For the third consecutive year, the organisers of Freshers' Week have come under fire for 'commercialising' campus activities that are meant to help new students familiarise themselves with the University of Malta.
Moviment Graffitti, Pulse and S-Cubed slammed Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) on Monday for choosing to "serve the interests of private companies whose only purpose is profit" instead of celebrating the work of students.
In a statement, the three said the KSU Freshers’ Week should be a week during which new university students have the opportunity to meet other students, speak to different organisations, meet fellow student activists and familiarise themselves with the university.
"Instead, this week is going to be taken over completely by the many companies that sponsor KSU and which will occupy the central spaces at the university."
The central quadrangle in front of the Students’ House, Parking Number Four and the space leading to the Gateway Building are going to be dominated by private companies and commercial enterprises that have nothing to do with university students’ educational experience, they added.
This year, organisations have once again been relegated to a restricted space in front of the main university library where there will be a lot of crowds and it will be hot. The three added that, as in previous years, the loud music will be a nuisance to students working in the library or attending lectures in the vicinity of these spaces.
Studenti Graffitti has been calling for a change in the way Freshers’ Week is organised since 2022.
"We would like student organisations and academics to be at the core of this week’s activities, where they will occupy the majority of spaces with activities for students and academics within the University of Malta.
"Despite these calls, KSU did nothing. Therefore, we are joining two other organisations, Pulse and S-Cubed, to get our message across: We believe that activities organised by students should be at the centre of this special week."
They added that KSU should be financially assisted by the University of Malta itself.