Stereotypes cast in society can be obliterated by means of research, according to a graduate in social policy from the University of Malta’s Faculty of Social Well-being.

“We can’t just fight stereotypes on the media,” students’ representative Leonid McKay said yesterday during the graduation ceremony at the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta.

“No television programme is strong enough to bring down the walls of prejudice,” he said.

The solution lay in research and in “the curious but courageous” student willing to see things in a different light and go beyond the public opinion.

Mr McKay said that, although Maltese society had made huge improvements when it came to prejudice, there was still more that needed be done.

“Especially when it comes to people who seek shelter in our countries,” he said, referring to the confusion there was even over the correct terms to be used for irregular immigrants.

“Our day-to-day language is still riddled with negative connotations: clandestine, illegal people, blacks.” He referred to the hostile reaction online whenever there was a news article about a boat caught on the Maltese radar.

He also referred to another stereotype: single mothers. “Our society whiles away the time counting the millions that single mothers earn in social benefits and giving them the title of welfare queens,” he said. Quoting the late sociologist Anthony Abela, Mr McKay said the society that blamed the poor for their own situation risked promoting social exclusion.

“We should no longer flag the concept of ‘I’ll help you because I feel sorry for you’. We should not be led by charity but by the human rights,” he said, urging his peers to bring down the walls on stereotyping.

Meanwhile, games researcher Prof. Gordon Calleja from the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences described how digital games reflected contemporary existence.

Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy
Executive Master of Business Administration
Sponsor: Prof. Joseph Falzon
Kaveh Abbasi, Gianfranco Abela, Emily Agius, Roderick Agius, Mariama Anthony-Williams, Tania Aquilina, Miriam Azzopardi, Mark Bezzina, Audrey Anne Bugeja, Peter Paul Bugeja, Denise Buhagiar, Marouska Buttigieg, John Cachia, Marvic Cuschieri, Caroline Debono, Lennox Joseph Deguara, Jason Farrugia, Maria Fenech Imbroll, Clint Galea, Jeanine Galea, Anthony Gatt, Jessica Giordano Imbroll, Owen Grech, Lynne Hopkins, Clint Mercieca, Andrew Anthony Portelli, Roderick Sammut, Franco Schembri, Davina Spiteri, Lara Spiteri, Monica Sultana, Carlos Tabone, Marco Tabone, George Vella, Kevin Zahra De Domenico, Jeanette Margaret Zammit, Marie Louise Zammit and Maria Zammit Micallef.

Executive Master of Business Administration (E-Business)
Sponsor: Prof. Joseph Falzon
Mario Attard, Anne Marie Bajada, Ivan Borg, Kirsten Briffa, Daniel Privitelli, Maria Pulis and Adrian Zahra.

Master of Arts In Public Policy
Sponsor: Prof. Joseph Falzon
Stefan Buhagiar, Svetlana Cachia, Mark Camilleri, Lavinia Cassar* and Ian Keith Cilia Pisani*.

Master of Arts In Economics
Sponsor: Prof. Joseph Falzon
Sephora Maria Debono and Matthew John Zerafa.

Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences
Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. Saviour Chircop
Lara Bartoli, Mauro Busuttil, Leslie Paige Doye*, Jonathan G Maxim*, Miro, Janne Mustonen*, Taha Riaz*, Geoffrey Benjamin Scholl*, Jasmine Shafik*, Jennifer Szumowski* and Evelyn Ha Viet Tram Wilroy*.

Master of Arts In Communications
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. Saviour Chircop
Rebecca Anastasi and Monika Maslowska.

Faculty for Social Wellbeing
Master of Arts In Social Work
Sponsor: Dr Maureen Cole
Sandra Abela, Joseph Antoncich, Lisa Marie Cachia, Josianne Calleja, Roberto Calleja, Svetlana Camilleri, Colette Farrugia Bennett, Melissa Lora Fenech, Claire Mallia Ohanebo, Godwin Saliba, Rhian Kathryn Vella and Jenny Lynn Zammit.

Master of Arts In Social Policy
Sponsor: Dr Maureen Cole
Leonid Mckay

Institute Of Earth Systems
Master of Science in Sustainable Environmental Resources Management
Sponsor: Dr Louis F Cassar
Chantal Marie Cassar, Nicholas Desira, Trustin Farrugia Cann, Jessica Coleman Fox*, Andrea Marie Peterson*, Muruganand Prabhakaran*, Brian Rapp*, Erin Marie Reilly*, Whitney Amanda West*, Faye Zammit and Petra Zammit.

Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies
Master of Arts in Diplomatic Studies
Sponsor: Prof. Stephen Calleya
Joseph Cutajar, Timothy Paul Falzon, Leeanne Galea, Damian Ozoemena Iriele, Chrysanthi Maria Lamprou, Nick Meysman, Thomas Anthony Muscat, Barbora Ondejcikova, Daniel Sammut, Keith Spiteri, Viktor Tamm, Kathryn Zahra, Alexander Zammit and Emma Zammit.

Master of Diplomacy
Sponsor: Prof. Stephen Calleya
Irakli Abesadze*, Mohamed Baily Ibrahim Alolaimy*, Naseem Mahmoud Alzaneen*, Najla Amdouni, Walid Chakroun*, Sandro Curmi, Maher Ferchichi*, Srgjan Hadji-Nikolov*, Aslan Jafarli, Eno Jegeni, Ihab Ibrahim Mohamed Khalil*, Baker MB Hijazi, Hosni Mekni, Etienne Micallef, Bilal Nsour*, Hisham Sallam*, Jubilata Shao and Yuriy Tyrkus*.

Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security
Sponsor: Prof. Stephen Calleya
Mikaila Ellis Fethke Altenbern*, Umar Jabbar Awan*, Jessica Lynn Baumgartner*, Kristin Nicole Christakis, Andrew Cookson*, Anthony Owet Einsel*, Durra Elmaki*, Massimo Ramon Farrugia*, Raquel Gonzalez*, Timothy Hammond*, Karen Mamo, Ryan Timothy Miller*, Matthew Aaron Moore*, Inga Hrefna Nicholas, Edgard Jason Rincon*, Rebecca Sable*, Adam Scalese*, Daniel Joseph Sheehy*, George Fitzhugh Shipp Jr* and Chaim Gabriel Waibel

* In absentia

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