American-born Prof. John Ryder, a former rector of the Khazar University of Baku, Azerbaijan is to head the American Institute of Malta, formerly known as the American University of Malta.

He is currently the provost of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, a private university in the United Arab Emirates, which has nothing to do with the Jordanian Sadeen Group that is setting up the institute in Malta.

The American Institute of Malta was yesterday granted an operating licence, allowing it to offer three courses at Bachelor’s level.

The National Commission for Further and Higher Education announced the granting of a one-year temporary licence to Sadeen Education Investment Ltd – owned by two investors from the Jordanian construction business – to start operating as a higher education institute.

Calling the development a first step, the commission said it had been informed by the applicant he still intended to pursue a fully-fledged university licence in the name of American University of Malta. It said the application filed last May by Sadeen Investments to open a university was still active.

The application for a higher education institute was submitted last November. 

So far, the commission has approved six lecturers to work in the new institution under John Ryder.