Academics want 'national interest' proviso in legal notice removed

The association representing academic staff at the University of Malta has condemned a legal notice that has lowered the required criteria for educational institutions to get classified as universities.

“We have strong reservation regarding the introduction of the proviso of ‘national interest’ in the legal notice,” UMASA said in a press statement released following an extraordinary general meeting. “We call for the removal of that article.”

The controversial legal notice published in May allows the National commission for Further and Higher Education to invoke “national interest” as a criterion through which it can legally recognize an educational institute as a university.

The new amendments also reduce the number of minimum fields, from six to four, in which programmes leading to higher diplomas, Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees are offered. They also remove the requirement for universities to have at least four fields in which doctorate programmes are offered.

The law was tweaked three days after the government signed a Heads of Agreement with Jordanian construction firm Sadeen Group through which the latter will construct the private ‘American University of Malta’. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo has insisted that the legal notice wasn’t introduced to satisfy Sadeen and that institutions’ programmes would still have to undergo a rigorous and independent quality-screening test.

Yet the legal notice has proven controversial and the Opposition have filed a parliamentary motion, calling on the government to revoke it. UMASA join the Malta Union of Teachers and the University Students’ Council in voicing their concerns over it.

“One of the main concerns of UMASA, as a professional association of academics, is that research time at the University of Malta be fully safeguarded in the development of detailed rules that govern higher education in Malta,” UMASA said. “The University of Malta has a national obligation to continue to offer programmes of study and areas of research that are not necessarily commercially attractive but nonetheless must continue to form part of the University of Malta’s extensive portfolio, proud heritage and international reputation.  

“Any evolving policy on pluralism in education must respect the special brief of the University of Malta towards local communities and local community service.”