Form long before, since during the last periods of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and even now with president Nasheedh’s presidency, they are making promises of establishing a public university in Maldives. Due to many reasons and attitude of former and current government towards this, many of us believe that it’s a dream. Eventhough we moved from developing countries to least developed countries, Maldives is the ONLY country in the south, southwest and central Asia without a UNIVERSITY.
However, establishment of University of Milano-Bicocca’s new research outpost in Faafu, Magoodhoo is a good alarm. The announcement of getting chances to maldivian students to study for degrees in marine biology, environmental management, tourism economy and management in the research outpost going to establish in Maldives, officially named the ‘International University Centre for Research and Higher Education’ has brought a happiness to lot of Maldivian students. The university outpost is a joint initiative between the government and the University of Milano-Bicocca, based in Milan, Italy.
The University of Milano-Bicocca is one of Italy’s top three universities, where 900 lecturers and researchers teach over 30,000 students in 71 different courses. The University is renowned as a world-class tropical marine biology research institute. It is also famed for having one of Italy’s top hospitality and hotel management schools.
President and Rector of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Professor Fontanesi, on Tuesday said, “Our University’s mission is to promote world-class research and teaching. The Maldives is a unique place to study tropical marine eco-systems, coral reefs and the impact of human activity on the environment.”
“We are delighted to provide educational opportunities for Maldivian students to study at the University of Milano-Bicocca outpost in Magoodhoo, as well as in Italy. We received a very enthusiastic welcome from Magoodhoo during our visit to the island yesterday. We want to involve the local community as much as possible in the university outpost,” Professor Fontanesi added.
At present, there is no university in the country, and getting a status of a Maldives Public University to ‘Maldives College of Higher Education’ is not known.
Yes. We don't have a university. But here in our country everything is done for name sake. Many will find this hard to believe. But all the books in the central library of Maldives College of Higher Education are labeled as, MNU Maldives National University.
ReplyDeleteplease don't have too high hopes. an outpost (resource centre) is NOT a teaching facility where MALDIVES STUDENTS can attend lectures and earn a degree!!! italy's university decided to have a marine resource centre in maldives because of the beautiful ocean around it and they want to send down their ITALY STUDENTS to this outpost for research projects. Heyoverikan Movement.
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