In most countries, university students are often the most vociferous protagonists in stimulating change in society. To do this, one must have a vision about the future. To convince other about our vision we need to communicate our ideas in an articulate and coherent way.

The new University rector, Alfred Vella, must have had this strategy in mind when welcoming the more than 12,000 students who have just started their academic year. Mastering the arts of speaking fluently, correctly and politely, not loudly, both in Maltese and English will really set one apart and cause people to listen, he told the students.

He went further and put his finger on one of the sore areas of university education. University education is not just about acquiring a high level of knowledge but then being unable to apply this knowledge to real life because of lack of skills, especially soft skills like good communication. Employers will be the first to admit that many of the graduates they employ lack even basic good written and spoken communication skills that make it difficult for them to become good team players in their organisation.

Proper debating etiquette in a civil society is not about rubbishing the ideas of those who do not agree with one’s views but about enlightening an audience with lucid ideas on the best way forward when trying to address difficult challenges either at national or at an organisational level.

Unfortunately, students have little to learn from the political class about how to communicate effectively. The current US presidential campaign, for instance, gives excellent debating examples on how not to communicate to convince people on the need of painful change to bring about social and economic prosperity.

Of course, good communication is also about substance. While politicians may love to turn the art of political communication to one of spin, university students must act as the conscience of society and bring up the thorny issues that this country needs to address to be fairer and just with as many people as possible. The big debates about issues that are of national interest should not be limited to Parliament or the political programmes on TV.

Most ordinary people yearn for a new refreshing way of discussing the big issues facing our society.

One hopes that this year and in years to come, university students debate the economic, environmental, religious and social issues that our society is facing and how these will shape our future as a nation. This is not just about issuing a press release or holding a press conference on a proposed development project, where arguments are often wrapped up in political mantras according to one political allegiances.

What do students think, for instance, about the overdevelopment in parts of the island? What are their views on how poverty can best be tackled in a society that is seeing a few families becoming richer, the majority of families working hard to remain where they were a decade ago and a significant number of families struggling on the poverty line? Do our students still believe in social solidarity?

Youth is often associated with a laid back lifestyle when one is expected to enjoy the good things of life. But it is also about dreaming the impossible dream to contribute to the success of our own lives and that of others.

University students are tomorrow’s leaders. We need to know what their vision is for Malta’s future.

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