Executive summary
Being the only national university on the territory, the University of Malta (UM) shall continue to provide higher education of quality in a wide span and variety of disciplines needed to ensure wellbeing, prosperity and functionality of the country.
Being the only national university on the territory, the University of Malta (UM) shall continue to provide higher education of quality in a wide span and variety of disciplines needed to ensure wellbeing, prosperity and functionality of the country.
Practices that conduce to excellence in teaching and learning shall be promoted, including digital education. Since a large number of courses are already on offer, approval of essential new programmes shall take place in a manner that does not jeopardize and render unsustainable the entire provision. A Teaching and Learning Support Centre shall be established as soon as practicable and the educational experience at UM of all students, including vocational and employed learners shall be improved as far as possible. All faculties shall be urged to send students on Erasmus exchanges in order to improve their educational experience.
I shall strive to ensure that students become more involved in governance. A system of appeals from administrative decisions will be introduced.
The research scholarship will be promoted and supported especially through facilitation of the effort required to compete for external funds. Doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers will be better integrated in the community of learners and scholars and the setting up of a Doctoral School will be considered. Initiatives shall be supported intended to advance corporate research and knowledge transfer.
A University Outreach Forum shall be set up to provide a meeting place for discussion between academics and stakeholders from Government departments, industry and civil society.
As an interested stakeholder, UM shall offer its help to the Ministry of Education and Employment with the aim of salvaging those learners that drop out from secondary school and are lost to the system.
The physical development of the University campus will continue as planned. With regards to financing, discussions with Government will proceed with a view to changing the funding model to give the institution more autonomy and better sustainability.
We look forward to the new University of Malta Act and expect this development to improve governance and to better equip the institution for it to meet the challenges of the future.
The full version of the vision statement will be sent by email to all staff in the coming days.