AUM signs collaborative agreement with Arkansas State University

The American University of Malta has finalised an agreement with Arkansas State University for the delivery of dual degree academic programmes.

The start-up university, which operates from a campus at Bormla’s Dock 1 said the programmes will include bachelor’s degrees in finance and business administration.

AUM’s official inauguration was held earlier this month after three years of flak over its failure to attract a substantial number of students.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat defended the project – the brainchild of Jordanian businessperson Hani Salah – insisting with journalists that AUM still had several more years to reach its contractual obligation to attract 4,000 students. The university currently hosts almost 100 students.

Under the terms of the latest agreement signed with Arkansas State University, students who complete coursework at either institution will receive degrees from both institutions.

“This agreement confirms the commitment of AUM to strengthen Malta's position as an international hub for excellence in education,” AUM said in a statement.

The agreement was signed in Malta between AUM president Lewis Walker and Kelly Damphousse, the Chancellor of Arkansas State University in the presence of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.

“By sharing resources, innovative ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit, the students of both institutions will gain the broader international perspective necessary for success in today’s global marketplace. Such partnerships assist AUM as it strives to deliver on its mission to create opportunities that establish Malta as an educational centre in the 21st century,” Walker was quoted as saying.