Study Report: University of Malta, Spring 2020 Alex Clary
1. Study Programme
During the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year, I was a student at the University of Malta as part of the University of Groningen’s NOHA Master’s International Humanitarian Action from the Faculty of Arts. Studying at another university is compulsory as part of my studies in this program according to the curriculum set by the broader NOHA curriculum. University of Malta was one of seven choices I had for my second semester of study. Here, I continued my studies in humanitarian action, within the specialty of forced migration. The courses were generally good content-wise, but some failed to provide a clear syllabus and the overall organization of the course could use some improvement. The majority of classes though were well structured.
2. Language
The language of instruction was English, and my native language is English, so nothing to write on. Maltese is spoken widely, but English can be spoken in almost any setting rural or urban in Malta. Any knowledge of Maltese was unnecessary for living in the country.
3. Finance and Other Conditions
The cost of living in Malta in somewhat lower than the Netherlands, but the cost of housing is similar. Travel costs to and from the island were below average EU fares. The cost of living averaged out to near 600 Euros per month, but most of that was spent during COVID era, so prices could be higher for students who can drink at bars, eat at restaurants, or pursue other social events.
4. Preparation and contact with faculty, before, during, and after
The program director, and coordinator at Malta were both easy to contact during the entire time prescribed in the section heading. I found that they always would contact me at the latest 1-2 days after my email was sent and they were able to answer most questions I had beforehand, especially relating to issues such as visas. They were equally receptive to questions related to our course schedules and changes during the semester.
5. Housing
Housing in Malta was difficult for myself and other students through the entire semester. I had great difficulty finding housing that would accept a 5-month contract and was required to use an agent and pay their fees. The quality of housing was not of great quality with issues such as pests being prevalent
during most of my stay. Housing within walking distance of classes is generally not an issue due to distances of most apartments. Additionally, Maltese housing regulations made contract regulation confusing as it was recently changed in regards to short-term leases. Students should try to find housing nearly 1 month in advance, but it is not always possible some students found if you are not there in person. Still, housing was much easier than finding housing in Groningen and I experienced less discrimination for being a foreigner than in Groningen during this process.
6. Culture
The Maltese culture was generally welcoming of foreigners from the European Union and easy to access. The abundance of festivals in the first few weeks made interacting in Maltese cultural heritage easy. The large amount of available night-life was additionally well-suited for students.
7. Free-time
There is an abundance of opportunity for engagement in sports, volunteering, and general leisure activities all over the island. Being a large tourist destination, my group found it easy to explore the island and enjoy the natural and cultural sites. I participated in a local ultimate frisbee league that existed outside the university that was welcoming to students.
8. Travelling
Travelling is difficult for non-EU students who need a Maltese residence permit as the university warned that their permit office is slow and you can face EU penalties for travelling without a valid permit. I did not travel outside Malta because of the COVID-19 situation. Travelling within the island isn’t really a concept as it takes 45 minutes to drive from one end of the country to the other. Travel was also restricted between the islands the majority of our stay.
9. COVID-19 Response
Our program in Malta prepared weeks ahead of the closure of the university for the transition to online education. We principally used Zoom as our online video software and experienced few issues over its use. I stayed in Malta the entirety of the semester and was able to still interact in person with other students for groupwork. I had no issues with our online education and felt that I generally received a similar quality of education.
10. Other
