University of Malta Rector Alfred J Vella said that he will be considering the option of contesting for the second rectorate term next year.
Speaking to this newsroom about whether he will be considering contesting again, Vella remarked that, “this is still an open question and a decision that I need to take firmly but I’m not discounting it at this point in time.”
“The election for a new University of Malta Rector is coming around 25 March 2021 and we’re still in October. For this reason, I don’t want to be firmer than that in my decision”, he added.
Vella was elected by the University of Malta council as the 81st rector of the university. Although a lot of work has been done over the past years for the University of Malta, Vella said that there are still some projects he would like to complete, so he is considering the option.
Before being elected as rector in 2016, Vella served for many years as Head of Department of Chemistry, as well as the Dean of the Faculty of Science between 1997 and 2007, and eventually as Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs since July 2006.
In an interview with The Malta Independent, held before he was elected to take up office on 1 July 2016, Vella was asked why he submitted his nomination for the post of University rector.
Vella explained that having been pro-rector for 10 years, he considered applying for the post of rector many times, however, his nomination was mainly submitted because of his colleagues who urged him to apply.
He did not want to feel disloyal to the Deans, to members both in the university administration and fellow academics who had asked him to consider the post of rector by not accepting.