Previously known as ICP Training Academy, the Applied Research and Training Academy (ARTA) was setup in 2018 as part of the Institute of Cellular Pharmacology (ICP) Ltd. The Institute of Cellular Pharmacology Ltd is an institute dedicated to the fundamental research of active ingredients derived from plant extracts, where these natural active ingredients are utilised in the nutraceutical, cosmetic and animal industries in compliance with FDA regulations, etc. The institute was recently re-accredited as an approved R&D facility by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation for the years 2021 – 2023.
Taking on the role of leading educational specialists, the Applied Research and Training Academy (ARTA) provides programmes of study leading to Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees to local and international students. ARTA is registered as a licenced Higher Education Institution with the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA Licence No: 2018-013), via which all Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees will eventually be recognised and accredited in line with the Malta, and, hence, European, Qualifications Framework at EQF levels 5 to 8.
ARTA also acts as a local campus for foreign universities and colleges, providing local classrooms, workshops/laboratories and conference facilities. It is also involved in the organisation of Webinars and Master classes, as well as in assisting students in tapping various funding opportunities.
The President of the Academy’s Board of Governors is Dr Gilles Gutierrez, the founder of ICP Ltd. The Academy’s Principal and Head is Dr Claire Baluci.
The President of the Academy’s Board of Governors is Dr Gilles Pierre Louis Gutierrez, the founder of ICP Ltd. Having graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France, Dr Gutierrez has many years of experience in the scientific research field. In October 2009, he was the recipient of the prestigious ‘Pasteur Institute Medal’.
The Academy’s Principal is Dr Claire Angèle Baluci. She holds several academic and professional qualifications, including a PhD in Biology and another PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Dr Baluci is also certified as a Chartered Biologist by the Royal Society of Biology and a Chartered Scientist by the Science Council, both based in London, UK.
The aim of ARTA is to operate a higher education institution legally recognised and authorised by the Maltese Further and Higher Education Authority, and, therefore, across the European Union and beyond, to provide further and higher education study programmes and issue the corresponding certifications. Making use of modern technology and educational methodologies to answer the different yet demanding needs of today’s society, this institution utilises all the resources and expertise at its disposal, including professors and academic staff, research resources and knowledge management, industry and other stakeholders, as well as networks with other education institutions through collaboration agreements with a number of universities and educational institutions in the Euro-Med region.
Together with its highly qualified and experienced staff, ARTA’s mission is to deliver dynamic and specialised training based on the premise that inquiry is the very first step in the process of learning. All learning at ARTA takes place in an applied, project-based environment where the core values of inquiry, reflection, innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship are strongly emphasised.
Hence, ARTA’s vision is to improve quality and expand access to all levels of education by providing a means for individuals to learn and earn credentials that are credible to both academia and employment channels. ARTA’s raison d’être prompts excellent opportunities for learning, discovery and engagement to a diverse population of students in a real-world setting.
The establishment of ARTA aims to position Malta as a EuroMed international ‘Centre of Excellence’ where applied research and innovation in a number of science and technology-related areas are concerned.
It also aims to serve as a strategic innovation platform for the development, customisation and deployment of science and technology, bring together private industry with key public institutions and enterprises in Malta and international research organisations and apply a business-driven approach to enable the establishment of several clearly defined collaborative projects.
ARTA, in collaboration with other educational institutions, strives to take on a leading role to train, educate and disseminate information to other entities and the public across all the fields and disciplines within its remit, through educational and training programmes, public engagement, Memoranda of Understanding with other higher education institutions, including universities and dedicated training arms in the different industry fields, etc.
The key debates surrounding quality education evidence the different definitions with which the term ‘quality education’ has been endowed through time and across countries. There appears to be a positive movement worldwide towards the delivery of quality education, not only as a fulfilment of a basic human right, but also to expand individual capacities and choices. National policy statements continue to emphasise the role of education as a catalyst for the strengthening of human societies through the advancement of national and universal values.
In recent years, the quality discourse has moved from one promoting and encouraging quality to one of assuring quality through institutional policies and audits by external bodies. It is commonly accepted that quality assurance is the means by which an institution can guarantee, with confidence and certainty, that the standards and quality of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced.
ARTA’s incessant search for accessible, academic excellence is guided by the directional and operational principles and corresponding guidelines contemplated within the holistic framework embraced by European Union member states, whose vision supports a homogenous and common education and training policy. As a licensed Institution, ARTA’s Quality Management System is aligned with Malta’s, and, hence, Europe’s, National Quality Assurance Framework for Further and Higher Education. ARTA is, thus, committed to the development and implementation of an Integrated Quality Management System and the continual improvement of its effectiveness.
The ultimate ideal situation ARTA strives towards is the instilling of a culture for and of quality in the heart and mind of each and every individual who forms part of the institution wherein quality assurance is fundamentally embedded. The inculcation of an innate quality culture enables ARTA to develop ingrained quality assurance explicitly and implicitly in its daily operations.
ARTA enjoys the services of dedicated administrative, academic and technical staff members who together are involved in the day-to-day activities of the academy, including teaching/training/mentoring/supervision and research. All members of staff are committed to ARTA’s core aims, particularly in fostering innovation in the scientific community and encouraging research and development in these areas
F25 ‘Sorbonne Centre’
Mosta Technopark
Mosta MST3000 Malta
+356 2143 8458
info@arta.edu.mt
