The event brought students together to take part in different sports activities, meet new people, and learn more about student life on campus.

Sports Week was a big success, welcoming both experienced athletes and students who just wanted to have fun and stay active. It was also a great chance to learn about MUSA’s mission and the role of student activism in improving university life.

MUSA’s president Luke Aras explained that while Sports Week has taken place before, this year’s collaboration with KSU made it even better, “This was the best edition yet. It encouraged students to participate in sports while also sparking important conversations about student involvement,” he said.

The event also proved that students are still eager to take part in university activities. 

It was pointed out from organisers that “many who attended just to watch ended up fully joining in,” showing that there is a lot of potential for student engagement with the right opportunities.

For MUSA, student activism is important because it helps student-athletes balance their education and sports without having to sacrifice one for the other. 

“This level of interest shows that students care about improving sports in Malta and making sure athletes get the support they need,” MUSA stated.

The success of this event is part of a bigger trend where students are becoming more active in shaping their university experience. By working together, student organizations like KSU and MUSA are helping to build a more engaging and supportive campus environment.

If you missed out on the fun this time, don’t worry—there’s always next year!

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KSU rejects the decisions made by UHM, acknowledging that there is a pressing need to highlight the collective statement among the student community. Due to this, KSU is advocating for a conducive working environment for university staff, emphasising its direct connection to the educational experience of students. 

An area of particular concern has been the delay in the establishing of a collective agreement for university staff. The agreement had originally been expected to be in place by December 2021. The lack of this agreement has understandably led to frustration among staff members, and this sentiment has now trickled down to impact the overall learning experience of students. With this in mind, KSU has called on all stakeholders to carefully consider the long-term implications of the situation and the impact it will have on the quality of education provided by the institution. 

KSU has emphasised their commitment to fostering a cooperative atmosphere. However, the impact on the one stakeholder not involved in the decision making process – the students – cannot be ignored. Students have expressed that the directives have negatively impacted their lectures, practicals, and assignments. This poses a threat to the educational well-being of students, especially as it is happening so close to the assessment period, a time when students’ mental health should be of great importance. 

In a plea to all stakeholders involved, KSU urges a swift and amicable resolution to these negotiations, recognising the urgency and paramount importance of safeguarding the quality of education for the students at university.

As of right now, no updates have been released, however, it is hoped that negotiations will close soon without affecting the soon to begin examination period. 

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Here’s what Kristina Felice Pace had to say: 

What motivated you to run for the position of KSU Social Policy & Education Commissioner, and what do you hope to achieve in this role? 

Activism has always been a value instilled in me since I was a little girl. I believe that through healthy debates and working together to achieve results within the commission, students have the opportunity to act a catalyst for change. Having the ability to facilitate this has motivated me to run for the KSU Social Policy & Education role. 

Moreover, Felice Pace stated that she thrives on having a full timetable; from singing, piano, and her daily lectures. She believes that being able to juggle several extracurricular activities and meeting people from all walks of life has taught her to look at things from different perspectives, which she believes is essential when working with and addressing student concerns.

Felice Pace has also formed part of the Earth System Association (ESA) for two years, regarding it as an “extremely fruitful experience“. Her role within the organisation has taught her to “work and collaborate with other entities, effectively bridging the gap between the IES (Institute of Earth Systems) and its students, whilst giving me the platform to continue advocating for the environment.“

Felice Pace’s manifesto emphasised the importance of providing student organisations with a platform to discuss issues with the Commissioner as she believes the commission allows for “organisations to collaborate and engage in healthy debates.” These debates and discussions are essential as they give a voice to the students and enhance their university experience. Felice Pace promises to listen to every concern and issue brought up, hence emphasising the importance of organisations attending such meetings.

While students might not be as aware of the Commission as student organisations are, Felice Pace plans on addressing the gap between Commissioner and students by initiating “a social media campaign to not only publicise the commission and what it entails but to also showcase the work of the commission to the general student body.”

Her goal is for more students to voice their concerns and opinions to the Commissioner, hence allowing students to have a space where they feel heard and their issues can be addressed.

On behalf of The Third Eye and Insite, we wish both candidates the best of luck!

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Here’s what Kris Bajada had to say: 

What motivated you to run for the position of KSU Social Policy & Education Commissioner, and what do you hope to achieve in this role? 

I decided to run for the position of KSU Social Policy & Education Commissioner because I truly believe that I have great experience in the area of policy, being quite an active student for several years both on campus and off campus. While also having a great ability to bring organisations together on common resolutions surely makes me a strong candidate for the position at hand.  

Within the roles I have occupied I have always promoted collaboration between different student organisations for us to achieve a concrete goal and I will surely continue with this endeavour if I get elected as Commissioner. I plan on addressing a wide range of issues, to be a strong voice for all students and organisations and to strengthen the bond between KSU and the student organisations and student representatives. Henceforth, I want to foster a sense of community within the commission and through this unity, I strongly believe that the commission can be the engine that drives change not only at a university level but also at a national level.  

I strongly believe that together we can be the change! 

Furthermore, Bajada mentioned how his greatest achievement “were the talks Extinction Rebellion Malta had started with the Union of Professional Educators as well as with policy makers from both ends of the political spectrum where we emphasized the need to promote an environmental classroom for our future generations in which there is more emphasis on teaching children how to adopt a more sustainable way of living.” 

Another notable achievement of Bajada is Extinction Rebellion Malta’s Environmental Festival where individuals and organisations came together to raise awareness on the climate crisis. To organise such an event, Bajada mentioned that three important things were necessary. First, a great team. Second, contacting all the different organisations was essential to ensure community involvement. Third, to make the event about the community, the focus had to be on the community and not on the organising group. Extinction Rebellion intentionally left the name of their organisation off the event banner to show that the festival was not about them, but about the community.

“What does all this mean, you may be asking yourself, and how does this relate to the commission?“

Through this experience I have learnt not only the importance of teamwork but how to work with the various university student organisations for us to reach and achieve a shared goal.  

Bajada’s manifesto is a reflection of the issues and concerns shared and brought up by student organisations and representatives. If elected, Bajada will have a clear understanding of the issues which need to be tackled and addressed, while also breaking the barrier between the commission and organisations.

Bajada has been a member of several student organisations, such as UESA, Extinction Rebellion Malta , and his position as the post-graduate student representative for the Faculty of Science. Throughout his time as part of these organisations, he has learnt how to tackle any issues that may arise, work with different individuals, and how to adapt when things don’t go to plan.

He believes that communication is key with any organisation,

By talking honestly, together as a team to each other be it in Extinction Rebellion Malta or in UESA we have always overcome any differences and difficulties we may have faced and come out stronger at the end. 

Moreover, Bajada has previously run for the position of KSU president as an independent candidate, however, this year he decided to run for Commissioner as he recognised that his strengths lie within getting different organisations together. Due to his years of student activism, he has come to know several organisations and individuals personally, which would make communication between Commissioner and members that much easier.

His experience being the Social Policy Officer of UESA, Chairperson of Extinction Rebellion Malta and the Post-graduate student representative for the Faculty of Science have helped him gain knowledge and skills in the area of policy.

Although these qualities would make me a strong presidential candidate, I strongly believe that these qualities are better suited for the Commissioner as the Commissioner needs to be an individual that not only is strong in the field of policy but is also someone who is well known by the student body.   

Finally, it is evident that Bajada places importance on environmental issues and sustainability, which is why he plans to propose the following plans to the Environmental and Sustainability ad-hoc committee: 

• Pushing to set up an environmental taskforce with the goal of developing environmental policies around the University, Gozo, MDH and Junior College campuses with the objective that these campuses as a collective achieve carbon neutrality. Yearly targets would be set up to further increase the likelihood that the goals and objectives set by the taskforce would be achieved.   
• Bringing on board several local eNGOs to collaborate with student organisations  
• Pushing to implement a community garden within the various campuses 
• Seriously tackle the public transport system so that university students will find it easier to use public means of transport 
• Work with the canteen so as to reduce any additional waste from being created 
• Push so that the environmental awareness will be factored in the RAR assessment 

On behalf of The Third Eye and Insite, we wish both candidates the best of luck!

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During these commission meetings, that usually happens once a month, various social and educational topics are discussed, with feedback being exchanged between organisations and representatives and KSU regarding various issues. For example, this meeting brought up issues faced by students during the examination period. While examination venues were announced before the examination period, the exact location or building of such venues were not announced, which lead to unnecessary confusion. 

However, the main topic of discussion that arose during the meeting was the recent controversy about the implementation of the CASP system. Various student organisations brought up the issue that some courses already have similar courses which rendered CASP redundant, as well as flagging the issue that the implementation and the way it was marketed to students were not efficient to reach affected students, to the point where some organisations only heard about it from media outlets.

This was followed by a response that clarified that the CASP system was voted on and passed in the University of Malta Senate in March which was the term of the past senate representative. The actual marketing of the course started back in October and November with several faculties having obligatory meetings that discussed this in one way or another. However, it was noticed that these meetings had either only been made for international students or have been poorly attended. 

Following this, a vote was called to vote on the CASP system in two regards: its merits and aims as presented on the UoM website, and regarding the actual process of disseminating the information about CASP to students and the implementation and integration within different faculties. The voting took place on the following statements:

Statement 1: Do you agree with the aims CASP seeks to foster among students i.e. helping students find their voice, think critically, and facilitate the development of effective communication through writing and presenting both general and discipline-specific conventions? 

27 of presenting organisations and representatives voted for this statement while 5 abstained, with no vote taken against this statement. 

Statement 2: Do you agree with the way CASP was introduced in terms of dissemination of information, integration, and implementation on a FCIS basis? 

28 of presenting organisations voted against this statement while 4 abstained, while there were no votes for this statement. 

From the abovementioned votes, it’s clear that the main issue student organisations and representatives faced was the way CASP was introduced and how poorly it was integrated into some faculties that had similar classes, as well as the ineffective notice that was given to students regarding these topics. Therefore, it can be concluded that student organisations are not against CASP’s main aims and goals, only its implementation and integration into their respective faculties.

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So What Went Wrong?

Last week on Friday, both Moviment Graffitti and Times of Malta commented on the disparity of treatment from KSU’s end towards student organisations as opposed to corporate companies. The profiling of what went wrong is reminiscent of TTE’s open letter in response to the General Election debate dispute. KSU’s conduct as the most vital student body representative, once again, focuses on brand expansion and power upkeep.

The complaints mentioned:

• Lack of space for student organisations
• Corporation oriented freshers
• Campus Quadrangle hosting only large corporations and KSU’s Stage

KSU’s response mentioned in Times of Malta set the scene for many. Ignoring the previous allegations, KSU’s President stated that all NGOs were notified and were given a choice to arrange the time slots. The comment was seen to be missing the point. The main issue was the misplaced privilege of space and potential for meeting new students in an environment suitable for everyone. As expressed by Andrew Sciberras, president of GħSL, there was a mood of disappointment amongst the NGOs.

What Has Freshers’ Week Become?

A large stage for KSU to give out tote bags and parking permits while student organisations sweat
it out in small heavily crowded tents? The current environment points towards a week-long event hyper-focused on exploiting what was once an opportunity to gather and make new social connections to an opportunity for political campaigning and corporate brand expansion.

Open to feedback

In the next commission meeting on the 11th of October where KSU meets with the student organisations, KSU has pledged to hear out the concerns following Freshers. The opportunity for discourse gives a glimmer of hope for a more student-centred Freshers’ Week next year, in addition to a more careful KSU executive when giving more privileges to those who pay instead of those who voluntarily give time and energy to serve and represent the student body.

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What does this mean for staff and students?

While salaries, staff, and teaching resources will not be affected, any new plans the University had in mind of implementing have been halted for the time being. Moreover, no new personnel will be employed within the school unless absolutely necessary.

Rector Alfred Vella has encouraged lecturers to work to the best of their abilities with the resources they currently have and has stated he is strongly against any cost-cutting measures for textbooks, machines, software, and other educational resources. His statement has eased some of the worries, but people remain skeptical.

The student’s education does not seem to be at risk, however, people have already started taking to social media to express their views on these budget cuts.

Senior lecturer, Dr Edward Duca, expressed his confusion about these cuts:

On the same day that we announce the Science in the City, Malta festival promoting research, education and science in Malta, we also hear about a funding cut for the University of Malta, and a cut to its research fund. Hon Clifton Grima I am thoroughly confused. Supporting higher education and maintaining the small research funds we have are key to the success of every part of our country.

The Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Hon. Dr Clifton Grima, was present at the Science in the City press conference that was held hours before word of the budget cuts came to light. Science in the City quoted Dr Grima, stating he “emphasised the importance of research in relation to education in Malta.”

This year’s theme for Science in the City is ‘Taking Root‘ with the goal of “focusing on the European Commission and European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.” However, these budget cuts are raising questions as to whether this goal can be achieved and what other research and programs have to be defunded.

How did the Government respond to the backlash?

In an effort to ease concerns about a €1.1 million budget cut to the University of Malta, Dr Grima outlined how the government had doubled the University’s budget over the last ten years.

A spokesperson on behalf of Dr Grima stated “The Ministry for Education will remain committed to keep students a top priority, providing them with the best possible education at all education levels.”

Considering that the government’s first major budget cut was directed at the University, citizens of the country are apprehensive of what the future holds; both with regard to the country’s education and the other sectors which will inevitably experience budget cuts.

KSU responds back

KSU – Kunsill Studenti Universitarji took to their Facebook to voice their concerns following the cuts. Their statement was endorsed by multiple students and organisations, with The Third Eye being one of the organisations. This shows that students are worried that this cut will negatively affect them, their education, and the future of their University.

Leaving a university with 11,300 students with a limited budget is immensely concerning and shows a lack of priority being given to tertiary education. KSU’s main concerns centre around the impacts these cuts will have on the numerous research projects taking place at the University, particularly on the funding and maintenance of the projects.

Prior to such cuts, the University was already underfunded, hindering the University from investing in essential services such as a 24/7 library, an issue KSU has brought up on multiple occasions. On top of this, University’s infrastructure remains outdated, once again, owing to a lack of funding. This cut is an affront to UM’s autonomy from the Government and calls upon the Rectorate to look into ways of ensuring the University’s financial independence from the Government.

KSU spoke about what this could mean for the future of the country.

Such cuts are a direct hit to not only the University’s administration but to students alike. With less funding, students are further discouraged from furthering their education at the University of Malta. This will surely lead to more students continuing their studies abroad, risking a brain drain over the coming years. University students, as tomorrow’s professionals, deserve an institution that is not clutching at the straws for financial survival, but one that can provide them with the necessary tools to thrive. The University should have the necessary budget to innovate and improve upon its services, and not cut corners at the students’ academic expense.

KSU ended their statement by saying that these issues and concerns will be discussed in their upcoming meeting with Dr Grima.

Students and faculty members will have no choice but to walk into the new scholastic year with limited funding and resources, hoping that no student’s education is hindered by this matter.

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Who is Kristina Micallef Pulè?

Kristina is a third year Psychology student at the University. Due to her background in Psychology, Kristina understands the importance of shedding light on issues related to mental health and wellbeing.

Apart from being a student, she has also been active in student activism for the past two years. She was Betapsi’s Social Policy Commissioner for two consecutive terms.

This role has taught me a great deal and has allowed me to develop many interpersonal and professional skills throughout my university experience. The skills acquired that I value the most from my experience are those related to group membership and management. I have learnt how to host meetings, delegate work accordingly, and initiate and manage group discussions.

Kristina on being Betapsi’s Social Policy Commissioner

Kristina applied for the role of Social Policy and Education Commissioner within KSU because she wishes to continue being a voice for the student body and to stand up to what the students believe in.

Kristina concluded with the following:

Furthermore, forming part of the council is a privilege that I will not take lightly, and aim to continue representing and defending students’ rights to the best of my ability.

The Third Eye wishes Kristina the best of luck for her upcoming term!

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