The third annual report on internationalisation trends at UM, curated by Pro-Rector Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, was recently published. It confirms that, in the academic year 2018/9, UM had 1,073 registered international students: the highest number ever.
Eight per cent of the student population of the 14 faculties of UM are international students. The Faculties of Medicine & Surgery, Arts and Economics, Management and Accountancy registered the highest number of international students. Within the University’s Institutes, Centres and Schools, the proportion of international students is even higher: 18 per cent. The data also signposts an increase of international students following doctoral level programmes. Deeper drilling revealed that the Doctorate in Pharmacy programme was the main contributor to this surge, with numbers doubling over the previous year.
Eight per cent of the student population of the 14 faculties of UM are international students. The Faculties of Medicine & Surgery, Arts and Economics, Management and Accountancy registered the highest number of international students. Within the University’s Institutes, Centres and Schools, the proportion of international students is even higher: 18 per cent. The data also signposts an increase of international students following doctoral level programmes. Deeper drilling revealed that the Doctorate in Pharmacy programme was the main contributor to this surge, with numbers doubling over the previous year.
The reports also suggests that in 2018/9 there was more interest by our students to undertake exchange study periods overseas when compared to previous years. A total of 356 UM students took up an Erasmus mobility experience, while 14 other UM students opted to go and study for a semester in a non-EU country. This was 13 per cent higher than the previous year. In 2018/9, UM in turn hosted 359 Erasmus students and 41 other students from non-EU countries. This was 12 per cent lower than the previous academic year. The usual gap between sending and receiving students has been closed this year.
2018/9 has also witnessed an increase of 35 per cent in the number of UM employees participating in Erasmus+ mobility. In the same year, UM has welcomed 80 international interns who have come to Malta and UM for short-term working experiences.
The concluding section of the report attributes these positive results to the development of agency networks in specific feeder countries, plus improved and fine-tuned communication and marketing tools that the University is using to outreach both local and overseas audiences. In particular, the report refers to the revamped www.um.edu.mt website and social media channels and expects even better results in the coming years.