The project bid considered by NCFHE for the issue of the license to run a University made it clear that it was a Foundation and not Sadeen Education Investments Limited who was responsible for the academic operations of the AUM. It is however not known which body was granted the license.

The concession, that is the contract by which the government handed over valuable land, was done not with the American University of Malta Foundation, nor with Sadeen Malta Holding Company Limited. It was done only with Sadeen Education Investments Limited, who it seems according to its own project bid is not concerned at all with operating the University.

So while the golden egg (the land at Zonqor) will be retained by Sadeen Education Investments Limited, who does NCFHE deal with to ensure educational standards?

NCFHE granted the license after believing that ‘enrolment is expected to increase over the first four years from 100, to 350, to 710 and 1,220 students respectively.’ Ok, so what if AUM only has something like a dozen students for its first year rather than the 100?

NCFHE granted the license after believing that AUM will engage academic staff ‘for the first four years of operation’ ‘to rise in stages from approximately 8 to 22 to 46 and 79.’ Ok so what, if AUM has fired all its academic staff during an academic year?

NCFHE granted the license after believing that AUM will engage about 40 non-academic staff for the first two years of operation. Ok so what, if AUM seems not to have done so?

Considering NCFHE’s press conference given when the license was issued, a press conference that was prepared (almost rehearsed) to its minute detail, the dead silence of NCFHE on this project in the light of the public concern being express is deafening.

NCFHE, a public funded body, should take heed of the conditions it imposed on AUM. Has it conducted a spot-check on all the aspects of the operations and processes of AUM? Will it?

The second condition imposed in AUM’s license is that NCFHE may conduct spot-checks at least once a year. The subject of those spot checks are exactly the subject of public concern – number of students, academic quality and standards, students welfare, engagement of academic staff. Best of all, NCFHE may conduct spot-checks for the ‘verification of effective mechanisms for the representation of staff and students’.

Now that is certainly a spot-check worth having if only at least NCFHE would be one of the public bodies that sheds the ‘so what’ attitude. Yes, this is one of the Prime Minister’s golden projects. Yes, this university was blessed by the government well before it was licensed to operate as a university. So what to that? But not to the standards that NCFHE is duty bound to ensure.

So get a move on it and carry out a spot check. AUM should not be afraid of this if its operations are in order.

Therese Comodini Cachia is a Nationalist MP and party spokesperson on education