P

erit Christopher Spiteri sits at his desk surrounded by plans and photos of works in progress and projects which have come to fruition. ‘A Master Plan,’ he tells me, ‘was developed in 2006 and priority projects were identified at this initial stage.’ The two largest were the IT Services and Faculty of ICT buildings, both requiring substantial EU funds.

Through local funds, the Biomedical Sciences floors were added to the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery building and will be opened shortly, equipped with the latest technology. The Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences was completely overhauled. Originally, the Centre for Communication Technology, it was extended with two new floors and the rebuilding of the lower part of the structure. Office and lab space is at a premium at the University of Malta (UoM). All these projects are trying to change that.

The library is a beating heart for any university. But this needs the right policies. One of Prof. Juanito Camilleri’s first actions as rector in 2006 was to push for a three-tier ‘noise’ system and far-extended opening times. The Reference Library has a ‘no tolerance’ attitude to noise, the top floor is a semi-silent area, while the middle level has tables and beanbags for group work. The more relaxed approach has worked and library staff more likely now have to push students out of the door at closing time.

This upgraded customer-oriented and service-driven approach has reaped dividends, but other quiet advances happened in the last decade. The library drastically expanded its online resources (an annual recurrent expenditure of almost €2 million) to include several top academic publishers to meet UoM student, staff, and researchers needs. The library also set up an Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) project providing access to over 5,000 UoM research documents. In 2015, it launched the first Institutional Repository (IR) on the Maltese Islands, called OAR@UoM, in order to provide a platform for Open Access (OA) research. The UoM is committed to making research more available to everyone. To make it easier to find this research a HyDi system provides a one-stop solution for users to search through all databases.

Another issue is electricity wastage. It might not seem like a university’s first concern but reining in running costs is the only way a university funded through public money can grow and remain free for the majority of students. A large EU-funded project covered UoM building roofs with solar panels and had lighting upgraded to the latest energy-saving technology. Millions of euro were saved. The Library was no exception, with windows replaced with double-glazing, a complete revamp of the air conditioning system, and the building covered by a stainless steel screen.

Students celebrate graduating at the Valletta Campus. Photo by iCreatemotion

Research needs to be built on the shoulders of others’ work. So the Library focused on online research services. Online journal numbers have grown exponentially with hundreds of thousands of euro invested to support research. Library staff now provide training to all staff and students, with electronic reminders keeping book loans in check.

The Valletta Campus restoration was undertaken with local funds and is a very important project given that Valletta will be the European Capital of Culture in 2018.

Other changes on the Msida campus involved the refurbishment of the Arts Lecture Theatre, in collaboration with IT Services, to include the latest teaching technologies. Also, recently opened, is the Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine which will complement the University’s new degree course in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Culture.

Valletta Campus

A few years ago, the government returned the last remaining parts of the Valletta Campus—a sixteenth-century Jesuit college—to the University and the Rector launched a major refurbishment process. The college’s upper floors (post-war additions) have been transformed into state-of-the-art lecture rooms for the University’s International Collaborative Programmes—an initiative that sees Malta work with institutions like King’s College London, James Madison University (USA), George Mason University (USA), and others.

‘The challenge,’ says Spiteri, ‘was to make the newer parts of the ancient building look authentic while at the same time using emerging technologies both for the newer and for the sixteenth-century floors.’ For example, a glass panoramic lift was installed. Spiteri sought advice from the Valletta Waterfront project engineers who had faced the same issues. The lower floor was returned to its original shape to give better access and light. The corridor which used to hold the old Lyceum now houses the latest conference breakout rooms and lecture halls encased in the splendid, original architecture. Other changes include transforming the Library, now named after the anthropologist, Prof. Sir J.R. Goody following the donation of his book collection. The former Mediterranean Institute Theatre Programme (MITP) has been renovated into the University Theatre for the School of Performing Arts.

The newly refurbished Arts Lecture Theatre. Photo by iCreatemotion

The Valletta Campus restoration was undertaken with local funds and is a very important project given that Valletta will be the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Also, in collaboration with the government restoration unit, work has started on repairs to the University Church and the façades of the building as well as the internal courtyard. This will have a retractable canopy so that maximum use can be made of this magnificent space.

New research facilities are also being finalised off campus. The Institute for Sustainable Energy in the south of the Island, recently completed, is equipped with the latest labs and sophisticated materials made possible through an EU grant of over €4 million. The Gozo Campus has also been embellished while funds are being sought for an extension, and studio flats for Ph.D. and postdoctoral students.

Also on the cards are the new sports facilities back at the main Msida Campus. They include an artificial turf sports ground surrounded by an athletics track. Clinics and other sports-related areas are planned for underneath the spectator terraces, which will provide a space for athletes getting ready before a game or race and for students studying sports at the University’s Institute for Physical Education and Sport.

The University Library
Photo by Elisa von Brockdorff

The UoM also runs the Ġ.F. Abela Junior College, which prepares fifteen- to eighteen-year-olds before they enter university. The building was recently refurbished with a new auditorium, extra floors, a childcare centre, an artificial football pitch, and a home economics lab. Refurbishment, which started last year, involves energy-saving measures with upgrades to several labs.

‘The challenges,’ says Perit Spiteri, ‘are numerous, but all the UoM campuses and associated areas have been upgraded and embellished to make them fit for their contemporary purpose—but, of course, the work continues.’