Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insisted today that the American University of Malta is a very real project and that the DePaul University of Chicago is involved, even though it is only drawing up the curriculum and will not itself be opening a Malta branch.

Questions have been raised after it emerged that the agreement was signed with a Jordanian hotel development company – the Sadeen Group – which has partnered up with the DePaul University to draft the curriculum. The Chicago-based University has stated that it will have nothing further to do with the Malta university once its task has been completed and the Sadeen group is not in the education business.  

Replying to questions by The Malta Independent, Dr Muscat insisted that DePaul University was involved in the project and its representatives were present for the signing of the agreement. “If they were not involved they would not have been invited for the launch. The task entrusted to them was made clear from the start – they will be drafting the curriculum in partnership with the group that will be establishing the American University of Malta. The technical details will be announced in the coming days but they were certainly involved. If they were not they would not have attended the launch.”

So will this be a totally new university or an existing one coming to Malta, we asked. “Even if it is an existing university, they would have to satisfy a number of requirements and be registered in Malta in order to be able to operate in the EU and issue recognized degrees.”

Dr Muscat denied that the project was a ‘castle in the air’ because “they” are going to invest €115 million. Who exactly are they, we asked? “The Jordanian group which has an agreement with DePaul to draft the curriculum and the programme,” he said.

The Prime Minister explained that this will be a totally new university set up by Sadeen, which will take care of construction, and DePaul, which will be involved in the curriculum. “DePaul will not be coming to Malta. For those who are trying to mislead, this will be The American University of Malta, a new university, with a curriculum drafted by DePaul.”  Dr Muscat did not say, however, who will be actually running the new university once it is set up.