The American University of Malta was nothing more than a "failed business venture" that should have its education licence revoked, the Partit Demokratiku said on Saturday. 

In a statement, the party called on the National Commission for Higher Education to revoke the AUM's tertiary education licence, saying Malta's reputation was at stake. 

"It is difficult to envisage that AUM will ever provide five Bachelor courses, a Masters course and four PhD courses let alone increase our economic growth by 85 M [sic]," the party said. 

The Jordan-financed AUM has gotten off to a torrid start, with just 15 students enrolled, works on its Dock 1 campus reportedly behind schedule and all but three of its full-time staff sacked during their probationary period. 

"The AUM is nothing more than a failed business venture despite it being given special concessions by direct order. Let us call a spade a spade," the PD said. 

READ: A 15-student university does not need 18,000 square metres of ODZ land

It noted that various government projects had only ended up enriching the select few, and called for future project proposals to first be subjected to feasibility studies. 

The PD echoed Nationalist Party calls for Żonqor Point land earmarked for an AUM campus to be returned to the general public, and said the Dock 1 building the university was currently using should also be returned and made available to residents.  

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