Zonqor project will only start once Cospicua campus reaches full capacity - PM

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday confirmed that the development of the proposed American University of Malta campus at Żonqor Point, Marsascala, would only start after AUM’s Cospicua campus reaches full complement.

Speaking to journalists, the Prime Minister also said he was convinced that the project would be a “huge success.”

His remarks come after recent reports questioning the viability of this huge project. According to the reports, the university has around 20 students. The developers had originally envisaged that they would start with around 1,000 students.

The project has been shrouded in controversy since day one, when the government announced that 90,000 square metres of ODZ land at Żonqor Point would be taken up to accommodate the university. Following public outcry and several protests, the government then announced that the project would be split into two. AUM would operate from Cospicua’s Dock 1 and from a scaled-down campus at Żonqor. Works at the Cospicua site are behind schedule, while no work has so far been carried out in Marsascala.

Last week, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said he believed that works on the Żonqor campus should not start before the Cospicua campus reaches its full capacity. Speaking to TVM, the minister said he recognised that the number of students is not what had been expected, but he was confident that numbers would increase as AUM built its reputation. He also said that building a good reputation takes years.

Speaking in Parliament some days earlier, Bartolo said he would rather see the American University of Malta “start small and grow gradually,” adding that this was not a “garage operation.”

It was initially reported that AUM had only managed to attract 15 students. AUM’s provost, John Ryder, told this newspaper that there were more than 15 students attending the fledgling university, but he did not reveal how many, despite being specifically asked. Malta Today later reported that the number of students amounted to 23.

While failing to quantify the size of the university’s student body, in his response, the provost did indicate that the number of students was small, but insisted that it would grow: “There are more students than the number you mentioned (15 in the question sent to the provost), and numbers will grow for the spring semester and for next year.”

The provost went on to stress that building a reputation is not something that happens overnight: “As I am sure you are aware, building a reputation for a new institution takes time. This is even more so for a university. But rest assured that we are committed to the AUM project for the long-term. In the very near future we will be also make public the number of students for this semester, and we will do the same in January, when we expect additional students. At the appropriate time, we will invite the media and the public generally to tour our facilities in Bormla.”

Speaking to journalists this morning, Prime Minister Muscat said: “I am certain that this will be a very successful project; one we will all be proud of.”