One of the faculties in our University that shows distinctive excellence is that of Engineering. Although this faculty may perhaps not blow its trumpet, its achievements are clearly seen in its able graduates.
It is true that its students' expectations may appear to be high, but these have resulted in success for this comparatively young faculty in the achievement of excellence by its students.
Complementary to this faculty, the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) has made its own achievements in the engineering sector. Excellence pays and the harvest is rather quick in this case.
It has been made clear that one essential element required for the success of the project announced by Lufthansa Technik was the company's links with MCAST, which agreed to create training courses for aviation maintenance technicians.
At present, Lufthansa Technik Malta sponsors over 50 apprentices undergoing training at MCAST.
The University's Faculty of Engineering has established collaboration with MCAST, with the faculty looking at MCAST as having complementary function rather than a competitive one.
It was therefore wise and no coincidence that the Rector, Professor Juanito Camilleri, appointed Professor Maurice Grech from the Faculty of Engineering as his delegate for relations with MCAST.
In the remit for Professor Grech's duties as Rector's Delegate for MCAST and Industry Liaison it was stated that the delegate assists the Rector, the Pro Rectors, in particular the Pro Rector for Research and Innovation, and the relevant administrative units to build an ongoing dialogue and collaboration with MCAST on the one hand, and with the respective sectors of industry on the other.
The aim here is to promote and facilitate student mobility between MCAST and University and vice-versa where applicable, and moreover, in tandem with MCAST, to organise a co-ordinated dialogue to identify and cater for the training needs of the various sectors of industry.
In connection with the documents accompanying the Budget for 2007 Government published a three-year industry strategy for Malta, an action plan aimed at enabling industry to achieve quality, high value-added and productivity growth. The Faculty of Engineering is pivotal for the success of the strategy.
The faculty, with its sister institution MCAST, is responsible for filling the most significant gaps in research and high-skilled work, which are essential for the success of the industry strategy for Malta.
The indisputable excellent relationships that exist between the Faculty of Engineering and industry are paying dividends. Notwithstanding this good situation, there is still some room for decreasing the scattering of resources in our island.
The schism in the use of faculties for education purposes must end completely. The faculty has already given proof of how this can be achieved by combining the use of resources at the University and at MCAST.
There is need of inter-faculty and inter-departmental use of the resources within the University. These joint efforts should target the needs of the new investment and may be focused primarily towards those sectors that best enhance Malta's comparative advantages.
There is a need for all government departments to converge to meet the strategic plan's targets for industry by clustering and reworking industry and government.
The many scattered laboratories, many of them with non- functioning equipment with very low level of maintenance, is a case in point where Government should lead by example.
Is it possible for the national laboratory, the University, MCAST, Agriculture, MEPA and certain aspects of health to join forces in these areas? The example and outstanding results set by the Faculty of Engineering should lead others to follow suit.
This does not mean that this faculty, as all others, does not need a massive investment, but it shows that a faculty, notwithstanding its uphill struggle for funds and resources, has made exemplary progress with strides in the right direction.
The present situation augurs for even more extensive collaboration both with other departments in the University itself as well as with industry and other educational institutions.