Lecturers, students, confused and disappointed by university funding cut

News that the government is to cut its funding to the university by €1.1 million drew frustration from students and concern from lecturers and the Malta Union of Teachers on Wednesday.
The funding cut was revealed by the university's rector in an e-mail to faculty heads and other university officials on Tuesday. The e-mail was made public by the Nationalist Party.
The University Students' Council (KSU) said Malta was already at the bottom of Europe's research investment rankings and the budgetary cut would only make matters worse.
"As tomorrow’s professionals, University students deserve a space that is not clutching at straws for financial survival, but one that can provide them with the necessary tools to thrive,"  the council said in a statement, adding that the university must explore new ways to gain financial independence from the government.
"The University should have the necessary budget to be able to innovate and improve its services, and not cut corners at the students’ academic expense," it said. 

It observed that the university was already under-funded and consequently, essential services such as a 24/7 library and the upgrading of outdated infrastructure had...