Godfrey Vella appointed chairman of education watchdog

Former university lecturer and chairman of the National Commission for IT, Godfrey Vella, has been appointed chairman of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE).

Vella has a wide experience within the digital and ICT sectors in both the private and public sectors.

He will spearhead the NCFHE’s new board, which sees the appointment of Dr Bernard Gauci as deputy chairperson, and Anatole Baldacchino, Charles Caruana Carabez, Jennifer Casingena Harper, Desiree Cassar, Michael Debattista, Cory Greenland, Ian Mifsud and Prof. John P. Portelli as members.

Benny Borg Bonello will be the board secretary.

Vella replaces Martin Scicluna at the NCFHE’s helm after the latter’s three-year term came to an end on 16 July.

Scicluna’s last weeks in office were characterised with the application by Sadeen Group to set up the American University of Malta.

In his last press conference on 15 July, Scicluna had announced that the commission had rejected a proposed meeting with Sadeen, warning the Jordanian firm that it must either accept all its conditions or withdraw its application.

He had told the press then that he had offered to stay on as chairperson to see Sadeen’s application through, but added that education minister Evarist Bartolo had pointed that the law required the chairperson to leave the post or stay on for a further three years.

Sciculna said he was not prepared to sign on for another three years.