A mix of applying theoretical best practice training to the practical realities of challenging business scenarios is a winning approach in preparing our students, says Clayton Day, principal at Global College Malta.
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Malta is moving towards a full service economy. What role does Global College Malta play?
Operators of enterprises in all service-based economies depend on trained and competent employees to deliver their services. In Malta, the growing service-related business sectors include financial services, hospitality, retail, health, human services, information technology, gaming and education.
Degree level training at Global College Malta in these service areas is conducted at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These programmes are European and UK accredited. Our programmes offered by GCM and the University of Chester deliver training and skills needed by Maltese employees, employers, and business leaders in service-related sectors.
What is your personal vision for Global College Malta?
Due to its excellent logistical base, economic stability and progressive political attitude towards global business development, Malta is a very favourable base for the delivery of quality higher education degree training, particularly in areas of study related to international business development and management.
Malta is a very favourable base for the delivery of quality higher education degree training
From its Maltese platform, and with multiple accredited programmes, GCM has the possibility to become a world leader in higher education and career training programmes focused on preparing students for international management roles.
My mission is helping shape that development vision of the college into reality by adding an incoming flow of foreign students to our strong base of local students, thereby establishing Malta as a regional hub of higher education. From our local base we can export Maltese accredited programmes throughout Study World’s global higher education network, using a mix of both on ground and online accredited learning modules. This will help us establish and build an education export industry for Malta.
How does your background help you achieve this vision?
Having earned degrees from Yale (BA), the University of Oxford (MA), and the Harvard Business School (MBA), I have a clear idea of what constitutes good quality higher education programmes. I served as a full-time professor and senior administrator in Italian, French and Monegasque business universities, established a joint degree programme between French grande ecole CERAM and Shanghai Foreign Trade, and was lead manager in the global rollout of the for-profit University of Phoenix, which grew to 300,000 students enrolled worldwide.
How does your partnership with the University of Chester add value to your offerings?
Founded in 1839, and with more than 20,000 students from 130 countries on its five campus sites, the University of Chester, with its focus on practical career-oriented management training, is an ideal partner for Global College Malta. The two accredited institutions share a common focus on practical business-related training for aspiring managers, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The postgraduate programmes offered by the University of Chester specialise in various management disciplines, and are attractive to individuals who aspire to be managers.
How do the campus environs at Smart City help students achieve and maintain a sense of focus and purpose?
Located in a modern, clean, technologically updated complex with beautiful views, excellent parking and a mix of restaurants, shops and other businesses, GCM at SmartCity provides a calm, secure and stimulating environment for lectures, group or individual work sessions, seminars, workshops, special events and personal development coaching.
SmartCity also features banking facilities, a health club, and has in development a hotel, hospital, and additional new buildings and other commercial facilities.
How do your students make the leap from academia to a successful career?
As developed at the Harvard Business School back in the mid-20th century, the case study method of mixing business policy and management theory training with actual business practices has provided a useful bridge for our students to apply the management theories they are taught to real life business situations. This mix of applying theoretical best practice training to practical realities has been a winning approach in preparing our students to perform well in their management careers.
What are your plans for the mid- to long-term?
My plans as the newly appointed principal of Global College Malta are building GCM to reach its potential as a respected world class higher education platform, noted for high-quality management training programmes, empowering our graduates to become successful in management roles in Malta and worldwide. From this platform we will attract and build a foreign student cohort which will become the basis for extensive international distribution of GCM programmes and development of an education export industry for Malta.