NGOs say that they have been pushed out of the University of Malta's Freshers' Week after a fee was imposed by the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji for their participation.

In a statement on Monday, the NGOs said that for so many years, the KSU Freshers' Week has been devolving more and more into a business-dominated event, and this year, a huge downward step has been taken. What should be a place for new and returning students to engage with student organisations, NGOs, and yes, companies in their field, has instead turned into an event entirely dominated by business interests.

This year, KSU have made the abhorrent decision to further push NGOs even further out of this event, the NGOs said. In the past, NGOs were allowed to attend the Freshers' Week for free, albeit in a poor location, while big businesses got the most central spots, but at least the presence was there. This year, NGOs are expected to pay the exact same price as these businesses - a price that starts at €1,550. This will effectively totally push out smaller NGOs, as well as NGOs that use their funding to create direct impact, and cannot afford to fork out at minimum, one and a half thousand euros to attend a hyper-capitalistic event.

A decision like this shows just how much KSU perceives that its survival is in the hands of its corporate sponsors. It is ironic that in 2022, KSU took part in a protest against the overcommercialisation of Campus Hub. Now, it seems, commercialisation is the only consideration when planning the Freshers' Week, the NGOs said.

This is also conceptually alarming since it puts student politics closer to the problematic model of national politics, that is dependent on commercial relations for funding, which seriously compromises their output. This is the very model that is actively ruining the democratic foundations of our nation, and which, as concluded in 2021 by the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, culminated in the journalist's assassination.

Hearsay of KSU's intention to organise an "NGOs day" later on in the year does not make up for pushing these NGOs out of the biggest annual student event. We had hoped that a new KSU would do better than this, and we condemn the decision to go even further in the same, hypercommercialised direction as its predecessors, the statement said.

This statement is signed by:

Studenti Graffitti

History of Arts and Fine Arts Students' Association (HoASA)

Earth Systems Association (ESA)

Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM)

MGRM Youths

Classics and Archaeology Students' Association (CASA)

Department of English Students' Organisation (DESA)

KSU replies

In reply, the KSU said on Facebook it made a conscious effort to place student organisations at the forefront of Freshers' Week, ensuring that their visibility and engagement with students remained a priority. By positioning the student organisations tent adjacent to Gateway, they are among the first points of engagement for students entering the event. This reflected feedback received from student organisations themselves regarding their desire for greater prominence during Freshers' Week.

KSU remains firmly committed to transparency and fairness in its decision-making processes. Accordingly, participation was allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring that all interested entities were given an equal opportunity to participate through a clear and transparent procedure. This approach does not diminish KSU's appreciation for, or support of, the invaluable work carried out by NGOs within our communities.

Furthermore, KSU said it firmly believes that the work of NGOs deserves to be recognised and celebrated in its own right. The intention behind organising a dedicated NGO Day is not to diminish their presence within Freshers' Week, but to provide an additional platform centred specifically around their work, initiatives and opportunities. Such an event would allow NGOs to take centre stage, engage directly with students, raise awareness about the causes they champion and showcase opportunities for student involvement. KSU believes that dedicating an event specifically to NGOs can provide a meaningful platform through which their contribution to society can receive the attention it deserves.

KSU's engagement with sponsors and external partners enables it to support and expand the initiatives and services it provides to students. Such engagement should not, in itself, be interpreted as dependence on commercial interests or as compromising KSU's responsibilities towards the student body. Comparisons of this nature, particularly those invoking matters as serious as the findings of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Public Inquiry, warrant careful consideration and should only be made where there is a clear and substantiated basis for doing so, KSU said.

Freshers' Week constitutes KSU's main source of income and plays an important role in enabling the organisation to operate effectively throughout the year and fulfil its responsibilities towards the student community, the statement added. The income generated is not an end in itself, but a means through which KSU can reinvest in students through financial grants, initiatives, activities and other opportunities that directly benefit them. Decisions concerning Freshers' Week must therefore also be understood within KSU's broader responsibility to ensure that it remains in a position to support and serve students throughout the year.