Call for preservation of military architecture

Despite the important historical and architectural significance of Malta's fortifications, the larger part of this heritage is in a poor and deplorable state of preservation, and has deteriorated further over the last few decades, Stephen Spiteri said on behalf of the graduands at yesterday's graduation ceremony.

The overall picture of Malta's fortifications today is one of general abandonment and misuse, accompanied by an accelerating deterioration of the architectural fabric, all compounded further by the sheer scale, magnitude, and diversity of a huge mass of buildings, he said.

"Compared stone for stone, fortifications surpass all our churches and palaces put together," he stressed.

Dr Spiteri, who graduated Doctor of Philosophy, added that finding the financial and human resources, and technical expertise, to tackle conservation was now so huge a problem that it would not be possible to remedy the situation without help from foreign sources.

To sustain large-scale interventions (which cannot be remedied in the short-term), it was also essential to create a pool of professionally-trained architects, restorers and craftsmen.

In the five years that he has been lecturing on military architecture, Dr Spiteri was surprised to learn that a considerable proportion of Maltese people were oblivious to the presence of these fortifications and their inestimable value.

"It is as if our educational system has failed altogether to inculcate an awareness, let alone a sense of appreciation, of the salient features that make up our historical landscape."

Dr Spiteri felt the university should consider commemorating Quentin Hughes, who was dedicated to instilling in his students the need to appreciate the fortifications. One of his unfulfilled ambitious was to establish a museum devoted to the military architecture of Malta, he said.

"The need is still there, and perhaps, the university, through the Faculty of Architecture, or the Institute of Baroque Studies, can take the lead to create such an institution. If run on professional and academic lines, with emphasis on research and study, such a museum would give a legitimacy to the subject that, at present, it still fails to enjoy locally."

Architectural appreciation of these massive ramparts and the buildings they house needs no longer remain simply a by-product of tourism, but rather a primary reason for it, Dr Spiteri said, highlighting the importance of architectural tourism in Malta.

"If we seem to have lost or, better still, discarded, the sensibility and ability to build structures that can inspire and enrich our landscape, rather than exploit it for all that it is worth, let us at least make sure we preserve what was built with such ingenuity and skill".

Ivan Callus from the Department of English, Faculty of Education, also addressed the graduation ceremony asking what was to be done about the "humanities matter".

"Thankfully, there is increasing awareness that a formation in the humanities, even for those following other career choices, does not run counter to employability," Dr Callus said.

The following students graduated yesterday:

(* denotes in absentia)

Master of Arts in Creativity and Innovation
Sponsor: Dr S. Dingli
Sergio Azzopardi, Angele Azzopardi Giuliano, Monica Bugeja, Emanuel Darmanin, Nathalie Debono, Joan Hamilton, Joseph Joel Micallef, Richard Anthony Muscat, Stephen Portelli, Shirley Pulis Xerxen.

Master in Diplomacy
Sponsor: Dr S. Calleja
Muhannad M. Alwan Al-Miahi, Wang Bangfu, Ebru Ekeman, Hanan El Khatib, Mohamed Raed Hergli, Mohamed Nabil Kasraoui, Lana Sadi Ibrahim Lulu, Karim Fekry Mohamed Moukhtar, Hanno Parksepp, Dmytro Senik, Raimonds Vingris, Mourad Youssry.

Master of Arts in Diplomatic Studies
Sponsor: Dr S. Calleja
Saviour Aquilina, Lysanne Milja Celine Bakker, Matthew Buttigieg*, Christianne Caruana, Valerie Croin, Michela-Maria Debattista, Neil Kerr, Maria Konstantinidou, Adam Kuymizakis, David Ian Mansfield, Maria Micallef, Roberto Pace, Edward Spiteri, Maria Luisa Spiteri*, Vuk Trajkovic, Darren Vella*, Philip Vella*, Keith Zammit Marmara, Alan Keith Zerafa, Zhiqin Zhou.

Master of Arts C.C.T
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. S. Chircop
Joseph Mercieca.

Master of Arts in European Studies
Sponsor: Prof. P. G. Xuereb
Brenda Azzopardi, Robert Azzopardi, Natasha Barbara, Nicholas Bugeja, Nadezhda Calleja, Marixei Callus, Mark De Martino, Justin Facciol, Andre Fenech, Valerie Fenech, Sandra Galea, Ryan Grech*, Alexander Grima, Luke Incorvaja, Janet Said, Ivan-Carl Saliba, Norma M. Saliba, Malcolm Scicluna, Clint Tanti, Ausonia Vancell, John Vella, Amanda Zammit.

Master of Arts in Baroque Studies
Sponsor: Prof. D. De Lucca
Antonia Formosa, Vincent Zammit.

Master of Science
Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella
Charlot Agius, Malcolm Azzopardi, Graziella Bartolo, Michel Camilleri, Daniela Cauchi, Thomas Cuschieri*, Ian Dimech, Paulseph-John Farrugia, Tony Farrugia, Keith Fenech, Claudette Gambin, Marika Josepha Gauci, Ruth Guillaumier, Jonathan Henwood, Monique Hili, Mildred Magro, Mary Rose Portelli, Simon Sciberras, Martin Saliba, Robert Tanti, Christine Vella.

MSC in Conservation Tech for Masonry Buildings
Sponsor: Prof. A. Torpiano
Tabitha Mifsud.

Master of Science in Engineering
Sponsor: Prof. Ing. M. Grech
Duncan Bonnici, Blasio Muscat, Keith Muscat, Christopher Paul Sant, Jeremy Scerri, Malcolm Tabone, Denis Vella.

Master of Arts
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Nidal Al-Shoucairy, Suzanne Bottone, Aimee Brincat, Catherine Camilleri, Roberta Cauchi Santorio*, Victor Caruana, Therese Ciantar, Isabelle Cutajar, Mireille De Gabriele, Angela Debono, Andre' Delicata, Oriana Falzon, Nadine Victoria Farrugia Sciberras, James Paul Formosa, Sarah Galea, Suzanne Gatt, Frances Gauci, Phyllisienne Gauci, Miriam Mintoff, Gilbert Ross, Ann Marie Scerri, Stela Thika*, Caroline Tonna Lowell, Olvin Vella*, Valerie Visanich, Jacqueline Zammit, Stephanie Zarb.

Master of Arts in Linguistics
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Maria Galea, Angela Scerri Cassar.

Master in Translation and Interpreting
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Anabel Aquilina, Clementine Aveta, Angela Borg, Claudine Borg, Clare Bugeja Gafa, Kenneth Camilleri, Maria P. Camilleri, Miriam Cremona, Roland Cuschieri, Liana Falzon, Carlo Farrugia, Mary Farrugia, Fiona Noeline Formosa Bartolo, Annalise Gauci Borda, Kenneth Grima, Celine Mccarthy, Charmaine Muscat, Antonia Pace Bonello, Mark Anthony Sammut, Maris Sant, Muriel Scerri, Brian Schembri.

Master of Education
Sponsor: Dr C. Borg
Linda Attard Said, Mario Cardona, Anthony Farrugia, Tessie Fenech Galea, Susan Grixti, Victoria Mercieca, Daniella Micallef, Anna Muscat, Maud Muscat, Jacqueline Vanhear.

Master of Music
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino Inglott
Mario Frendo.

Master of Conservation in Applied Conservation Studies
Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella
Francis Chetcuti, Michael Formosa.

Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. Ing. M. Grech
Nicholas Sammut.

Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: J. Falzon
Stephen Spiteri.

Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella
Alan Deidun.

Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Mary Ann Cassar.