More than 150 local academics have expressed concern over the American Univer-sity that the government wants to build at Żonqor Point, in Marsascala.

The academics, including 120 from the University of Malta, staff from the Junior College, Mcast and the Naxxar Higher Secondary, issued a joint statement: “We express our concern on the lack of transparency in the process and careful assessment in the selection of the project itself as well as of the proposed site.

“We urge the government to exercise due prudence with a view to enhance the common good including through the strengthening of quality education and through the protection of land, which lies outside development boundaries.”

The statement comes after a group of green NGOs, private individuals, academics and two government MPs unveiled a new movement last Saturday fronted by former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio, whose main aim is to safeguard ODZ land.

There is mounting opposition to the government proposal to build the private university on land that is outside a development zone.

Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil told the general council last Sunday the party would stand in the way of any development on pristine land at Żonqor Point.

He reiterated an appeal for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to clearly rule out the building of a private university in an outside development zone.

The land was selected after the planning authority was tasked with identifying government-owned land in the south that could accommodate the new university. After signing an agreement with a Jordanian investor, the government proposed an ODZ site of 90,000 square metres.

The total area, equivalent in size to about 12 football pitches, is not wholly publicly owned, as 11 per cent belongs to private individuals.