The Malta Chamber of Scientists has expressed its “disappointment” at the announced budget cuts at the University of Malta, which, it said, “will certainly impact its research output and quality of education.”

The statement from the Chamber follows news that they University was informed that as part of the Government’s recent spending review, the budget for the University of Malta had been cut by €1.1 million.

The Chamber pointed out that “this strategy will also have negative consequences on the country as a whole since the University of Malta is a key player in Malta’s R&D landscape. Only a few months ago, government pledged to raise public funding of R&D to 2% of the GDP.”

The Chamber stressed that it is “strongly opposed” to cuts in research funding, “as research is not a luxury, rather an important indicator of a developed nation’s progress, identity, society and culture.”

“This comes at a particularly sensitive time, since R&D is a vital ingredient in boosting the economy and the country’s competitiveness following the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Chamber said.

The Chamber concluded by saying that it hopes “further cuts will not adversely impact other educational institutions as well as public scientific entities such as laboratories, which, like the University of Malta, already operate on restricted budgets.”

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