Having worked for the past seven years directly in education, I have my tabs on what the challenges and opportunities in the education sectors are.
The University of Malta is endowed with a 400-year-old legacy, tracing its origins back to the Collegium Melitense, which was set up with direct papal intervention on 12 November 1592. For this reason, we must strive to push the University of Malta up the ladder to make it to the list of the top 100 universities in the world. The only way one can do this is by bolstering research opportunities at university so that students with an aptitude for research projects are given the tools with which they can reach their full potential. The number of publications churned out by university staff is still not on a par with that from other universities.
A process of harmonising academic and professional qualifications must be embarked upon, besides the removal of anomalies in the recognition of credits pursued by students abroad as part of student exchange programmes, namely the Erasmus and Socrates programmes. In addition, the same exchange programmes must be augmented in order to increase the number of students who reap dividends from an educational experience abroad. The number of local PhD students should be enlarged, also by augmenting the funding allocated for postgraduate courses. The university should be afforded greater autonomy since higher academic institutions should not be shackled in any way. A culture that fosters the university and academia in general should be instilled in the younger generations – one way in which this can be done is through the introduction of a children’s university.
Socio-economic challenges currently being faced by societies and universities in general include the increasing speed of globalisation, the demographic transformation of Europe into ageing societies and the rapid pace of technological change. These developments impact on, and require adaptation by, society and labour markets everywhere. Universities are key actors in this process. Following a call in December 2007 by French Prime Minister Fillon, the European Universities Association (EUA – the representative organisation of universities and national rectors’ conferences in 46 European countries) published a charter on life-long learning, which can be viewed at www.eua.be. Such a charter should be locally implemented in full, as it includes some valid recommendations such as the removal of legal obstacles that prevent potential learners from returning to higher education.
The Junior College is a victim of its own success, heaving under the burden of ca. 3,000 students when the infrastructure should not cater for more than 800 to 1,000 students. Additional facilities are urgently needed, also to reduce the burgeoning classes, which sometimes surpass the 40-student mark. Evening teaching facilities should also be introduced at Junior College and at the Higher Secondary School in Naxxar to cater for working students or for mature students. Childcare facilities at these teaching centres are also urgently needed for members of staff.
www.alandeidun.eu
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Dr Deidun is a university lecturer in Biology and a candidate for the Nationalist Party in the upcoming European Parliament Elections.
“Alan Deidun is a committed environmentalist. He combines the knowledge and level-headedness of the scientist with the passion and enthusiasm of the political campaigner. He has my support.” – Prof. Joe Friggieri