The Story of MRER, as Told by Carmel Borg, Its Founding Editor
It was 2002, and I was in my second year of full-time work at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. One day, Peter Mayo, as then Chairperson of the Faculty’s Publications Committee, walked into my office with a clear and purposeful mission. He had proposed to the Committee that the Faculty should resume publishing a peer-reviewed academic journal to fill the void left by the discontinuation of Education (Malta). With the support of the then Dean, Mark Borg, they agreed that the Faculty should establish a new journal, one that would complement the professional magazine Education 2000, but with a more explicitly scholarly orientation. My name was put forward as a potential editor by Mark Borg, and seconded by Peter.
I readily accepted the challenge, and from that conversation, the Journal of Maltese Education Research (JMER) was born. The first issue was published in February 2003.
The beginnings were modest. A dedicated administrative staff member at the Faculty Office, David Pisani, assumed multiple roles—formatter, uploader, and web manager—working behind the scenes to ensure the journal’s early issues were brought to life and made available online. There was no formal structure in place to oversee the production of the journal, just a deep commitment to creating a space for locally-rooted, and critical educational scholarship.
As with many such ventures, the path was not without its challenges. After the initial momentum, the journal experienced a period of inactivity. Despite the enthusiasm of its launch, sustaining the publication proved difficult. As editor, I encountered significant challenges in securing the right institutional and technical support to keep the project going. For a time, the journal paused—caught in a gap between vision and feasibility.
Yet the idea never disappeared.
When the conditions were right, and with renewed energy and a stronger support network, the journal was revived and reimagined. A deliberate decision was made to relaunch the publication with a broader and more inclusive remit. Thus, in 2013, JMER became the Malta Review of Educational Research (MRER). The new name reflected an aspiration to go beyond national boundaries while still remaining grounded in the local context.
This rebranding coincided with the development of a new website, designed and managed by Dave Calleja. His technical and design expertise gave the journal a fresh identity and a more accessible, professional digital platform. This marked not just a cosmetic change, but a turning point in the journal’s evolution—from an ad hoc initiative to a more structured and sustainable academic project.
The development of the new website was made possible through private funding, sourced from additional income generated by an international conference organised by Colin Calleja and myself. This initiative, driven by a shared commitment to the journal’s revival, provided the necessary financial support at a time when institutional resources were limited.
Milosh Raykov’s presence at the Faculty proved providential for MRER. His steadfast commitment and attention to detail introduced a level of professional formatting that had been absent in the journal’s formative years, significantly raising its editorial standards.
Now, as we enter a third wave of rebranding, the journal’s website reflects its ongoing metamorphosis, marking a significant shift in MRER’s identity and aspirations. No longer confined solely to the publication of scholarly articles, MRER is poised to evolve into a dynamic platform for critical engagement and intellectual exchange. This vision embraces a broader academic and public mission, encompassing seminars, lectures, symposia, conferences, and even a summer school. These initiatives aim to foster dialogue, build scholarly communities, and create meaningful opportunities for collaboration across disciplines and borders.
This transformation reflects MRER’s growing role as a space not just for disseminating knowledge, but for generating it—through live conversations, emerging networks, and sustained partnerships. It is a natural extension of the journal’s foundational values: critical inquiry, inclusivity, and a commitment to educational transformation.