President Mohamed Nasheed this morning inaugurated the Maldives National University and appointed former education minster Dr Mustafa Luthfy as the university’s first chancellor, presenting him with the institution’s seal.
Acting Vice Chancellor Hassan Hameed will remain in the post until the university appoints a new Vice Chancellor.
During his speech at the inauguration ceremony, President Nasheed said it was necessary to appoint “a steady person to hold the rudder of the university.”
“He has to be a person who understands the changes occurring in the nation and society,” Nasheed said.
The President noted that both the right to education and freedom of expression were part of democracy and that the university would uphold these ideals.
”This university will play an important role in transferring democracy to our children, and our children’s children,” Nasheed said.
Dr Mustafa Luthfy said he hoped the national university would one day become “the Oxford” of the Maldives, and thanked the commitment of those who helped achieve the significant national milestone.
The new university represents the evolution of the existing Maldives College of Higher Education (MCHE).
Speaking later to Minivan News, Dr Luthfy explained that MCHE had managed to meet the conditions required to establish a fully fledged university; not least in the requirement of ensuring a certain percentage of staff hold PhDs and Masters degrees.
“That was not easy to achieve,” he said. “In the past the government has provided a loan facility to train staff.”
MCHE was already running degree programs and was particularly strong in teacher education, he explained – Luthfy himself started his career as a teacher and was the head of the early teacher training institute. By achieving university status, Luthfy believes that the Maldives will now be able to better establish relationships with regional and international universities and cooperate with regard to the exchange of knowledge and experience.
“The Vice President noted key areas where the Maldives had a comparative advantage,” Luthfy said, suggesting the Maldives could develop subjects such as marine and environmental science, Islamic studies, tourism and hospitality, as well as democracy and development.
University status also opened up the Maldives to competition, he noted.
“Nationally we have to improve the quality of education to compete with the education provided at other national institutions,” he explained. “The Maldives is now an open society, and there is a lot of interest among international universities to come here and promote their courses. We will have to compete with them.”
A major challenge, he said, was ensuring a steady intake of undergraduates from the schooling system.
“Maldivians love education, and certainly spend a lot on it. The problem is that the quality of the school education is not high – it’s only recently that we achieved a 35 percent pass rate at O’level,” he said.
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Happy news. Thanks you. It's long overdue.
Congratulations...I am not fan of MDP..but a national University is something that this country has been waiting for a long time..I truly hope that this university one day becomes a respected internationally acclaimed institution..i love education and i believe through education is the only way Maldives can survive as a nation in these competitive times..i also urge the relevant authorities to find ways and means to start science, technology and engineering courses as well....these will require huge investments by the government...I hope this University becomes and invaluable national asset.
Is it that abandoned construction site near the Southern Tunnel?
and what does this university teach... how to repair air conditioners???
here is a tip for musthafa lutufee.. the thing is todays children (youth) they don't like going to universities which remind them of high school. wear a dress up till your "elbow" to your "ankle". cover your "cleavage"... not music, art, science. we want creativity... innovative experiences... not air condition repairing or teaching. even if maldives needs local teachers. you people have always taken this reason as an excuse, "we don't have enough local teachers or enough doctors or enough this and that"
common its not only that, in tourism , in social science, in general science... we need more and its your responsibly to provide us more.
the worse thing is that other than any other country we have to spend five to six years in studying to reach to a degree if we are not rich enough to study in abroad. after all the studying what d we get a bad job when all the good and effective jobs are controlled and already reserved for the so called "high class yuppies".
"... it’s only recently that we achieved a 35 percent pass rate at O’level".
The pass rates are directly correlated with the quality of the teaching and staff. Teaching staff who can keep a disciplined school and provide quality education will produce good grades.
Of course, money is needed to bring in and retain teaching staff of such calibre.
Luthfy was doing a good job when he led the Education Ministry. He is a capable guy, which is why the opposition got rid of him!
I hope he has the chance to shape the Higher Education sector.
A modern university,with modern ideas to send educated Maldivians out into a modern world---what could be simpler???
Last year when King Abdulla of Saudi inaugurated King Abdullaa University of Science and Technology (KAUST), by investing over 20 billion dollars, he said he want this university to become beacon of science, where knowledge is respected only. He hired a well known Chancellor of National University of Singapore and 25 faculty professors from USA, and Europe.
Similarly President Nasheed could have done at this infantile stage of university, rather than appointing most polarized and controversial figure in Maldives as chancellor of the university.
May be Dr. Mustafa is a right person, but his image has been tarnished because of dirty politics he has involved past few years.
We had lot of hopes for this university, it was inspired us people like Dr. Waheed's vision.
But our President is always talking to divide us rather than nation building. He has some serious issues, with former regime and he is stuck with that, why should we suffer because of his personal issues, why should we compromise our future generations educational institutes.
Its time for to raise our voice every where.
A good move potentially but just feels like opportunistic politics since Luthfy needed a big job and a big salary after being ousted from cabinet.
good news!
don't we also have a comparative advantage on many other science subjects. especially astronomy. boy you have to look at our skies in the night. i've never seen such starry nights in other countries except few exceptions.
I am happy to get the news. If the University is to be successful, it needs to build a reputation that can compete at least with those in the region in whatever area of study it is able to offer. It needs to give confidence to the locals who will opt of the local university (as to overseas universities) out of choice. For this to happen
1. Teachers (or professors) are the main actors who should be able to engage students in active learning, create enthusiasm and passion for knowledge. They minds have to be broader than the degree they hold. It has to be creative and committed.
2. It must build a diverse environment and should not "shape" up students. Students must be able to develop intellectually and physically and spiritually as individuals.
3. It should provide for options for students future (that supports them to prepare for a diversified world and to be service focused). We have people who hold phds and degrees but have absolutely zero ability to deal with people and have no skills to apply intelligence in their work.
4.Distinctive qualities is more than a mere statement of mission.This brings the question of independent thinking and free expression - probably the biggest challenge
Last but not least,a university is not just an educational center but a place of love - for knowledge and people that functions only when there is an intelligent attraction between "teachers" and "students".
The problem with Maldives higher education system is to factions mainly control the sector namely health workers and primary teacher educators. Another big obstruction is Hassan Hameed he cannot appreciate any ideas other than what he see is right. The university whole structure is based on Hassan Hameed's bogus ideas. The way he use to count his steps from home to office and speed.
And also the who university structure these guys are making things only where they see in NZ and Aussi, none of those two has world class competent research as it in UK, USA,Germany or Japan or that matter even in India.
I dont know from where they found this lecturer grade 1 -5 in universities.
The whole problem is Hassan Hameed why we didn't got better system like US or Japan. This guy see every thing in his short sighted mind. Its clear he has been there over a decade and its time for a change, University to announce to hire a vice chancellor on international scientific journals. Namely Nature jobs to find qualified experienced professor with experience.
I call upon Dr. Waheed to initiate this to bring a competent vice chancellor at least the beginning of the university otherwise this whole thing will be a big failure and a liability to our already fragile economy.
The problem with Maldives higher education system is two factions mainly control the sector namely health workers and primary teacher educators. Another big obstruction is Hassan Hameed he cannot appreciate any ideas other than what he see is right. The university whole structure is based on Hassan Hameed’s bogus ideas. The way he use to count his steps from home to office and speed.
And also the whole university structure these guys are making things only where they see in NZ and Aussi, none of those two has world class competent research as it in UK, USA,Germany or Japan or that matter even in India.
I dont know from where they found this lecturer grade 1 -5 in universities.
The whole problem is Hassan Hameed why we didn’t got better system like US or Japan. This guy see every thing in his short sighted mind. Its clear he has been there over a decade and its time for a change, University to announce to hire a vice chancellor on international scientific journals. Namely Nature jobs to find qualified experienced professor with experience.
I call upon Dr. Waheed to initiate this to bring a competent vice chancellor at least the beginning of the university otherwise this whole thing will be a big failure and a liability to our already fragile economy.
Ekaloa,
I think that's an unfair comparison to make with King Abdullah University, considering it is an ambitious 10 billion dollar investment, compared to our more modest one.
IMHO, the University could do very well in areas related to Marine research.
It would be nice if they can bring in foreign funds and researchers, but I just do not see the government sinking massive resources towards research and academia at a time when they're struggling to pay civil service salaries.
@Aminath darling, what you are talking "teacher student"relation. We are in 21st century there is nothing called teacher student in universities anymore. Its excellence and intelligence compete now in universities, its problem based learning.Information is every where now, nobody taught Mark Zuckerburg to make a Facebook to become a billionaire in his 20s. Teachers are kind of irrelevant now, only thing in universities now you need is funding for research and freedom of thinking.
@Yaamyn I didn't compare KAUST to MNU, I said similarly he could have hired professional experienced chancellor for at least to start a good foundation. I understand we don't have 20 billion dollars to invest. But at laest we can hire somebody better than Dr.Mustafa. May be we can ask even UNESCO to send us a person to initiate this university.
This will not become another Oxford. It will not even an Al Azhar. It will become a Madrassa in Swat Valley!
@Freedom of thinking...
That's a far fetched notion for us....hmmmm
University is good for maldives. But we need qualified people to be lecturers. We need professors too. Dont you think we need to reform the course outlines they are following now? dont you think we need more books researched on Maldives and knowlege. For example look at law faculty...they are teaching common law and islamic law only...what about maldivina law? It is a shame that none of the Maldivian lecturers have written good text books of reference in English for the students of Maldives and international students could refer to. It is such a shame. yet we say foreign students could also come to our university and get knowledge.
why dont we bring our fellow maldivians serving abroad as lecturers and professors to our university? Cant they help our nation? Why cant the university give good salary to these professors? I wonder why!
Even though Dr Luthfee is there, University can run in a proper manner. But WE NEED PHD HOLDERS AND PROFESSORS!
As a Maldivian, I am happy that we have finally got a University. However, my biggest concern is that there are no local academic staff in the university to begin with. It is a national shame that almost all the PhDs in this country, who got the scholarship at the expense of others, are in political positions, or in politics. I think it a moral duty for them to give their service to the country, by joining the university at least until the university is well-established. We dont need all these DOCTORS in political high positions, in independent commissions and politics.
Away from the politics of it all--has this new university, accomodation within its grounds,for the students..All the universities in UK have what is called"halls of residence"where new students have comfortable/cheap accomodation on the university campus,which in turn allows the new students to settle into university life without any worries..Am I being cynical in thinking maybe the Male landlords are already rubbing their hands in anticipation of more rent??
Dr. Waheed, You have just politicized the National University in your stupid speech.
Ekaloa : u talk crap. u know that?
At last we have a national university.lets see what it brings for us.
Kon namettha kiyanee?
"University of Maldives"? OR "The National University of Maldives"? OR ??
we are so happy that atlast a national university is opened in our country. i truly agree that hassan hameed should be not in that position because we do not need autocratic leaders but someone who shares the ideas and respect others ideas rather than just firmly sticking to his own rules and ideas.
Nice to see the nice step. Personnaly I thanks to present VC for his early encouragement. Hope Maldives will go for better eduction for all specially girls. Good luck
Having many national and states, as wel as private universities, other degree awarding institutions, polytechs, and many schools of medical & nursing sciences in my country NIGERIA.
I Wish maldive wil have more than that of mine one day, pray for the sustainance of your university not subortaging government......
I wish you very best and hopely to come for my MSC One day....
May “ALLAH“ guid maldive and its peoples....
You maldivians are pessimist i saw lovely destination spot in your country i was like WAO but ur comment about ur first national university is nothing to write home about.You dont know Americans come together to build America. Rome was not built in a day
good news for all asian elite peole . let the fragrance of this university spread all over the world . it should have history dept for promoting archaeollogical studies & to train the students in the field of archival studies they preserve the history culture of the country . i hope the university will get sucess in the teaching /research fields . i wish u all sucess