Education Minister Clifton Grima has said Malta’s higher education regulator deserves to be listed on the European register of educational institutions, despite its application being rejected earlier this month.
Grima was responding to a parliamentary question on Monday, posed by shadow education minister Justin Schembri.
Schembri asked about the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), including whether Grima had confidence in the board and its CEO.
The minister remained relatively reserved in his reply but maintained his support for the regulator.
“There was no standard that failed, but some were partially compliant,” he said. “We have until next March for a review of those particular standards.”
Grima added: “I also want to say this was the first time we applied to be recognised by EQAR.”
Listing on the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) is seen as a key indicator of academic credibility across Europe. National accreditation bodies, universities, and employers often use it as a benchmark.
Sources told Times of Malta that the absence of a listing can result in local degrees being unrecognised abroad, and may discourage foreign students from enrolling in courses offered in Malta.
MFHEA’s application was rejected after an external evaluation last year identified several administrative shortcomings. The authority was found fully compliant in only six of the 13 required standards.
Grima remained optimistic about future success and added that Malta doesn’t just deserve to be affiliated with ENQA but deserves to be registered with EQAR.
EQAR’s external assessment was carried out by ENQA, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. One concern raised was the independence of the MFHEA board, whose members are nominated by the Education Minister and appointed by the Prime Minister.
Grima said Malta relies on a public accreditation system, unlike other countries that use private entities. He also appealed for unity, saying, “The most important thing for me is that all parties involved pull the same rope to improve Malta’s reputation.”
He also cited the Lisbon Convention, which states that qualifications from one country should be recognised in another unless substantial differences exist.
EQAR’s decision does not affect Malta’s state-run institutions, the University of Malta, MCAST, and ITS, all of which remain recognised internationally. MFHEA’s database currently lists two other licensed universities and nearly 70 higher education providers in Malta.