Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/507285
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 MAY 2015 News 2 MARTINA BORG THE government signed an agree- ment with investor Hani Salah, as CEO and Chairman of the Sadeen Group, to officially approve the American universit y for the south yesterday. The Universit y was officially announced by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on 1 May and it has already generated some con- troversy over the site proposed for the universit y. The new universit y is expected to cater for 4,000 students, and it has already submitted some of its universit y credits for accredita- tion despite its pending planning application. The courses include business administration, account- ing, finance, graphic design and animation, game development, and computer science, with an- other 60 courses still in the pipe- line. A short clip outlined the pro- posed direction for the universit y, which will consist of five colleges, with the focus being on technol- ogy and health care education. Other American Universit y cam- puses can be found in Paris, Rome, Cairo and Beirut, and its Malta campus will aim to draw students from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf states. Dr David Miller, dean of digital media at De Paul Universit y, of- fered some background on the in- stitution. The universit y was first set up in 1958, to offer an educa- tion to those who could not afford it. De Paul is the largest Catholic universit y in the United States and it will be assisting in the ad- ministration and infrastructure of the new campus in Malta. "The American Universit y of Malta will be developing its aca- demic programmes and policies in collaboration with the Chicago based DePaul universit y," Hani Salah said during his speech. Salah also explained that Malta was chosen as a location because it 'ticked all the right boxes' "The islands have been a cross- roads for ancient and modern sea- farers and traders for millennia, which means that several cultures have left their mark. Over the past 5,500 years, the islands have pro- vided a home, stronghold, trading post and refuge for people from all around this region," Salah said. Salah added that anticipations were that the universit y would start receiving students by Sep- tember 2016 with a temporary lo- cation within Smart Cit y until the actual building is completed. He also explained that the Universit y would also be offering some sub- stantial scholarships, but that de- tails about them would be issued later on. Addressing the press later on, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the new investment would not just push Malta's educational sec- tor, but it would effect the whole country's economy since the stu- dents it would be attracting would have a disposable income. He added that studies showed that the new universit y was ex- pected to increase GDP by around 1% and that it would also boost tourism in the winter months, when it is most needed due to family visits among others. Malta as an educational hub In a speech delivered after the ceremony, Muscat said that to- day's agreement was an important step towards Malta becoming a hub for education. He mentioned other education projects the government was in- vesting in, including the medical school planned for Gozo and the refurbishment of St Luke's. "As well as a hub for education, this investment will help offer pluralism in the tertiary educa- tion sector and promote Malta as an educational centre," he said. "I urge this new addition to work in synergy with other educational institutions, such as the Univer- sit y of Malta, MCAST, and ITS." Muscat pointed out that the in- vestment would ultimately lead to more autonomy for existing insti- tutions like the Universit y of Mal- ta. He stressed that nobody had expressed disagreement with the project and that many organisa- tions encouraged the educational development. On the location of the new cam- pus, Muscat said that this was the largest investment in the south of the island ever and he did not rule out the use of alternative sites with many already coming for- ward with ideas. Making particular reference to the idea of converting Fort St. Le- onard close to Xghajra into part of the campus, Muscat stressed that issues like connectivit y would have to be assessed and discussed. Muscat also pointed out that some people had proposed the Germa area, which was deemed unfeasible because it is privately owned. "The area is an eyesore that we would like to develop and this will definitely put pressure on the owners to do something signifi- cant with the propert y. There have already been some developments in the area." Muscat also outlined the es- tablishment of a national park, a permanently protected 450-500 tumoli of land near the proposed site for the universit y. See more on backpage presents Saturday 9th May 2015 at 5.30pm Sunday 10th May 2015 at 10.30am A theatrical adventure full of music, magic, puppetry & comedy, suitable for everyone aged 7+ ... the Musical! 7HDWUX0DQRHO%RRNLQJ2I¿FH7_(ERRNLQJV#WHDWUXPDQRHOFRPPW Ă ͚͙͘͜ www.teatrumanoel.com.mt 0985. Teatru - 3 Sunsets - 20x3.indd 1 23/04/2015 15:52 'Malta on the way to becoming educational hub' – PM PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Enemalta has no change-of-use plans for training centre JAMES DEBONO ENEMALTA still has no plans to change the use of 13,771 square me- tres in Marsaxlokk on which it was granted a 25-year lease against an annual ground rent of €220,000 in August last year. The prime site, located near Qre- jten point, overlooks the sea and is currently occupied by the compa- ny's training centre. The public deed was hammered out just two days before Enemalta was incorporated into a public lim- ited company (plc). The legal change turning the corporation into a plc as well as amending the law to ensure that no parliamentary resolution would be required to dispose of the land, paved the way for Enemalta's partial privatisation. The transfer of land from the government to En- emalta also made the company more attractive to the Chinese investors. Only 3,700 square metres of land in this area was previously leased to Enemalta. An Enemalta spokesperson con- firmed that the site is still being used as a training facility and for other unspecified company require- ments. "There are no plans to use this site for other purposes and Enemalta plc is not actively seeking, and has not received, any proposals to change the use of this site," the spokesper- son said. According to the spokesperson En- emalta plc is undergoing a transfor- mation process, which encompasses the centralisation of resources and the streamlining of all its opera- tions to improve the quality of its core services and to turnaround its financial standing. "This multi-stage transformation is currently focusing on service level enhancement and the maximisation of existing human resources".