The pursuit of high-quality research in an ethical context is what should continue to distinguish the University of Malta's tradition, Joseph Grima, from the Faculty of Science, said at yesterday's graduation ceremony at the Jesuits church in Valletta.
Of course, an appropriate infrastructure, which was expensive in monetary terms, was a necessary condition for sustainable scientific research, Prof. Grima said.
But making the best use of available resources was equally essential, especially the considerable human potential among university colleagues and students.
Research resources were not money down the drain, but a potential resource for economic and social growth.
The challenge was now taking a new shape and revolved around how the university could develop its tradition as a teaching institution and a focal point of research and innovation.
The way tertiary education was developing on an international level, and in particular within the context of the EU, was to consolidate its research base.
Universities were ranked primarily on the basis of their research output, Prof. Grima said.
The formation and organisation of research teams was an ongoing task. It would be helpful if faculties and departments could mainstream their research work and ensure that post-graduate students could work in already established specific areas of research, he said.
The intake into research teams could also come from the increasing number of Maltese researchers who were completing PhD studies abroad.
It would help reverse the brain drain that resulted from good graduates leaving Malta to study overseas and remaining there.
Of course, this route could only be possible if appropriate funding were made available to create a number of research posts in areas where faculties and institutes were seeking to build their research work.
In her graduation speech, Christine Firman, who has just completed the doctoral phase of her study and research, pointed out that schools, post-secondary colleges and, gradually, even the university were becoming more inclusive: An awareness of different learning needs was developing.
"While limited literacy development may have been accepted half a century ago, today, there is worldwide awareness that illiteracy, or low levels of literacy, can lead to an added burden on the country's economy and to considerably lowering of self-esteem," she said.
Endeavours were being made to accommodate the students and take them beyond the confines of their disabilities, offering them equal opportunities, but it was still early days, Dr Firman said.
She highlighted that while Malta boasted the highest number of students in EU countries following an arts course at university level, it also has the largest number of individuals who have not read any book in the last year.
The recently introduced post-graduate certificate course for teachers to identify and teach dyslexic individuals augured well for their future, Dr Firman said.
The following students graduated yesterday (* denotes in absentia):
Masters of Arts in Linguistics
Sponsor: Prof. A. Borg
Michael Spagnol, Melanie Ungaro.
Master of Science in Engineering
Sponsor: Prof. R. Ghirlando
Mario Cordina, Owen Darmanin, Clara Delia, Ian Sant, David Scerri, Aaron Zammit.
Master of Arts
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Joan Angela Abela, Anthony Aquilina, Elaine Azzopardi*, Josianne Azzopardi Mamo, Francesca Balzan, Laura Helen Bolton, Elysia Borg, Joseph Paul Borg, Katya Borg, Nadine Briffa, Elisa Brincat, Maria Brown, Daniela Bugeja, Sarah Bugeja, Marica Camilleri*, Luca Caramagna, Noelle Cardona, Jeannine Debattista*, Marouska Debattista, Amelia Debrincat, Anthony Dimech, Josephine Farrugia, Rowena Farrugia, Nadine Victoria Farrugia Sciberras, Christian Galea, Catherine Anne Galea, Carla Francesca Gatt, Marija Grech*, Robert Grixti*, Victor Emmanuel Jacono, Lorna Mallia, Roger Mamo, Elspeth Muscat, Josianne Muscat, Clive Piscopo, Janice Sant, Charlene Smith, Bernard Charles Spiteri, Marvic Tonna, Martha Vassallo, Matthew Vassallo, David Vella, Melissa Xuereb, Niki Young, Mark Zammit, Mariaelena Zammit.
Master in Contemporary Diplomacy
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Zenia Basagic, Valeriu Nicolae Ciolan, Naim Dedushaj, Miso Dokmanovic*, Olesya M. Grech, Walton Hamilton, Nevena Ruzic, Poussi Sawadogo, Wassef Serhan, Faten Sharaf, Amela Sudzuka.
Master in Interpreting
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
M'louise Borg, Franco Farrugia.
Master in Translation
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
David Aloisio, Anna Bonanno, Rose Marie Caruana, Diane Farrugia, Brigid Garroni, Caroline Gauci, Christine Ann Mercieca, Vanessa Mifsud, Emilia Pace, John Zammit Dimech.
Master in Translation and Interpreting
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Anna Maria Bartolo, Miriam Consiglio, Georgina Scicluna Bajada.
Master of Science
Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut
Carmel Abela*, Matthew Richard Agius, Malcolm Attard, Karen Caruana, Valerie Cutajar, Karlston D'emanuele, Lewis Holland*, Vincent Mercieca, Tania Scerri, Mark J. Vella, Patrick Vella, Wallace Wadge.
Master of Conservation in Applied Conservation Studies
Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella
David Frank Bugeja, Frederika Falzon.
Master of Arts in European Studies
Sponsor: Prof. P. G. Xuereb
Franca Agius, Joseph Borg, Patrick Anthony Borg, Neville Galea Roberts*, Maria Gatt, Ronald Mizzi, Jason Francis Sultana.
Master of Music
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino-Inglott
Erica Gialanze.
Master of Philosophy
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino-Inglott
Mario Attard.
Master of Arts in Creativity and Innovation
Sponsor: Dr S. Dingli
Olena Baeva, Leonie Baldacchino, Conrad Buttigieg, Louis John Camilleri, Elizabeth Dedomenico, Andreana Dibben, Neville Dimech, Maria Grech Magro, Michal Gruszczynski*, Kathryn Konrath, Keith Pisani, David Pulis, Emanuel Pulis, Natalie Swaine Nwoko, Adriana Tedesco, Barbara Trotman, Jingyao Xu, Yuanyuan Zhang.
Master of Arts in Baroque Studies
Sponsor: Prof. D. De-Lucca
Holly Knowles, Yvette Sciberras Mifsud.
Master of Arts, CCT
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. S. Chircop
Anson David Aquilina, Veronica Attard, Jennifer Attard Pullicino, Gabriella Azzopardi Lautier, Gordon Borg, Paul Cachia, Charlene Camilleri, Charlene Cohen, Joanna De Cesare, Cynthia Ann Ellul, Alan Fenech, Velislava Hillman, Marguerite Magrin, Oxana Mercieca, Conrad Philip Mifsud, Sarah Ann Suda, Walter Sultana.
Doctor of Music
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino Inglott
Albert Pace.
Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech
Katrin Fenech*, Christine Firman, Damian Spiteri, Giselle Spiteri Miggiani.
Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. R. Ghirlando
Stephen Abela.
Doctor of Philosophy
Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut
Charles Galea.