No economic sustainability without a healthy environment

Adopting an environmentally sustainable way of life cannot be just a superficial "add-on" but requires fundamental change in how people behave and how they think, Louis Cassar, director of the International Environment Institute, told graduates.

He was addressing assembled students during a graduation ceremony yesterday.

Dr Cassar went through Malta's post-Independence development boom, pointing out that urban areas had expanded by 361 per cent while the number of residences increased by 121 per cent.

Yet, national and rural heritage was fast deteriorating and the few remaining relatively pristine areas relegated to "postcard status" which made a nice picture if taken out of the context of surrounding quarries, buildings and construction sites.

As a result even the country could suffer economically from the damage done to the environment. "There is simply no social or economic sustainability without a healthy environment," he stressed.

In his address, Dr Cassar emphasised that the systematic and rapid conversion of townscapes and villages into "a faceless urban mass" is placing the unique character of the Maltese identity under considerable threat.

Tourism, the mainstay of the Maltese economy, must be protected if Malta is to continue relying on it, he insisted. "We need to safeguard our remaining heritage - natural and cultural - at every cost."

He stressed that, in doing so, Malta also should take pains to ensure that social and economic activities do not continue destabilising environmental resources.

"We must set about utilising our technological skills and manpower not only to plough on ahead, but to mitigate and remedy the damage that has already been done."

According to Dr Cassar, Malta's University has three roles in encouraging sustainable development. Firstly, as an academic institution and the country's think-tank, it is in a unique position to address the multiple dimensions of sustainability.

Secondly, the university also needs to consistently provide training for specialists who can take a leading role in the challenge of sustainable development once they enter the workforce in a holistic and collective manner.

Thirdly, Dr Cassar said, the university is also responsible for instilling a sense of civic responsibility among its graduates. The university experience is not just about classes and books, he insisted, but also about growing in life and contributing to society.

"Our generation may be guilty of subscribing to sustainable thinking but not applying the principles," he emphasised, adding that "our society can no longer think in terms of adapting to climate change through convenience measures, as we are now well aware that this is only aggravating and intensifying the problem."

During two separate ceremonies, held in the Tami Zammit Hall on university campus, students received diplomas and undergraduate degrees.

The following is a list of students who graduated yesterday:

Diploma in Health Science
Christianah Bosede Ademisoye Abiodun, Diane Aquilina, Nadine Aquilina, Gorgina Attard, Vincienne Attard, Beverly Balbi, Abigail Bezzina, Jurgen Bonett, Annberitt Bonnici, Redenta Bugeja, Sarah Buttigieg, Nicky Calleja, Mark Camilleri, Jeanette Caruana, Katya Chetcuti, Valentina Curmi, Neville Raymond Decelis, Letizia Degiovanni, Amanda Demanuele, Vincent Etim, Graziella Farrugia, Ivan Angelo Filippini, Olubunmi Mercy Folorunso, Charlene Grech, Stephania Grech, Daniela Grima, Andromeda Inguanez, Lara Inguanez, Lara Shireen Khan, Josette Mercieca, Adrianne Micallef, Agnes Micallef, Rena Mifsud, Virginus Ohanebo, David Sant, Brian Schembri, Charles Seychell, Jorgen Souness, Dorianne Stoner, Graziella Taliana, Christian Theuma, Stephanie Tonna, Victor Vassallo, Paul Vella and Abigail Zarb.

Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Sponsor: Dr Sandra Buttigieg
Communication Therapy
Simone Alamango, Charonia Aquilina, Anne Marie Bajada, Erika Bonnici, Kristjana Borg, Christina Chetcuti, Marco Frendo, Myriam Galea, Eleonor Galea Thewma, Alexia Micallef, Pauline Miggiani, Sharon Lorraine Sammut, Denise Valerie Sciberras, Louisa Wirth, Antonella Zammit and Raymond Zammit.

Medical Laboratory Science
Marouska Azzopardi, Maria Bonello, Marisa Bugeja, Jeremy Busuttil, Chantal Gay Mallia, Kenneth Mallia, Emanuel Schembri, Claudia Tabone, Calvin Vassallo, Lyon Xuereb and Rachel Zerafa.
Mental Health Nursing
Marie Claire Cachia Attard, Cettina Cassar, Josephine Cassar, Mary Josephine Ciantar, Maria Dolores Fenech, Joseph Galea, Theresa Runza, Marianne Saliba, Alexei Sammut and Sally Zammit.

Nursing Studies
Keith Joseph Attard, Natalie Attard, Audrey Azzopardi, Roberta Blanco (Robing), David Borg, Dorianne Borg, Matthew Mario Borg, Lara Bugeja, Antonella Caruana, Silvan Chetcuti, Joseph Dempsey, Nicola Farrugia, Zvetlana Maria Farrugia, Caroline Fenech, Paul Gauci, Michelle Gove`, Charlene Grech, Jefferson Grima, Nelson James, Josephine Mifsud, Charmaine Muscat, Marisabelle Pisani, Anita Portelli, Alan Sciberras, Eleanor Spiteri, Wendy Vassallo, Marisa Vella, Vanessa Vella and Clare Catherine Zarb Adami.

Physiotherapy
Dorianne Abela, Jessica Burr Galea, Joanne Cardona, Daniel Casingena, Ashley Ciantar, Samantha Debono, Claire Martin, Adriana Pace, Daniel Schembri, Emmanuel Paul Schembri, Elvira Spiteri and Jacob Vella.

Radiography
René Bezzina, Charlene Borg, Marija Cachia, Rebecca Camilleri, Daniela Cassar, Terence Cesare, Daniel Demicoli, Lyn Fenech, Lorna Grech Fonk, Janica Mercieca, Lara Mercieca, Nicole Mercieca, Robert Mifsud, Deborah Mizzi, Lara Smithm and Owen Vassallo.

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla
Alison Abela, Ilona Tanya Attard, Edwina Maria Bajada, Marisabelle Bonnici, Dianne Butler, Paula Cardona, Jana Roberta Chetcuti, Lesley Anne Cini, Lucia Conti, Ariane Darmanin, Yanika Degiorgio, Claudia Ann Farrugia, Roberta Fenech, Julienne Galea, Maria Grech, Yan Grima, Rahima Hamed, Mariella Mercieca, Maresca Pizzuto, Michael Portelli, Analise Scerri, Judith Sciberras, Nicole Scicluna, Amy Tanti, Janis Vella and Matthew Vella.

Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Sponsor: Dr Simon Camilleri
Andrew M. Atkins, Roberta Psaila, Tiziana Schembri, Timothy Vella Briffa and Erika Zahra.

Post-qualification Diploma in Health Science
Fleur Brincat, Maria Campbell, Ruth De Giovanni, Patricia Mary Galea, Joseph Grech, Caroline Scerri, Jesmond Seychell and Daphne Zahra.

Diploma in Social Studies
Svetlik Agius, Christopher Attard, Darin Attard, Norman Attard, Stanley James Azzopardi, Elton Barbara, Arthemese Bonello, Owen Bonello, Lawrence Borg, Roderick Cassar, Angelo Farrugia, Mariella Farrugia, Yvette Farrugia, Peter Grima, Joseph Magri, Sandro Mangion, Darren G. Micallef, Konrad Micallef, Valhmor Micallef, Alan Mifsud, Vladimir Pace Frendo, David Saliba, Norman Spiteri, Jason Zammit and Joseph Zammit.

Diploma in Public Administration
José Abela, Mark Busuttil, Kevin Calleja, Melissa Camilleri, Anthony Debono, Claire Depasquale, Ronald Falzon, Maria Dolores Farrugia, Rudolph Fenech, Gordon Fitz, Lorraine Mallia, Donald Mangion, Tania Micallef Darmanin, Josephine Sant, Mary Anne Schembri, David Sciberras, Fiona Tanti and Ruben Vella.

Diploma of Legal Procurator
Paul Magro

Bachelor of Laws
Sponsor: Prof. Ian Refalo
Amaryllis Agius, Lee-Ann Agius, Marie Elise Agius, Matthew Agius, Nicholas Agius Darmanin, Luca Amato, Daniel Aquilina, John Axiak, Diana Bajada (Robing), Eucharist Bajada, Martin Bajada, Maria Barbara, Maria Bekker, Elsa Borg, Ian Borg, Simon Borg Barthet, Lisa Brincat, Jens Buedinger, Carlos Bugeja, Daniel John Bugeja, John Bugeja, Mamudu Zanya Bugre, Nicola Buhagiar, Beryl Jean Buttigieg, Daniel Buttigieg, Jeanelle Cachia, Josef Cachia, Christine Calleja, Charlene Camilleri Zarb, Abigail Caruana, Daniel Caruana, Luke Caruana, Yanica Caruana, Ann Marie Cauchi, Deborah Anne Chappell, Joelle Cortis, Victoria Cuschieri, Andrea Darmanin, Stephanie Debattista, Annalisa Debono, Oliver Nicholas Degaetano, Daniel Degiorgio, Stephanie Deguara, Krista Josephine Falzon, Roxane Farrugia, Greta Fenech, Larry Formosa, Renata Formosa, Elizabeth Gaerty, Audrienne Galea, Bernard John Galea, Maria Galea, Matthew Galea-Debono, Karl Gonzi, Stefania Grech, Vanessa Marie Grech, Ylenia Grech, Cory Greenland, Maxine Grima, Alexia Grixti, Anastasiya Ivanenko, Vyara Ivanova*, Josef Laferla, Valentina Lattughi, Rochelle Raemarie Magri, Elaine Magro, Christopher Mallia, Dimitrie Marsala, Christina Meli, David Joseph Meli, Angelo Micallef, Edric Micallef Figallo, Nadia Mifsud, Philip Mifsud, Christopher Mizzi, Joseph Mizzi, Matthew Mizzi, Ioannis Moditis, Franca Murru, Michaela Muscat, Petra Pace, Gerard Peralta, Maria Elena Perici Calascione, Michela Pirotta, Benjamin Pule', Luke Rizzo, Jan Rossi, Mireille Sacco, Jessica Said, Giuseppe Sammut, Leanne Sammut, Lena Sammut, Sandra Sant Fournier, Cristina Maria Scerri, Sharona Schembri, Bernardine Sciberras, Charlotte Spiteri, Marlene Spiteri, Robert Spiteri, Stefania Spiteri, Krista Spiteri Colombo, Lynn Spiteri Dalmas, Amanda Spiteri Grech, Andrew Stafrace, Clint Tabone, Kyle Tabone Betts, Michele Tufigno, Anthony Vella, Jason Vella, Sarah Vella, Nadine Wismayer*, Veronica Anne Young, Alessia Zammit, Steven Zammit Briffa, Katrina Zammit Cuomo+, Stephanie Zarb, Albert Anthony Zerafa and Mario Zerafa.

Postgraduate Diploma in Gerontology and Geriatrics
Kenneth Cremona Caruana, Jacqueline Cutajar, Roberta Farrugia, Pierre Garcia, Carol Gobey, Charmaine Mallia, Karl Spiteri and Andrea Rose Zammit*.

Postgraduate Diploma in Lifelong Career Guidance & Development
David Agius, George Attard, Maria Bezzina, Carmen Bonanno, Ritianne Borg Saliba*, Emanuel Camilleri, Robert Cassar, Jacqueline Chircop, Stephania Cuschieri, Christine Garzia, Marcette Pulè, Claudia Theuma, Katya Unah, Stephanie Xerri, Claire Xuereb Grech and Norma Zammit.

* in absentia
+ Also awarded the Diploma of Legal Procurator