The time is fast approaching when the University has to choose the new rector who will lead this educational institution in the coming years.
Like many universities in Europe, the University of Malta is funded by the State. But the University is also autonomous in its operations. This poses big challenges to the new rector who has to steer the University safely between the financial dependence on the government and the inalienable commitment to autonomy.
The rector of any university is not very different from a CEO of a non-profit making organisation. Setting out clear objectives that can be achieved within the boundaries of limited financial and human resources will always be one of the rector’s primary tasks.
The most important stakeholders in the University are the students themselves. The best universities in the western world have a tradition of involvement in politics among students. Professors, lecturers and students interact in an atmosphere that is characterised by debate, critique and academic freedom. This is one important aspect of autonomy.
In an island that is riddled with political polarisation in many aspects of public life, it will not be easy for the new rector to ensure that students and academic staff engage in a lively debate on what goes on in Maltese society while, at the same time, keeping away from the partisan political bickering that drains the energy out of any educational organisation.
To ensure that the stakeholders in our tertiary education system do not isolate themselves in an academic Utopia, which is completely cut off from the realities faced by Maltese society, the new rector has to have strong leadership qualities to ensure that the academic staff and students have a clear understanding of what a university education should achieve.
Funding will always be on the top on most university leaders’ agenda. In times where most countries are struggling to keep their public finances under control, securing sufficient funding to provide the necessary facilities that will ease the achievement of a university’s aims will always be a tough struggle. The new University rector will have to come up with a realistic investment budget to persuade the State to fork out enough money to enable the institution to complete the projects that it considers as a priority.
No university can achieve educational excellence if it does not encourage its students and academic staff to engage in research work that is meaningful to society. For instance, the challenges posed by the phenomenon of climate change need to be addressed not just by the political leaders but also by the country’s educational leaders.
In a small island like Malta, the University rector has to forge alliances with other similar institutions overseas to supplement the academic and financial resources that are needed to encourage more research on issues that are relevant to Maltese society.
Some business leaders argue that the quality of higher education today is lagging behind in comparison with two or three decades ago. Employers often complain that many graduates are of a very poor quality and in need of extensive training to do even the simplest task. This could well be the result of underinvestment in our University at a time when more young people are opting for tertiary education.
A new rector must ensure that higher education never becomes an industrial unit.
The rector must encourage constant dialogue with employers about the development of higher education because business demands academic core competences of a very high standard from university graduates.