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Thanks to students and staff in PAIS for supporting the visit of Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca to the Department on 2 March – it was a wonderful day.

Her Excellency, who is an Honorary Professor in the Department, met Undergraduates in the PAIS Common Room and challenged them to take responsibility in their future careers for engaging with global political issues including migration, climate change, war, development, poverty, and inequality.

Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams, Head of PAIS, commented:

“Having held a distinguished political career for over forty years, Her Excellency knows a thing or two about Politics and International Studies. As her article last year in Prospect outlines, she is committed to addressing issues of economic, social, and political injustice – issues that are at the heart of research and teaching in the Department. We look forward to developing this unique collaboration by engaging with the work of her new Institute for Peace and Well-Being”.

Afterwards, H.E. delivered a Distinguished Lecture, entitled ‘Migration and peace-building in the Mediterranean’, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart Croft. She said:

“We must find ways of moving away from the stereotypes and prejudices that have come, all too often, to define our discourses on migration. It is vital that we prioritise the importance of wellbeing as a guide in our conceptual and practical approaches in these areas. We must resist those who would label migrants as intruders or burdens on society. Instead, we must bring to light the reality of added values and opportunities that migrants bring to our communities”.

The full text of her lecture can be accessed here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160302/local/new-migration-policies-must-be-defined-president.604362

A video of her lecture can be viewed here.

Photos from the event can also be found on Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca's Facebook page.