Bridging policy areas : an assessment of Malta’s higher education policy and strategies towards achieving competitiveness

Abstract

In an effort to improve the competitiveness position of a nation in the global arena, policy makers are driven to find ways and means through which the nation can climb up the ladder of competitiveness. One of the drivers of competitiveness is Higher Education (HE). HE provides a range of public and private benefits as specified in the vast literature outlining that HE is a resource endowment to competitiveness. This study explores whether a relationship between HE and competitiveness exists in the context of Malta. It explores whether Governmental policy relating to HE is designed to contribute to competitiveness. Furthermore, it seeks to understand whether Maltese public institutions are adjusting their education policies with the scope of achieving national competitivness. This study applies two methods of research: first, descriptive analysis of competitiveness statistics provided by the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2004- 2005 till 2015-2016, leading to a computation of the correlation coefficient for HE and competitiveness across the 12 years of EU membership. Secondly, document analysis of policy and strategy documents relating to higher education and funding. The document analysis investigates the longitudinal and institutional approach of HE policies and annual reports, policy documents outlining priorities for EU funding programmes and the MCIE policy documents which relate to competitiveness (as directed by MEIB). The data elicited through document analysis was eventually analysed according to the relevant institutions followed by an identification of similarities and differences. A number of findings emerged from this study, including an indication of a time lag relationship between HE enrolment and competitiveness, a lack of labour capacity within the realm of HE policy, possible institutionalism conflicts related to HE policy design, lack of governmentally designed competitiveness policy, a HE guiding philosophy shifting towards producing productive workers, the lack of a joined-up government approach to competitiveness. Finally this study outlines a set of recommendations, improving the guiding philosophy of HE policy with regards to attaining better results in competitiveness.