STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS

L.N. 20 of 2014

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS

INCUBATION

In exercise of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74(5) and 75(6) of the

Education Act (CAP. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has promulgated

the following Statute made by the Council of the University of Malta in virtue of the

powers conferred upon it by articles 72(h), 75(2) and 77(c) of the said Act

Citation

This statute may be cited as the Statute for the Centre for Entrepreneurship

and Business Incubation.

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and

Business Incubation”; and

“the Centre” shall mean the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business

Incubation”.

Establishment

The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation is hereby established

as an institution of the University of Malta.

Objectives and Functions

The aims of the Centre shall be

(a) to stimulate and support the growth and development of Entrepreneurship

in, inter alia, Science, Technology, Engineering, Media and Creative Industries in

Malta on practical, strategic, educational, and research levels;

(b) to deliver a world-class, postgraduate education and training in

Entrepreneurship, through, inter alia, a practical hands-on approach;

(c) to supply various Faculties, Institutes and Centres at the University of Malta

with Entrepreneurship-related teaching and advice at different academic levels;

(d) to engage in business incubation at the University of Malta, and to oversee

the running of a business incubator at the University of Malta in close liaison with

the Office of Corporate Research and Knowledge Transfer and the Malta University

Holding Company;

(e) to engage in generating and coordinating funding efforts related to

Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation;

(f) to stimulate and engage in world-class, cutting-edge Entrepreneurship and

Business Incubation best practices;

(g) to stimulate and engage in world-class, cutting edge research in

Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation disseminated in leading conferences,

journals and books in the field;

(h) to participate in local and international collaborations and research, funded

and otherwise, with leading institutions in the field;

(i) to contribute to the development of the local and international Entrepreneurship

and Business Incubation community through participation in networking events,

conference organization, chairing and reviewing committees of such conferences,

journals and books.

Governance

The Centre shall be governed by a Board that will consist of the following

(i) Chairman: Rector or his delegate;

(ii) Vice-Chairman: Director of the Centre;

(iii) a representative of the Office of Corporate Research and Knowledge

Transfer;

(iv) a representative of the Malta University Holding Company;

(v) a person appointed by the Council of the University;

(vi) a person appointed by the Senate of the University;

(vii) up to two representatives of the academic staff affiliated with the Centre;

(viii) up to two students representatives registered with the Centre;

(ix) up to four persons possessing expertise and experience in the field of

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation, to be recommended

by the Board and approved by Senate.

The Registrar or his/her delegate shall act as Secretary to the Board.

All members of the Board, other than those appointed ex officio, the two

representatives of the academic staff and the two student representatives shall be

appointed for a period of one year, renewable for up to four years. A retiring member

will be eligible for re-appointment.

The function of the Board shall be

(a) to govern the affairs of the Centre, subject to the provisions of these statutes

and of such regulations, policies or directions as may from time to time be approved

by the Council and the Senate;

(b) to decide the policy of the Centre, to supervise its activities and administration,

and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Board may

(i) approve business plans and annual estimates of revenue and expenditure of

the Centre for consideration and approval by the Council;

(ii) with the written concurrence of the Rector enter into agreements with third

parties for funding of the Centre or of particular activities;

(iii) publish an annual report;

(iv) enrol the Centre in associations or institutions sharing similar aims and

interests;

(v) propose Regulations and Bye-Laws to the Senate;

(vi) require from staff members of the Centre the production of reports on

academic matters, including the curricula of courses of study, qualifications for

admission to courses, examinations, and certificates of attendance or qualification;

(vii) recommend to the Council the creation or removal of academic and non-

academic posts in the Centre;

(viii) propose for approval to the Senate, Boards of Studies and Examiners for

postgraduate degree programmes.

(c) to oversee the strategy and policy of the business incubator, to supervise its

activities and administration, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing,

the Board may

(i) approve business plans and annual estimates of revenue and expenditure of

the business incubator, setting targets to be achieved by this resource;

(ii) analyse periodic management accounts;

(iii) approve the enrolment of persons and companies into the business incubator,

and the conditions of such enrolment;

(iv) with the written consent of the Rector, approve agreements with third parties

for the financing of businesses and entrepreneurial endeavours within the incubator,

including inter alia, with Business Angels, Business Angel Networks, Venture Capital

companies, Banks and other Finance entities, including governmental ministries,

institutions and agencies;

(v) enrol the business incubator in associations and institutions sharing similar

aims and interests.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Centre shall have a Director and Staff

(a) the Director of the Centre shall be appointed according to the procedure for

the appointment of Directors of Institutes and Centres as approved by the Council

of the University, for a duration of one year, with the possibility of renewal annually

subject to established performance criteria, the needs of the Centre and the needs of

the University, for a total period not exceeding four (4) years; and

(b) the staff of the Centre shall be appointed by the University according to the

usual practice.

Duties of the Director

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director shall include

(a) general responsibility for the running of the Centre in terms of the aims

listed in 4 (a) to (i) outlined above;

(b) compiling and submitting to the Registrar of the University by not later than

January of each academic year, an updated comprehensive prospectus of the content

descriptions of all current and projected study-units offered by members of the Centre

as per guidelines established by the Programme Validation Committee;

(c) promoting the development and implementation of the Centre’s curricula,

entrepreneurial activities, business incubation activities and research programmes;

(d) ensuring that the study-units offered by the staff members of the Centre

are delivered in accordance with the advertised programme of studies; the Director

must ensure that lecturing staff under his remit deliver all lectures, seminars and

tutorials assigned to them respectively, at the time and venue advertised in the official

timetable, and that any deviations thereof are formally registered, and the students

duly notified in good time;

(e) delivering and implementing the strategic plan of the Centre and the Business

Incubator under the guidance of the Board;

(f) promoting students’ academic and personal welfare and providing first-line

support to students with any difficulties they may encounter during their studies in

academic programmes offered by the Centre;

(g) monitoring the running of examinations in the Centre and ensuring that all

assessment and examination results are submitted to the Registrar’s Office within

following deadlines

January session – by the end of March;



May/June session – final year results by not later than two working



days prior the final year degree classification board but in any case

not later than end of July, other results as early as possible but not

later than the end of July;

September session – by the end of September



(h) liaising with the Director of Corporate Research and Knowledge Transfer

as required, to ensure the smooth day-to-day operations of the Business Incubator;

(i) administering the Centre in full consultation with the members; monitoring

and approving requests for leave of absence of members of the Centre; maintaining

records of all leave taken by members and passing on these records to the Director of

Human Resources Management and Development upon request;

(j) encouraging and facilitating co-operation with other universities, institutions,

entrepreneurial organizations and business incubators both local and international;

(k) chairing meetings of the Board in the absence and with the permission of the

Chairman;

(l) ensuring and facilitating the further development and training of academic

and non-academic staff;

(m) participating at any meeting of the University congruent with the post;

(n) representing the Centre during official functions of the University;

(o) compiling and submitting to the Secretary of the University by the end of

September of each academic year, an annual report approved by the Board, outlining

the activities of the Centre and the Business Incubator for the outgoing year, which

should include, amongst others, information that may be requested by the Secretary: a

comprehensive list of recent publications of all members of the Centre; a synopsis of

all projects involving members of the Centre which are wholly or partially externally

funded; a list of all conferences/seminars/meetings attended abroad by

members of the Centre during term time; and an outline of the Centre’s collaboration

with third parties including local industry, Government or civil society at large; a

management report focusing on the activities of the Business Incubator;

(p) compiling and submitting to the Director of Finance of the University, by

not later than end of May of each academic year budgetary estimates approved by

the Board for the following year including a manpower plan for the Centre and the

Business Incubator, to cover the projected teaching, research and administration

workload of the Centre and the Incubator, and based on the projected workload for

each Resident Academic member of the Centre and Visiting Teaching Staff, and the

Administrative staff of the Business Incubator;

(q) monitoring the performance of the non-academic staff attached to the

Centre;

(r) authorising the Centre’s procurement of equipment; ensuring that the

resources assigned to the Centre – whether human or other – are utilized fully and

efficiently;

(s) performing other duties which may be assigned by the University from time

to time.

The Director moreover

(a) is to report directly to the Chairman of the Board governing the Centre and

shall collaborate with all senior administrative officers of the University;

(b) shall be a Resident Academic engaged with the University on a full-time

basis for the duration of his tenure as Director;

(c) should not be engaged in any other activity outside the University which

may be in conflict with, or distract him/her from, his duties at the University;

(d) is expected to be present on campus or any designated University of Malta

site at least during normal office hours from Monday to Friday throughout the year

subject to the exigencies of an academic in accordance with the University’s practices

and needs and subject to normal leave entitlement and public holidays as provided

for at law; should his absence be necessary and justified he must ensure that he is

immediately contactable through the secretarial staff of the Centre;

(e) shall not give access to any information to any third party that is not

associated with the University of Malta, about any work or data that relates to tasks

conducted at the University of Malta without the prior approval of the University of

Malta; all work carried out within the Centre must be treated according to Maltese

data protection legislation;

(f) is to abide with the statutes, regulations and policies of the University of

Malta, which are in force now or will become effective in the duration of his tenure.

The Treasurer

The Director of Finance of the University shall be the Treasurer of the

Centre.

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