A call to accept multilingualism was made yesterday as the first graduates in Maltese Studies received their certificates.

Set up in 2005, the Institute of Maltese Studies launched three-year postgraduate programmes in 2008.

Manwel Mifsud, from the Department of Maltese, urged those attending the first graduation ceremony at the Jesuit church in Valletta, to embrace multilingualism.

“Maltese and English are not in competition. They are not alternatives for each other but complementary,” he said.

A former University history lecturer, Maltese-­Australian Roger Vella Bonavita, took the graduates through a journey of perseverance and hard work as he recounted the dedication that went into his studies of the life of architect Francesco Lapparelli, who designed Valletta.

“As the years went by, many of my friends became concerned that the project would fail and there were sceptics who were sure that it would,” the 71-year-old doctorate graduate said.

Master of Arts

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Maxine Anastasi, Diana Aquilina, Simone Aquilina, Andrea Bartolo, Anne Marie Bonnici, Donna Borg , Bettina Borg Cardona, Matthew Bugeja, Ruth Buttigieg, Sarah Anne Buttigieg, Jean Pier­re Caligari, Ivan Calleja, Denise Camenzuli, Jessica Camilleri, Sarah Camilleri, David Cardona, Liane Castillo, Tania Marie Chircop, Daniel Cini, Bernice Farrugia, Stefano Farrugia, Maria Giuliana Fenech, Davida Flores, Elaine Galea, Patrick Galea, Sarah Grima, Priscilla Ainhoa Griscti, Natalie Haber, William Incorvaja, Sarah Micallef, Mich­elle Montebello, Franco Navarro, Giorgio Peresso, Carla Said, Pierre Sciberras, Claire Scicluna, Alan Seychell, Colette Seychell, Ann Juliene Spiteri, Simone Spiteri, Marcelle Teuma, Maria Theuma, Kej Vackermann, Ernest Vella, Abigail Zammit, Martina Zammit.

Master of Arts In Linguistics

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Derek Muscat

Master of Arts in Hospitaller Studies

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Carmel Agius, Madeleine Aquilina, Alfred Bonnici, George Buttigieg, Neil Briscoe White, Stephen Degiorgio, John Demanuele, Alexander Farrugia, Chris Galea, Vivien Galea-Debono, Monique Grech, Ramona Marie Grech, Tanya Mizzi, Christine Muscat, Jonathan Muscat, Romina Powell, ­Maureen Rapa, Adrian Scerri, Amanda Schembri.

Master in Interpreting

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Debbie Dimech, Simone Ellul, Bartosz Romanczuk, Gabrielle Torpiano, Daryl Vella.

Master in Translation

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Jurgen Attard, Marco Audino, Corinne Chetcuti, Elaine Falzon, Rachel Galea, Roberta Gatt, Jessica Grima, Ritianne Stanyer, Emily Visanich, Anton Zerafa.

Master in Contemporary Diplomacy

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Florence Bangalie, Alban Dermaku, Jonathan Las-Lamin, Thato Lehloenya, Maria Medard , Caroline Nalwanga, Hazem Shabat, Nabil Shehada, Fausto ­Vergara.

Master of Maltese Studies

Sponsor: Prof. Henry Frendo

Maria Abela, Alfred Cremona, Noel D’Anastas, Raymond Gerada, Daniela Mallia, Maria Pia Meli, Paul Portelli, Marced Zahra Sacco.

Doctor of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. Dominic Fenech

Michael Axiak, Stephen Bonanno, Carmel Caruana, Victor Grech, Matthew Scerri, Roger Vella Bonavita.

Doctor of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. Henry Frendo

Mario Cassar

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