy Centre. The construction of the Medicine School was managed by Steward Healthcare and the project was completed in October 2019.
Now in its fifth year in operation on the Islands, the University offers its internationally renowned five-year MBBS programme which attracts students from around the world. Queen Mary, Malta Campus combines a London curriculum with a Mediterranean lifestyle, with students representing 51 different countries among the 237 strong student body.
“The Malta Campus has permitted me to enjoy my studies, culture, weather and many other things Malta has to offer. The staff, curriculum and proximity to the hospital have allowed me to appreciate the medical education delivered. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend it.” Ali Sohail, Queen Mary Malta student.
As part of the student and staff commitment to the Gozo community, the Malta Campus hosts a broad programme of community initiatives and outreach events. In 2021, students and staff supported the Department of Health to provide vaccinations from the Covid-19 vaccine centre in Victoria, Gozo. The Medical School also hosted a “Mental Wellbeing in Covid Times” conference, in partnership with the Mental Health Association Gozo (MHAG). The online event delved deeply into Covid-19 related issues affecting Maltese and Gozitan people. The Medical School also provided additional space to Gozo General Hospital to enable the hospital to provide safer care while catering for Covid-19 patients.
The Campus has hosted organisations as diverse as the British High Commission Malta, the Gozo Chamber of Commerce and several community groups. Queen Mary will be expanding its business development activities with the aim of positioning the Campus as a hub for conferences, events, educational summer schools, and additional programmes over the coming months. Queen Mary, Malta Campus is a proud part of the local community, with a commitment to the area around it being in the roots of its institution, and maintains a proud culture of contributing to the local community through research, volunteering and partnerships.
The first graduation ceremony being held by Queen Mary, Malta Campus is an important milestone in Queen Mary’s determination to be at the forefront of medical education. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the first class of MBBS graduates from Queen Mary in Malta, and the Campus will continue striving to improve lives locally, nationally and internationally into the future.