Rector’s Keynote on Institutional Autonomy

Prof. Frank Bezzina, Rector of the University of Malta (UM), delivered a keynote address at the Peer Learning Activity of the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) Working Group on Fundamental Values, hosted by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) in Malta. The event formed part of the Erasmus+ funded NewFAV 2 project, coordinated by UEFISCDI Romania alongside MFHEA and the European Students' Union (ESU), with the European University Association (EUA) as an associated partner.

In his speech titled “Institutional Autonomy: Governing the University of Malta as a Public Good”, Prof. Bezzina opened with a tribute to UM’s centuries-long legacy of serving Malta and its people. He highlighted that UM’s institutional autonomy was historically established through the Ordinance of 1947 and later reaffirmed and modernised through the Education Act of 1988 – key milestones that continue to define the university’s legal and institutional character today.

Prof. Bezzina highlighted that true autonomy is the ability and the will to fulfil an institution’s mission free from undue interference. Emphasising that autonomy and accountability work hand-in-hand, he noted that strong governance, robust quality management and a fair, transparent regulator ensure freedom is exercised responsibly. Autonomy, he stressed, is never given once and for all; it must be continuously exercised and re-earned.

The keynote speech was warmly received by international attendees, including representatives from the European Commission, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), EUA, Magna Charta Observatory (MCO), ESU, MFHEA and the NewFAV 2 project lead. It marked a proud moment for UM, demonstrating how the university actively lives its institutional autonomy with responsibility, transparency and conviction, for the benefit of Malta and beyond.

Prof. Bezzina was accompanied at the event by Prof. Noellie Brockdorff, Pro-Rector for People, Quality & Communications, and Dr Jacqueline Vanhear, Deputy Director of the Quality Support Unit.

Fundamental Values are the six shared principles adopted by EHEA Ministers (academic freedom, academic integrity, institutional autonomy, student and staff participation in governance, and public responsibility for and of higher education) that underpin the EHEA and modern academic institutions.