Biography

Dr Alan Deidun is the youngest candidate running on the Nationalist Party ticket for the European Parliament elections. He is married to Prascovia and they have a daughter - Ylenia.

Dr Deidun hails from the town of Birkirkara but currently lives in Gudja. He studied successively at De La Salle College, at the Junior College and at the University of Malta, from where he obtained a PhD in Biology at the age of 27. Dr Deidun's specialisation is marine and coastal biology - as a consequence, he is also an avid SCUBA diver and organises regular natural history courses. He has also attended several regional and international conferences on related issues where he has presented over 20 scientific papers. He is also member of a number of learned Italian and UK-based societies, such as the Institute of Biology is the beneficiary of a UNESCO grant to produce an environmental education DVD for local schools.

Dr Deidun has been a regular columnist for The Sunday Times on environmental matters and a council member of the NGO Nature Trust ever since 2002. He has lectured Environmental Science and Biology and has recently been accepted to form part of the Physical Oceanography Unit at the University of Malta.

Dr Deidun was awarded the Young Outstanding Person of the Year award in 2007 for moral and/or environmental leadership and Din L-Art Helwa Prix d'Honneur for Environmental Journalism in 2008.

He acted as Chairman of the Committee on Offshore Wind Energy set up by the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs (MRRA) to assess the potential of Sikka l-Bajda and as Chairman of the Focus Group on Climate Change set up by PN in January 2009.

Besides SCUBA diving, Alan's main pastime is football and sports-related activities - he still plays football at Third Division level with Kirkop United, after having militated in Birkirkara FC and in Balzan Youths.