'Exciting times'

Dr Joseph Mifsud, chairman of Socrates Coordinating Committee - European Union Programmes Unit, tells Mark Wood about the implications of joining the EU for this increasingly popular EU educational programme - and about the consequences of staying out.

What is the current demand for participation in the actions that fall under the Socrates Programme? Is it growing? Are there many disappointed applicants?

This three-year term has been very successful in terms of participation. At present, the demand is very high. According to official EU figures, Malta has increased its participation rate over the past three years by 200 per cent. This is not just in Erasmus (higher mobility programmes) but also in Comenius (school education) and in Grundtvig (lifelong learning). We have also had a good demand for Lingua.

To give a few examples, in our first year six schools participated in Comenius - this year more than seventy are taking part. This year under Erasmus we have 392 placements in several European universities, compared to the 93 placements available in the first year.

I do not think there are many disappointed applicants. We try to accommodate most of them. The criteria for selection for Erasmus students is past academic performance, while Comenius and Grundtvig applicants have to have a good application, good partners and also the will to work on transnational projects.

What do students and educators say of the benefits of taking part in a Socrates Action? Does their experience reflect the aims of the programme?

Students describe taking part in Socrates as a very enriching experience on a personal level. For many Maltese it is also the first experience of living on his/her own in an international environment. On the academic side it is often reported as a fruitful experience too.

The educators who take part, mainly by participating in teaching mobility in a European university and in Erasmus Thematic Networks, say it is an excellent way to collaborate with European lecturers and universities abroad.

With regard to Comenius, the positive point most mentioned by teachers is being given the opportunity to work with their European counterparts, as well as with the parents and the community at large, such as the local council. Thus, the transnational aspects of the programme are passed on not only to the students themselves, but also to the parents and to the community. All the activities organised by the schools are linked to the community; indeed, in Comenius activities local councils are always present, providing financial, physical and moral support.

So I would say that, yes, the participants' experience certainly reflects the aims of the Socrates programmes, which are intended to build community life through education and cultural interaction. The fact that all the programmes are providing the opportunity of continuous learning through cooperation and the transferring of good practice from one country to another is indeed a reflection of the aims of the programmes.

Having Maltese partners working with their counterparts in Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Portugal is something that is really helpful to people who will be living in an enlarged Europe.

What stand out for you as examples of successful participation by Maltese in any of the actions?

One example is of David Friggieri, an Erasmus student at the University of Rennes, who completed his thesis in European Law which was eventually published as a book. Another example of excellence is the Institute of Health Care, from which several students pursuing their studies in radiography and nursing do credits in foreign universities.

In Comenius, I would mention two schools that have excelled. At Achille Ferris Primary School, Msida, the traditional hobz biz-zejt was elevated to European elite cuisine during a day in which the theme was used to teach diction, manners and other things. In the process, a whole area of expertise was created. At Patri Felic Sammut Primary School in St Paul's Bay, the project was "A view from my window", in which all the European partners involved compared the environment around them.

Under Grundtvig, there are two projects that provide examples of excellence. One of them is called "Engaging Prisoners in Lifelong Learning Activities". The idea is to introduce basic skills to correctional centres or prisons in which inmates have not had opportunities to study. Another Grundtvig project is Pefal (Parents Empowerment for Family Literacy), through which parents work with other parents in the structures of a school to pass on new skills.

Last but not least, through the Socrates Programmes, we have been successful in internationalising the university campus.

What kind of funding is given to people taking part in an Erasmus programme or going on a Comenius project abroad?

Socrates funding is not total funding. It is a grant that goes towards the building up of a project, and it funds participation in part. The school partners are expected to find corporate partners or the school co-funds part of the cost. An important aspect of the Socrates Programmes is in fact the management of EU funds.

According to EU statistics, Malta receives the highest amount of funding available in Europe for participation in Socrates Programmes. A typical Erasmus grant is €2,000 for one placement on a semester abroad.

Comenius grants differ from school to school depending on the project. However, schools are provided with additional funding to send teachers and students abroad or to prepare schools for preparatory visits.

Grundtvig 2 projects receive a grant of approximately €10,000-€15,000 per project per year. Larger projects receive as much as €300,000.

How is funding of Maltese participation in the Socrates Programme currently shared between Malta and the EU?

At present, one third of the funding is covered by the Maltese government, while two thirds is paid for by the EU. This will change if Malta joins the EU because all the funding would then come out of the European Community budget to which Malta will be contributing as a member state.

In what other ways would Malta's membership be affected by membership?

So far we have been allowed to participate as a candidate country, or as an accession country. We sit on the Socrates Committee, the policy body for higher education in the EU, together with Dr James Calleja of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, and on a number of its committees, such as on school education and Grundtvig working groups.

But right now we are advisers and observers. On membership our role would be enhanced because we would also be decision makers and policy makers.

Also, Malta would be able to exchange students not just with the 15 member states but also with other co-accession countries. Indeed, these are exciting times for the future of Maltese education.

How would staying out of the EU affect student participation in Socrates? Would they face increased costs? Would there be fewer places available?

As outlined by the EU's ambassador Ronald Gallimore, there will only be official participation if Malta joins the EU. Otherwise, the only participation that can be envisaged is that of being "sleeping partners", where the participation at university level would have to be organised on a bilateral level.

Students would not be able to get the Erasmus label. Malta would be able to send a student to another country and vice versa under Erasmus only if that institution is willing to operate outside the EU and agrees to a bilateral programme.

Funding for both incoming and outgoing students would have to be provided by the Maltese government.

Right now, the Commission supports outgoing students and also gives a contribution towards the organisation of incoming students.

All this would have to be paid for by the Maltese government.

This would mean fewer places being available. We are in a very strong position at the moment because the commission gives us money to support all our places under Erasmus. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to sign agreements with 147 universities.

And if we stay outside the EU, Maltese partners would not be able to initiate projects under this and other programmes. This would be a blow for education in Malta.

Dr Mifsud is head of the University of Malta's European Unit, which he established after the "Lauri" report, and which works in liaison with the Santander, Compostela, Utrecht Academic Network. Dr Mifsud sits on the EU Socrates Committee and on the EU Committee for Higher Education. He has travelled worldwide (Europe, Africa, the Gulf, the US, Canada) and has been called the "University's ambassador to the EU"