The Erasmus+ programme offers trips abroad for both students and university staff. As the representatives of the Promotion Office of the University of Zielona Góra, we took advantage of this opportunity, thanks to qualifying for a training trip to the University of Malta. On 22-26 April we visited there a related department responsible for, among other things, promotion, marketing and recruitment - the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office. The visit allowed us to exchange views and professional experiences, learn about the foreign university’s work and see the beautiful corners of Malta where the UM campuses are located.
The Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office is located on the campus in Msida, which was established in 1964 and is the headquarters of the University of Malta. It is primarily here where Maltese academic life takes place.
There we met with the administrative director and other employees of the marketing department who warmly welcomed us and told us about their professional activities. Among other things, we talked about running social media and websites, creating a newsletter, academic traditional media - such as radio and a magazine, visiting high schools, organizing our universities’ Open Days and other promotional activities, as well as recruitment itself.
During our visit we also wanted to present UZ’s latest campaign titled “Different personalities. One community,” which could be noticed on our T-shirts and printed materials. As it turned out, our slogan also fits into the idea of the UM community.
In addition to interesting talks and presentations, the UM staff show us around the campus, where we could see various buildings and offices, as well as the student recreation and accommodation areas. The huge courtyard with a fountain and benches, where one can relax in the shade of the trees, is especially impressive. Also the Campus Hub, i.e. “college town,” located next to the campus buildings, is ideal for students. Right next to the apartments, many facilities, such as stores, restaurants, cafes or gyms, are available. Across the street, we could also see the hospital where medical students learn.
Surely we gave some gifts to each other during the visit! From our hosts we received their university bags full of useful stuff, which will also be a great souvenir. We also brought small gifts for all employees of the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office in the form of the latest UZ's socks, as well as postcards and guides for Zielona Góra. At the same time, it constituted an invitation to our city and university.
The UM staff also told us about the other campuses and encouraged us to visit them. The first of those is the Valletta campus. This is the University of Malta’s oldest building, dating back to the 16th century, and became the university’s headquarters when it was founded in 1769. Although Msida is now the main academic centre, Valletta still houses several UM’s administrative units. Lectures, seminars, conferences and a summer school are also held there.
Another campus is located in Marsaxlokk and houses the laboratories and a lecture hall of one of the university’s institutes (the Institute for Sustainable Energy).
The last of the campuses is located on the island of Gozo. The building itself dates back to the mid-19th century, but has served as UM’s campus since the 1990s. It is used for part-time studies and other courses, and allows students living on Gozo to take their exams right on the island. Moreover, various open events are organised there.
Not only does the University of Malta carry promotional and recruitment activities within its own country, but is also open to the foreign market, which is increasingly becoming its target market. Indeed, a lot of UM’s students come from other European countries and even the United States, Africa and Asia.
This is fostered by the fact that all the degree programs at the University of Malta are delivered in English. Therefore, knowledge of this language at an adequate level is a key requirement for admission to the university.
Poles also study at the UM! What subjects do they choose most often? Among others, there are psychology, criminology, international relations, marketing, as well as the arts.
UM, like our university, offers subjects in many different fields of study. Circa 11500 students learn at 14 faculties there.
UM's academic community is very ethnically diverse, so it is quite a challenge to reconcile different races, cultures, religions or views. UM makes every effort to integrate students. One way is to publish articles telling interesting stories from students’ lives.
Erasmus+ trips also give an opportunity to get to know the culture and history of the places we visit. Also in this case we could count on the team from the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office, which prepared a sightseeing plan with useful tips for us.
What can we say about the UM campus locations? Following their route allows you to fully experience the character of Malta! Valletta is a collection of hundreds of monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a beautiful capital city around which you can wander for hours. Marsaxlokk, on the other hand, is an intimate fishing village, famous for its fish markets and traditional Maltese colourful luzzu boats, which can be admired in a charming bay. The island of Gozo is (just as the main island - Malta) a combination of historic towns and breathtaking views, such as cliffs or grottoes and the Mediterranean Sea in the lead.
Malta is a multicultural country where people of different origins can be met at every turn. This multiculturalism present in Malta’s history for centuries is also reflected in the local language, architecture and culture. Arab, British, French and Italian influences combine there.
Malta’s most distinctive architectural feature is its colourful, built-in balconies (known as gallariji). We passed the first of them on our way to the university in Msida where, as it is believed, one of their prettiest models can be found.
Maltese balconies have various ornaments and colours, which contrast sandy walls and brighten streets. We were curious about where they derive from. As we have found out, their shape came from Muslim culture, where such balconies had given women the opportunity to safely observe the outside world without leaving the house. However, their construction in Malta was mainly about prestige, as both the possession of a wooden balcony and its appearance were indicative of the owner’s social standing.
During our trip we acquired a lot of interesting professional and tourist information. Thank you for hosting us at the University of Malta! Inspiring conversations, meetings and beautiful places gave us plenty of motivation to continue our work. We encourage everyone to participate in the recruitment for the Erasmus+ programme. It is worth developing and exploring the world through such trainings abroad.
