Meeting the challenges brought about by change
by a staff reporter
The pace of business change has accelerated dramatically. People speak of an "Internet year" being just of three months' duration. Businesses that do not keep up simply will not prosper within the global marketplace in which every country, every individual must now operate.
Issues of liberalisation, privatisation and regulation within Malta are given urgency by the start of EU membership negotiations and a prosperous future for the country will ultimately depend upon its ability to manage change, both in the public as well as the private sectors in order to respond positively to new global business challenges and not just in Europe.
It is against this background of globalised trade and potential EU membership that the European Documentation and Research Centre of the University of Malta is presenting its annual EDRC Conference, to be held this year at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort over five days between 10-14 April.
The Conference, "Challenges of Change", is precisely targeted to create a forum which will bring together top overseas and Maltese speakers on key issues of change.
Prominent local speakers, including Dr Joe Borg, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Kathryn Proffitt, US Ambassador to Malta; and Professor Alistair Sutton from the Brussels-based firm, Forrester, Norral & Sutton and White & Case - who will present two papers during the five-day conference - will be joined by a high powered team of public and private managers and academics, all of whom are at the cutting edge of change management.
Subjects to be addressed range from the membership negotiating process itself to public administration and the conference provides valuable opportunities to hear how change has been successfully tackled both at home and abroad in key sectors such as energy, telecommunications, transport, financial services and e-commerce.
All of these are of crucial importance to the successful development of a healthy economy in the 21st century.
The implications for business of EU membership negotiations are the focus of the "Bank of Valletta" Day 1 on 10 April. After the conference is opened by EDRC chairman Prof. Peter Xuereb and Dr Giorgio Boggio, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission, there will be a keynote speech by Minister Joe Borg.
The Public Sector takes centre stage on the "Melita Cable" Day 2 on 11 April. The day will focus on Maltese Public Servants in the EU, training and institutional change and will look at training programmes available for civil
servants in Europe. The next two days are given over to an in-depth debate about LPR issues in several key sectors.
The last day, sponsored by the Gasan Group, will focus on the bigger picture, with an examination of developments in globalisation and the World Trade Organisation.
The conference offers excellent value over five days for a full attendance fee of Lm60, while single day rate is Lm15 inclusive of refreshments.
To reserve your place at the conference, request a copy of the conference leaflet or to obtain further details of the Conference
proceedings, contact Monica Cauchi, Communications Officer at the EDRC on tel: 3290 2001, fax: 337624.
E-mail: edrc@um.edu.mt.
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