University Professor Peter Mayo has said that he has long dreamt of another public university situated in southern Malta that, while attracting foreign fee-paying students at a reasonable rate, would also generate an economic and cultural spin-off in specific areas, such as Cottonera.

His ideal choice, he says, is Bighi, “although this would be hard to achieve.”

Prof. Mayo is the head of department of the Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education within the Faculty of Education.

Writing in Think – a quarterly research magazine published by the University of Malta – Prof Mayo said: “Think what a good use of an already impressive building can do for the regeneration of the Cottonera and other areas in the south that have the lowest number of university graduates,” he said.

“And the campus can also be extended to include the Smart City area since there is little takeup by this intended ICT haven,” he continued.

Prof. Mayo said that he would like to see Malta charging moder ate fees, same as European universities and way below the astronomical £9,000 per year charged by UK universities.

“A new university would have to be a public Maltese institution; I would not like to see any precious historical and other public resources ceded to a private corporate entity. It is also important that a proposed second public university would not duplicate, but complement MCAST and the University of Malta,” Prof Mayo said.

Proposed setting up of American University raises issues over transparency

Earlier in his article, he said that the proposed setting up of a new private American University in the south of Malta raises issues over the transparency adopted, apart from the fact that that it is also of an environmental concern.

Prof Mayo said that it also rekindles debates on the feasibility of a second university in such a small country, where questions have been raised on whether it is a good thing to challenge the University of Malta’s traditional ‘monopoly’ in higher education. He pointed out that the ‘monopoly’ in the awarding of degrees has long been challenged, citing the emergence of MCAST as an example.

He also said that this proposal raises issues on the impact on the Maltese Higher Education scenario.

Market ‘bolstered’ by emergence of ‘franchise agencies’

Prof Mayo also explained that the market is bolstered by the emergence of so-called ‘franchise agencies’, which prepare students for degrees granted by foreign universities while also stating that Middlesex University has a Malta campus.