The University of Malta today welcomed new students at the opening ceremony of academic year 2008-2009. The Rector, Professor Juanito Camilleri and Ms Roberta Avellino, President of the University Students’ Council (KSU) delivered the traditional speeches, followed by Inauguration Mass at Sir Temi Zammit Hall.

Lecturers boycotted the ceremony in protest over a stalemate in pay talks.

The Rector in his speech insisted that research and creativity must be the backbone of the university.

“We should move away from the model of measuring the contribution of a university solely in terms of the number of students being trained, or in terms of the range of degree programmes on offer.”

Prof Camilleri said the University was seeing the fruit of two years’ for the acquisition of EU funds for strengthening the teaching and research infrastructure on campus. Work is starting on the building of an IT Services Centre, on the building for the Faculty of ICT and the modernisation of the library, as well as the upgrading of various laboratories and new equipment.

The University has so far this year accepted 2669 local applicants (1554 females and 1115 males). The Admissions Office is processing applications from persons who sat for the MATSEC and the University’s September Supplementary Session and whose results have just been published. These applicants have been advised that in case of a positive result which should qualify them for the course of their choice, they can attend lectures even before they receive their official letter of acceptance.

It is expected that the total number of accepted applicants should be around 2% higher than last year.

The University said demand for postgraduate courses was increasing – there were 1,070 Maltese applicants this year. To date 714 have been accepted and around 100 are being processed.

Master courses which have attracted considerable interest include those offered by:

The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery - 20 postgraduate students;

The Faculty of Information and Communication Technology with 28 new Master students the Institute of Health care where 31 students will be starting a Master in Health Science or a Postgraduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics;

The Faculty of Education - 50 Master students,

The Faculty of Laws with 54 Master students, including 28 in the MA in Financial Services course

The Faculty of Theology that has accepted 82 Master students, including 36 mainly Health professionals who are commencing studies in the newly launched M.A. in Bioethics and 46 in five other Master courses;

The Faculty of Arts that has to date accepted 91 new Master students of whom 44 in the Master of Interpreting and the Master of Translation courses;

The Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy where 101 new postgraduate students have been accepted, 63 of whom are in the Faculty’s MBA courses.

The University also has students from 70 countries.

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