The Neville Mifsud Scholarship Scheme for the MBA in International Hospitality Management (NMSS)
Postgraduate education forms an increasingly important part of our country’s economic and social agenda. It is a key element in lifelong learning. For this purpose, OCEANIA Cruises (Oceania), part of the Norwegian Cruise Line Group in collaboration with the Institute of Tourism Studies and SMS aim at providing more opportunities to promote further specialisation within the Tourism industry at higher levels of education.
This sponsorship has been established in memory of Mr Neville Mifsud, late Chairman of S.Mifsud and Sons Ltd. (SMS) and a pioneer of the Tourism industry whose association with the cruise business goes back as early as the 1964. Mr Mifsud has always believed in education as a pillar for the improvement of the industry and quality service provided within the Tourism sector.
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
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Aims and Objectives
The key objectives of this scheme are to:
- assist exceptional applicants to pursue an MQF level 7 of academic research within the Tourism and Hospitality field of study;
- encourage and promote further participation at a postgraduate level of academic research within the Tourism and Hospitality sector locally;
- contribute towards research in identified areas of national priority with regard to Tourism and Hospitality;
- increase the capacity and level of research, innovation and development activity in Malta
- assist applicants to find better jobs
Eligibility
In order to apply for the Neville Mifsud Scholarship Scheme (NMSS), an Applicant shall, by the closing date of Applications, that is the 12th August 2024:
- Be a Maltese citizen who has been residing in Malta for the past five (5) years. Provided that a Maltese citizen who has been residing outside Malta for study, health or work purposes or any other purpose which the NMSS Board may consider, will still be eligible to apply and this period of time during which the citizen was abroad shall not be taken into consideration for the purpose of calculating the five (5) year requirement, or
- Be a Maltese Citizen who is a worker or self-employed person in Malta.
Applicants already in possession of a qualification at MQF level 7 may apply provided that:
- The other MQF level 7 qualification was not obtained as a result of a funded scholarship; and
- The MQF level 7 course applied for is in a different area of specialisation from the first one.
An Applicant cannot benefit from multiple scholarship schemes simultaneously, i.e. if an applicant is currently benefitting from a scholarship then this makes the same applicant ineligible from NMSS.
It is the responsibility of Applicants, in possession of qualifications awarded by foreign HEIs (including Universities), to produce an evaluation report on comparability of qualifications issued by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC) within the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) (as per Education Act – Act XXIV of 1988 in accordance with the Mutual Recognition Of Qualifications Act – Act XVIII of 2002). A copy of the said report issued by the MQRIC, or the designated authority in case of warrants, shall be attached to the application, with the original presented at the interview.
An applicant shall become ineligible for this scholarship if at any time s/he/they is in breach of any part of the Regulations.
Administration of NMSS
The NMSS is administered by SMS on behalf of Oceania in collaboration with the Institute of Tourism Studies.
The NMSS Board, set up by SMS on behalf of Oceana and ITS Senior Management, shall operate the process of selection. The NMSS Board shall be responsible for all matters concerning the selection and determination of appropriate awards according to the regulations.
For the purposes of administering this scheme, a board has been set up consisting of one (1) member from SMS, one (1) member from ITS and (1) administrative secretary from ITS.
All correspondence is to be addressed to:
NMSS Board
Institute of Tourism Studies
Aviation Park, Aviation Avenue
Luqa
Malta
Tel. No.: (+356) 23793100
E-mail: info@its.edu.mt
Online Applications Forms
Applicants are invited to apply using the online application form that may be accessed here .
Applications are open between the 26th of June 2024 and the 12th of August 2024.
Application Requirements
To apply for the scholarship, applicants must submit the following materials:
- Personal Information
- Academic Information
- Proof of current qualifications
- Personal Statement
- A document of up to 500 words detailing why you should receive this scholarship, highlighting your achievements, aspirations, and relevant experiences.
- Dissertation Proposal
- A document of up to 1000 words describing your proposed dissertation topic and explaining its potential benefits to the cruise, tourism, and hospitality industries.
- References
- Two academic or professional references.
Selection Process
The role of the NMSS Board is to evaluate and select candidates according to pre-established criteria.
Each application is considered as follows:
- the NMSS Board shall, appoint an expert in Tourism and Hospitality on the board to evaluate the application;
- the NMSS Board itself shall consider the application and any advice submitted by appointed experts.
Short listed candidates shall be called for an online or in-person interview. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to make sure to be available on the date and time communicated to him/her for the interview. No alternative arrangements shall be made to change the date and time of the interview unless there is an exceptional circumstance (supported by written proof) that warrants the change in such date and time. The aforementioned exceptional circumstance shall be examined and such alternative date and time may be communicated by the Board, at its discretion.
In the case of applicants who are unable to attend for the in-person interview at the given date and time due to being abroad, such interview shall take place via Teams only at the given date and time. It is the Applicant who has to ensure to be at a place where such facilities are available and that the video and audio link on his/her ends, are adequate to ensure a proper interview throughout. The NMSS Board does not assume any responsibility if the interview fails to materialise properly due to any technical reason. An alternative date for interview may be given by the NMSS Board depending on the circumstances which lead to the failure of such an interview.
SMS on behalf of Oceania in agreement with the Institute of Tourism Studies shall appoint an Appeals Board to deal with objections raised by Applicants after they are informed in writing with the decisions of the NMSS Board.
The Appeals Board shall only address appeals from the NMSS Board’s decisions on matters related to procedure or interpretation of the regulations in terms of eligibility, awards, and other decisions related to the granting of the Scholarship. Under no circumstance shall the Appeals Board change the score of Applicants deriving from interviews by the NMSS Board, nor change the ranking of an Applicant as a result of such score.
If an Applicant disagrees with the NMSS Board or any other procedure under these Regulations, the Applicant or Scholarship Awardee may present a petition within two (2) working days from the date when the NMSS Board or the Secretary of the Board communicates decision/s to the Applicant in writing.
The decision of the Appeals Board is final.
Selection Criteria
Applications shall be considered on the basis of the following selection criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate. (50%)
- Initial research contribution made towards The Cruise Sector, Blue Economy or a cognate sector (e.g. bachelor theses, articles, projects, and other publications). (25%)
- Topic and Value of the proposed Masters research to the Cruise Line industry and Malta. (25%)
An Applicant is considered to have passed the interview if the Applicant obtains a pass mark (that is 50% of the allotted marks). However, a pass mark does not guarantee that a scholarship has been awarded.
Award Stage
Applicants will be notified of their ranking by the NMSS Board, through an email notification.
Formal confirmation of an award will be issued when the Awardee agrees to the terms and conditions of the award stipulated in the Agreement.
Whoever is awarded the Scholarship shall sign the Agreement by a prescribed date, failing which, the Scholarship could be awarded to others according to their respective ranking.
Applicants shall be expected to take up the award from the date stated in the Agreement.
Shall any conflict arise between the interpretation of Clauses in the Regulations and the Agreement, it is what is contained within the Regulations which shall prevail. In such case, the Agreement shall be amended.
If for any reason, the Applicant cannot start on the date stated in the Agreement, or requires a different start date, the NMSS Board reserves the right, on notification of such intention, to review the Agreement’s start date or cancel the award should the changes imply postponing the start date to the following intake.
The NMSS Board reserves the right to publish the names of successful Applicants. These names may be published on the website and/or publications of SMS, Oceania and/or the Institute of Tourism Studies in accordance with GDPR regulations. In applying for an award, the Applicant gives consent for such publication in the event that her or his application is successful.
Applicants who were not awarded the scholarship but are eligible for the MBA in International Hospitality Management will receive a 10% discount on the course fee.
Contracted award stage
Awards are to fund the MBA in International Hospitality Management delivered by the Institute of Tourism Studies as stipulated within the Agreement and funding will not be extended to enable Awardees to complete an additional or higher qualification other than that for which the selection was made.
Any intellectual property including patents directly arising from or derived from the research work funded by this Scholarship and carried out by the Applicant shall be covered by an national Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws and regulations that acknowledges that the research work carried out is fully funded by the NMSS Scheme administered by SMS on behalf of Oceania in collaboration with the Institute of Tourism Studies.
The NMSS Scheme shall not seek to obtain any rights in intellectual property owned by the Awardee.
On award of the Scholarship, the NMSS Board shall make information obtained available to public authorities for accountability purposes.
An Awardee who is found to have given false information or who have in any manner withheld information that would have influenced the awarding of the Scholarship and/or grants in accordance with these Regulations, shall be immediately disqualified and shall be asked to reimburse any expenses and money granted. SMS on Behalf of Oceania may proceed with a criminal liability suit without prejudice to any civil action for damages against such Awardee.
Progress and Completion
Copies of all publications by Scholarship Awardees, including a publication arising from the thesis, shall be sent in electronic format to the NMSS Board, within thirty (30) days of being made public. A hard copy of the thesis shall also be sent to the NMSS Board on publication. Publications (excluding thesis) may become freely and electronically available on open access supported by SMS, Oceania and the Institute of Tourism Studies.
All publications arising from the Masters degree being sponsored by NMSS shall reflect the following acknowledgement on the first pages of the thesis: “The research work disclosed in this publication is fully funded by SMS, Oceania with the academic support of the Institute of Tourism Studies under the NMSS scheme”.
Scholarship Awardees shall be expected to write a minimum of one article on their work/studies in the local and international public media within sixty (60) days of their graduation, during which they publicly acknowledge that the Masters degree was carried out following the award of the NMSS Scholarship.
Termination prior to completion of programme
Scholarship Awardees who for any reason discontinue their studies shall inform the NMSS Board in writing immediately.
The NMSS Board shall on thirty (30) days written notice terminate the award if the Scholarship Awardee’s
- progress is deemed unsatisfactory by the Institute of Tourism Studies which shall regulate the academic operations of the scheme;
- discontinues the Studies; and/or
- is in breach of any provision of these Regulations, and does not remedy the breach within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice requiring him/her to do so.
Provided that in the case of persons with a disability or persons going through a period of special circumstance, the NMSS Board shall review any such case on its own merits.
Scholarship Awardees who have their award terminated under conditions stipulated in Clause 10.2 will be required to refund the entire award including additional funds (if applicable), within three (3) months of failing the course or failing to complete the course of studies.
Scholarship Awardees who cannot pursue further their studies due to unforeseen health situations or exceptional circumstances as approved by the NMSS Board shall not be deemed to be in breach of these regulations.
In such situations, the Scholarship Awardee must provide justifiable explanation as to why the course was not completed or why the Scholarship Awardee failed to obtain the qualification. Documented evidence, medical certificates and testimonials must accompany each claim. The NMSS Board reserves the right to demand for a reimbursement of part of the funds disbursed and is in no way bound to waive all the scholarship amount. The NMSS Board also reserves the right to appoint its own expert, be it medical or otherwise to advise and assess the case of the claimant.
Further Information
For further queries, please contact:
Institute of Tourism Studies
Aviation Park, Aviation Avenue
Luqa
Malta
Tel. No.: (+356) 23793100
E-mail: info@its.edu.mt