Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/525174
4 MARTINA BORG EDUCATION Minister Evarist Bartolo said that applicants seek- ing accreditation to operate a university in Malta would remain classified until the university itself decided to publish the informa- tion. "Various applicants have ex- pressed their interest in applying for a university status in Malta, but the announcement of this ap- plication would remain confiden- tial unless the university decided to announce the news itself," Bar- tolo said. One of the institutions has an- nounced its application to offer university level courses in Malta. As from next year the Swiss pri- vately funded European Gradu- ate School will offer an MA and a PhD in Philosophy, Art and Social Thought (PAS). In fact at the end of last month, the European Graduate School / EGS announced its new residency programme in Valletta, beginning spring 2016. In a letter published on the in- stitution's webpage, president Dr. Hubertus von Amelunxen wrote "it is my pleasure to announce that EGS is now an EU accredited Institution of Higher Education by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, Malta." He explained that the school has developed a new intensive seminar programme in Malta, adding that "this new programme is only 'new' in that it will take place at sea level; otherwise, the core focus and con- tent of the programme remains the same as its Alpine predecessor which will continue at high alti- tude in beautiful Saas-Fee over the summer months." Bartolo pointed out that there were six applicants in all, includ- ing local and foreign entities. He added that some of the applicants were foreign and already operating in Malta, but that they were seek- ing to achieve University status. Asked by Malta Today whether the applicants had proposed pro- grammes similar to the Sadeen Group's, which is investing in the American University of Malta, Bartolo said that the applicants came from different sectors. "The changes made to the legal notice, were made specifically to allow organisations from different sectors, with their various needs to operate in Malta," Bartolo added referring to the legal notice that lowered the required criteria for educational institutions to get classified as universities. The legal notice published in May allows the National Com- mission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) to invoke "national interest" as a criterion through which it can legally rec- ognise an educational institute as a university. The amendments also reduce the number of minimum fields, from six to four, in which programmes leading to higher diplomas, Bach- elors' and Masters' degrees are offered. They also remove the re- quirement for universities to have at least four fields in which doc- torate programmes are offered. Bartolo further explained that the applicants' educational pro- grammes were currently undergo- ing an evaluation process to deter- mine whether or not the institute in question could be classified as a university. "The evaluation will even look at whether there are teachers with the necessary qualifications avail- able, and whether there were peo- ple with the right training to run such facilities," he added. During a news conference on the controversial American Universi- ty of Malta, last week, the NCFHE revealed that they were currently reviewing a further two applica- tions for universities. While the application for the American University of Malta was submitted a few weeks before the government signed an agreement with Jordanian construction com- pany Sadeen Group on 5 May, at least two other applications were submitted earlier, at the turn of the year. However, citing confidentiality, the commission refused to divulge further details about who the ap- plicants are and what kind of ap- plications have been submitted. NCFHE officials present at the news conference skirted questions on the nature of the applicants and whether the commission is in ne- gotiations with established educa- tional institutions or construction or investment companies. So far, the NCFHE has accred- ited two well-established foreign universities, namely Barts and Middlesex University to operate in Malta. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE 2015 News Author files case claiming intellectual property theft MATTHEW AGIUS THE author of a book about titu- lar statues has filed an action for damages against a similarly named man and his publisher, claiming that they have copied his book word for word. The defendants, author Josef Grech and the director of Dom Communications Ltd, had denied accusations of having plagiarised Joseph Mary Grech's book on Maltese and Gozitan titular stat- utes in their response to a judicial protest filed last month. Joseph Mary Grech had filed pro- ceedings against Josef Grech and Dom Communications, claiming that Josef Grech had exploited the similarity in their names and pub- lished a book with an identical ti- tle and content to his original 1998 work "Vari Ta' Malta u Ghawdex". The original official letter, filed by lawyer Emmy Bezzina on be- half of Joseph Mary Grech, had also alleged that Josef Grech's book contained 80 photos directly scanned from his original work, as well as the same content. However, in his reply, filed in court, Josef Grech- who set up the Dom Mintoff Foundation as hom- age to the former Prime Minister - and Doreen Spiteri said they had no connection with Joseph Mary Grech or his book. Together with the sworn ap- plication filed yesterday, Bez- zina submitted copies of the two works, the content of which at first glance, appear to be identical. This is not the first time that Josef Grech has been accused of dishonest practices. On 1 April this year, he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for de- frauding musicians he had hired by paying them with cheques is- sued on a closed bank account. The application calls on the court to declare that Josef Grech's work was plagiarised and is in fact the intellectual property of Joseph Grech, and liquidate damages, both those already suffered as well as potential losses, together with court costs. It also requests the court to or- der Dom Communications and Josef Grech to "withdraw the pub- lication from the market, issue declarations on all means of com- munications and publish a notice to that effect on at least six dif- ferent newspapers and broadcast media." Education Minister says foreign universities' identity to remain classified Swiss-owned European Graduate School will offer an MA and a PhD in Philosophy, Art and Social Thought in Valletta as from next year Evarist Bartolo Josef Grech making a presentation to Yana Mintoff