University education is a critical success factor for any country that aims to offer the best standard of living to its citizens. Economic performance, the quality of essential public services like education and medical care, as well as the cultural achievements of any society are often dependent on the degree of excellence achieved in the various dimensions of tertiary education.
The global ranking of universities is traditionally determined by a league table based on composite scores. A new tool for comparing university performance is being developed by U-Multirank, an EU supported organisation made up of an international consortium of partners from nine countries.
U-Multirank “is a multi-dimensional assessment that compares university performance across a range of different activities grading them from ‘A’ (very good) to ‘E’ (weak). It allows users to identify a university’s strengths and weaknesses, or the aspects that most interest them”. In its 2014 report, U-Multirank revealed some interesting characteristics of the University of Malta that may not have surprised many of its stakeholders.
The university “was only awarded A grades in international orientation and income from regional sources”. This is an important dimension of university excellence as the influx of foreign students who choose Malta to pursue their studies is an important economic, social and educational factor. The potential for even more growth in this area is substantial and the benefits can help the local university to overcome some of its weaknesses.
The Tal-Qroqq university scored B grades in teaching and learning “particularly on Bachelor and Masters graduation rates and graduating on time”. Many students would agree with this grading as the emphasis on the academic aspect of teaching is a traditional strength of the Maltese educational system.
It is interesting that doctorates are not included in this list, possibly because these qualifications are often based on sound research practices.
The least flattering finding of the report is that the university is weak in “research and knowledge transfer”. This finding has serious economic implications.
The university is the training ground for Malta’s business and public leaders of the future. These leaders need to possess skills of innovation and creativity if they are to help the country outperform its competitors. Without intensive research in the different fields of knowledge we risk lagging behind other countries in our ability to sell our goods and services in the global market.
Inadequate knowledge transfer is another serious weakness in our tertiary education system. Today’s workplace demands that new graduates are well prepared to lead teams of workers to achieve the objectives of their employers. Academic learning needs to be supplemented by a vocational element in the years that students spend in tertiary education. So the university may need to introduce more practical methodologies to expose students to the real world or work.
More realistic funding for our university may be needed to overcome the weaknesses identified in the U-Multirank report. But equally important is a change in the mindset of the stakeholders in our educational system.
Educators, business leaders, students, as well as policymakers need to understand that one of the primary aims of university education is to prepare young people for the realities of working in the new economy. Passive lecturing needs to be supplemented with hands-on involvement in the practical aspects of the diverse fields of study offered by our university.
It needs to perform more effectively in the diverse roles it plays in our society.