Rose Anne Cuschieri, CEO of Malta’s higher education regulator, will step down in September, Times of Malta has learnt.
Cuschieri was named the entity’s first CEO when the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) was first established in 2021.
Cuschieri will leave the role on September 10, upon reaching pensionable age, a spokesperson for the education ministry said.
“The Ministry thanks Ms Cuschieri for her service and dedication during her time at the helm of the Authority,” the spokesperson added.
When contacted, Cuschieri said she will step down early next month.
The authority is currently advertising a call for applications for the role of CEO.
Before taking on the role of MFHEA CEO, Cuschieri had spent several years as the director for educational services within the secretariat for Catholic education.
Last year, Cuschieri was elected vice president of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management. She has also presided over the Malta Society for Educational Administration and Management since 2021.
The MFHEA is an independent entity that oversees quality standards in education and is tasked with regulating educational institutions that provide further and higher education.
Throughout Cuschieri’s tenure, the authority developed collaborations with counterparts abroad, while developing an action plan for the sector’s progress over the coming years.
It also faced several challenges, including the rise of letterbox universities, some with a dubious reputation.
Earlier this year, Times of Malta revealed that MFHEA had been denied entry to a prominent European quality assurance register after failing an assessment.
The assessment flagged several administrative shortcomings, with MFHEA only fully compliant in six of the assessment’s 13 required standards.