Following our meeting with Minister Hon. Clifton Grima, we are pleased to have established the next steps forward. Throughout the meeting, KSU put forward several points related to grievances, issues, and complaints we receive as a Council. The Minister was relatively receptive whilst giving the Ministry's perspective behind these cuts. 

The €1.1 million deducted was calculated based on the projected savings of the University through an exercise by the Ministry for Finance in consultation with the Finance Department of the University. 

Throughout the meeting, the Minister made it clear that wages and essential services will not be impacted and suggested that there shouldn't be any further cuts for the foreseeable future. With regard to research, the Minister informed KSU that the funds available (totalling around €1.2 million)  have remained untouched despite their availability. 

In response, KSU pointed out a clear issue of mismanagement and miscommunication between the relevant entities, mainly relating to the underfunding of essential services such as the Health and Wellness Centre, library opening hours, research, and general student well-being which will only be aggravated through cuts like these. KSU also pointed out how these cuts will corrode the University's autonomy. 

Throughout the meeting, KSU made it clear that an exercise of re-organising University budgets as holistically as possible taking into account student life is necessary. The Minister was receptive to our concerns and seems open to engaging in lengthy discussions together with KSU and University. 

Thus, we have requested an urgent meeting between KSU, the Ministry for Education, and the University of Malta. In this meeting, we hope to re-prioritise the impact these cuts will have on student life and achieve some form of solution to minimise them as much as possible. 

KSU will be putting forward suggestions in this brainstorming exercise. With this in mind, all feedback is welcome and students are encouraged to send any concerns to KSU directly. We are hoping to hold this meeting within the next week and are optimistic that a solution will be found.