THE UNIVERSITY OF MALTA –
Project Coordinator
The University of Malta (UM) is the leading higher education institution in Malta.
Lying at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, UM has been, over its 400-year history, the hub for international academic exchange on the island. UM conducts academic research and provides a vibrant higher education setting in the arts, sciences and humanities, as required for Malta’s economic, social and cultural development. Courses are designed to produce highly qualified professionals across multiple disciplines. The alum community is growing exponentially: more than 3,500 students graduate in various disciplines each year. UM’s structures are in line with the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area. It has a track record of excellence in research and innovation. The UM is also represented in several European and International University networks and groups.
During the last 15 years, the UM has been involved as a project coordinator and project partner in 365 EU-funded projects through various funding channels. These include Horizon 2020 (70 projects), Horizon Europe (14 projects), Erasmus+ (114 projects), INTERREG EU, MED, ITALIA-MALTA (44 projects), FP7 (47 projects), Lifelong Learning Programme (76 projects). The UM is also involved in national funding programmes and other international initiatives and is even represented in several European and International University networks and groups. It currently has around 300 active projects.
CHECK THE UNVERSITY OF MALTA WEBSITE!
MAIN CONTACTS
Dr Lorraine Portelli
is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta and Principal Investigator of the Erasmus+ project FAME (Fashion Empowers NEETs). She holds a PhD in Curriculum History (Home Economics and Textile Studies) from the University of Brighton and has over 35 years of teaching experience in Fashion and Textiles and Home Economics at post-secondary level and at the University of Malta. Her research interests include ethical and sustainable fashion, costume history, Maltese traditional costumes, curriculum history, the teaching of Home Economics and needlecraft in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, gender studies, vocational education, and narrative research.
Dr Portelli previously led the EU-funded Creative Europe project TRACtion – Tradition in Action – Traditional Costume Innovation, which focused on reviving and digitising traditional European costumes, including Malta’s iconic Għonnella.
She regularly presents her research at international conferences and collaborates with partners overseas to promote innovative and inclusive learning in fashion education.
Dr Zoi Arvanitidou
is a Lecturer in the Department of Gender and Sexualities within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta. Her teaching and research examine the intersections of gender, embodiment, culture, and education, drawing on a doctoral background that explored folklore, gender, and fashion. Her work combines ethnographic and feminist approaches with applied scholarship on migration, diversity, and social identities, and is complemented by sustained engagement in inclusion- and intercultural-dialogue initiatives with marginalised communities.
Nicole Vella
is a Fashion and Textiles educator with experience teaching students from Year 9 to Year 11 in secondary education. She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning in Fashion & Textiles with Home Economics and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Home Economics, specialising in Textiles, Fashion, and Interior Studies.
In addition to her secondary teaching role, she is also Lectures at University level, delivering study units on pattern drafting using both traditional and digital techniques. She is actively involved in fashion-related projects and community initiatives and has experience in social media management through her work on the TRACtion Project.