Why 22 years? Because that was when I had my first Fulbright appointment at what was then called the Royal University of Malta. It was as a Professor of Economics in the then new B.A. (Hons) course in Economics. Since then my wife and I have brought student study groups here on half a dozen occasions as well as several personal visits. We have a deep affection for this island nation and its people.
Many of the readers of this piece will think of 22 years as a long time while others will know from experience how really short it is. Students always think of their teachers as "old". My Maltese students of that first stay are shocked when I tell them that they are now older than I was when I taught them in the old University building in Valletta (and some of the students of my early years at Luther College are shocked to learn that I am still alive). What I mean is that, when we look ahead to any length of time it seems endless but when we look back, it has happened in 'the wink of an eye'.
Are there many changes to observe? Of course! We came here in 1966 with five children ages 11-18. Those "children" are now 33-40 and have given us seven grandchildren. Oh, some things do not change; in '66 I was bald and now in '89 I still am.
At the University there has been the change in name and in location. One writer referred to Valletta as the "City of Yells, Bells and Smells" and I certainly found it so, especially in mild weather with the windows open. At the same time, there was a pleasant mystique involved in being a part of the academic life in that historic place. The new campus has a lovely location and is in the process of being renovated and soon expanded.
Other than name and physical location what changes are observable at the University? More students, more faculties, a wider range of options for students, more female students, etc. What hasn't changed? the Rector, Prof. Edwin Borg Costanzi is the same, though older, as Fr. Peter Serracino Inglott. There seem to be fewer members of the Clergy on the faculty. It is still difficult and expensive to obtain textbooks. The library seems even more crowded if that is possible. Absent are the "bells, yells and smells".
A comparison between the University of Malta and the college at which I have taught for 40 years brings to mind three things: facilities, students and curriculum. Although Luther College is blessed with exceptional facilities, the Maltese and American students seem to me to be completely interchangeable. That is, in both groups there are excellent scholars as well as what we call "gentlemen C types". The big difference between the University of Malta and most American colleges and universities is probably in the area of examinations. Courses run for a single term (semester of 4 1/2 months) and during that time the students will have up to five examinations plus a comprehensive final. The examinations are typically a combination of multiple choice, matching, completion and essay questions. What is called a dissertation here is called a senior research paper but they look about the same.
It is in Malta itself that there are the most readily observable changes. There are, of course, more people but also more bicycles (I don't remember seeing any in '66), cars and horses. The new 'Malta lace' is the abundance of television antennae pointed toward Italy. The VCR, unknown then, has brought the video rental stores. The other stores present a much wider array of products of higher quality and of much more contemporary fashion. There are fewer cinemas but the films seem to be of a more recent vintage than used to be the case.
As an American, I am still a bit bothered by driving on the left hand side of the road but I do it, and have even altered my reaction to stop signs. I have found an increased mileage of good, hard-surfaced roads to speed us on our sightseeing ventures. At thesame time, I think that some of the deep holes in some of the side roads and streets are the same I encountered 22 years ago.
There are more modern public buses and tourist buses. When we arrived for our first stay we were amazed at how some of the seemingly ancient public buses kept running. Now we find that many of them are still in use along with more modern models. That is one of the great skills of the Maltese - the ability to keep cars, trucks and other forms of machinery operating long after they would have been retired in other societies.
The tourist industry was in its infancy and there were many failings in learning to deal with this new source of revenue. Now one can observe hotels and other facilities servicing every level. There are many, many more excellent restaurants and a wider variety of other services for tourists (for example, I don't remember any chance to take a harbour cruise). It is easier to get to Gozo because of larger, more dependable ferryboats. We were here for an entire academic year in 1966-67 and never got to Gozo even once!
The garbage trucks are a much more contemporary quality than the rather quaint ones we knew before. At the same time, the actual pick-up seems more haphazard. Overall there seems to be an overabundance of litter throughout this beautiful land and the voices of protest about it seem to go unheard.
The somewhat sleepy, reticent Malta of our past acquaintance now seems to have become alive and vibrant. The evidence of change and modernization is evident in every building project and water main extension. A professor of mine once told us, "the price of progress is a lot of inconvenience". But I see it in other ways, too. In the greater number of industrial estates, in the wider array of cultural events available to the public, in the vast improvement in the museums, in the greater number of art exhibits, etc.
There are always negatives connected with progress and that is what my old professor (all professors are old) was trying to tell us. However, the greatest negative, I, as an outsider-friend observe, is the increased political polarization that has occurred. The hint of political instability will quickly diminish Malta's attractiveness to both tourist and investor and the nation needs both.
I must end this litany of observed changes with a comment about what has not changed. From our first encounter, through the years to our current stay we have been captured by the warmth and friendliness of the people. Over 45 Maltese students have attended Luther College with most staying to gain their BA degree. It is an unlikely association with students from a Roman Catholic nation located in the middle of a vast sea and possessing a mild climate, attending a Protestant college located in the middle of a vast continent in an area possessing a very harsh climate. Those Maltese students have carried their warmth and friendliness to Decorah, Iowa, USA and have become popular parts of the student body of 2,350. It is evident that they have gained the same affection for our little college and town as my wife and I have for their small nation. That warmth and friendliness is Malta's greatest asset. I pray it will never be lost or tarnished.
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(Article reproduced with permission: NEWSLETTER NO 4, April 1989 AIESEC NC (MALTA), Humanities Bldg, University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq, Msida, Malta)
E-mail to Prof. Warren Berg.