Malta and Libya yesterday signed a deed that will see a €22.4 million investment in the Libyan Higher Vocational Institute Centre of Excellence at Ta’ Giorni open to international students.
The amendment to the deed of sale was signed between Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and Libya’s Minister for Labour and Capacity Building Mohamed Swalem.
It will enable the institute to host students of different nationalities, not just Libyans.
The land in question was bought in 1976, and the amendment will remove the restriction that the institute can host only Libyan students, said Bryan Magro, who is working with the institute on its new project.
At the same time, the institute will adhere to local qualification standards, and has already achieved the further and higher education licence.
The first phase of the institute’s internationalisation project includes a €1.4 million refurbishment, currently under way and expected to take nine months.
Speaking before the signing, institute general director Mahmoud Sawani said half this investment was being pumped into the refurbishment of the current building, while another €705,000 was being spent on equipment and upgrading of workshops. Eventually, applications will be submitted to the planning authority for the development of additional buildings on the new campus, including increasing the current 168 residences to 250. The institute, spread over an area of 37,000 square metres, will be able to take more than 900 students.
Some courses managed by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, are being held for students of the institute, including IT, electrical and mechanical engineering, electronics and welding.
Meanwhile, the institute is planning to manage three courses: English language, Arabic, and leadership and management.
Dr Sawani described the amendment as a “historical moment”.
The relationship between Malta and Libya had been strengthened when the island helped the North African neighbour gain democracy amid the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Libya chose Malta as one of its international strategic partners to develop its education sector.
The aim of the institute was to provide a centre of excellence for learning and research, he noted.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Swalem said Malta was “the closest among the closest countries to Libya”.
It had the necessary experience to help Libya attain its aim of supporting the country with training to increase employment, he said.
His Maltese counterpart, Mr Bartolo said the island was a small peaceful nation that was not a threat to anyone.
The agreement, the Maltese minister said, came at the right time as the Government wanted to give a new impetus to vocational education to tackle unemployment as a challenge.
“We believe if we promote our educational services, Malta could have a strong education sector just like it had a strong financial one.”