“I want to open the doors wide open for the Youths in Europe,” MEP Peter Agius says at the program’s launch that took place at Europe House in Valletta.

The program provides students with a chance to:

• Shadow MEP Peter Agius: Gain valuable insights into the daily workings of the European Parliament.
• Access Parliament Resources: Explore the research facilities and resources available within the Brussels institution.
• Immerse in European Democracy: Experience and learn about the democratic processes at play within the European Parliament.

Who is this programme perfect for?

Students with a strong European focus in their studies or future careers can join the Study Visits Programme for a practical experience of the EU. Programs can last from one to three weeks, depending on individual needs.

Financial and logistical support

The programme offers a €700 stipend to cover basic travel and accommodation expenses. While students are responsible for booking their travel and accommodation, the programme will provide help with finding suitable options in Brussels.

Selection process

Interested students can find full details and application instructions on MEP Peter Agius’ website.
Students must submit a brief statement, explaining how the program will benefit their academic or professional goals. A selection board will then interview applicants to choose students and schedule their visits.

This program presents an exciting opportunity for youths to gain insights into the European Parliament and broaden their understanding of the EU.

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Due to the way the course is designed law students are bound to learn in the English language however the court’s official language is Maltese. Students are only taught about the Maltese legal jargon in their fifth year whilst studying court procedure.

JCA President, Matt Micallef St John, stated during a seminar entitled, “Maltese v English: Legal Inquisition“, that the organisation have conducted a survey with regards to the language question which had 66 respondents and was quite reflective of the reality in the law course.

The survey shows that 58.5% of the students’ preferred spoken language is Maltese and 27.7% prefer the English language. This is whilst 13.8% of the respondents have no language preference as they are comfortable communicating in both languages.

It is interesting to note that 21 respondents expressed that litigating in Maltese is harder than litigating in English. On the other hand, 24 students find no difficulty to litigate in Maltese over the English. Meanwhile, 15 students are quite neutral about this question.

In turn 45 of 66 respondents agree that the Maltese language as well as English should be utilised during the lectures whilst 9 students do not agree that both languages should be used.

Moreover, 51 students agreed that those legal terms which are studied in English are in turn difficult to use in Maltese whilst practicing the profession.

The seminar had a panel of 4 speakers starting off with Dr Joseph Izzo Clarke who travelled to Malta from Luxembourg specifically for this seminar, stated there currently is an undergoing effort for language to be accessible to the citizens.

Dr Charlene Gauci who is currently a freshly-warranted lawyer and a past JCA President talked about the imposition of learning and thinking in English for approximately five years and then you find yourself in a workplace where you don’t just need to use the Maltese colloquial language but in court a lawyer is bound to use a specific Maltese legal jargon.

She continued to say that in the law course Maltese in mainly used during the fifth year when the students are studying the law of procedure used in court. She advises the use of Maltese throughout the course. She expressed her disappointment that such jargon is not used most specifically in the first year of the law which could be an essential foundation for the student to build on.

Dr Michael Spagnol who is a lecturer in the Department of Maltese here at university who emphasised on the use of all languages in the court house especially due to multilingual clients. However he criticised the fact that some individuals see the Maltese and English language as competitors. Such reasoning impoverishes us. Despite this, he did notice the irony that the highest educational institution which is supposed to provide us with tools is depriving students of such an essential device.

Dr David Zammit who is the Head of the Civil Law Department at the Faculty of Laws who admitted that this seminar reminded him of the national Language Question back in the 1930s when Malta was a British colony and light was being shed on the importance of the Maltese language. He stated that this question empowers us to be what he called “cultural brokers” as interpreters.

To conclude, Micallef St John shared his organisation’s thoughts on the matter and stated:

It is very clear, both from the survey conducted and the discussion take took place during the seminar, that students wish to see the increased use of the Maltese language in the law course, alongside English. We echo this sentiment and hope that the relevant authorities will take note of what was said, and that JCA is willing to follow up and work on the matter.

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This event will be held on quad at the University of Malta between Wednesday 21^st and Friday 23^rd March. The vast program is packed with interviews with foreign writers and also Maltese authors who will have the opportunity to share their work and their experience with University students who might prosper to become writers themselves in the future. There will also be several workshops related to literature and art as well as discussions and guided tours around the University of Malta Library.

The main aim of this event is to promote literature whilst also giving an opportunity to publishers and writers to promote their publications. This year’s special guest is Jasmin B. Frelih, a Slovenian author who earned the European Prize for Literature back in 2016. The festival will end on Friday night with some live music after an Open Mic, where the public can read and exhibit their own works of art and literature.

For more information visit the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/348041795674034/

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