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Issue 5
February 2015
entries for future issues.
Greetings everyone and welcome to our first
newsletter of 2015. I would like to thank all those who
gave positive comments about last year’s issues
especially the last one, I really appreciate all your
feedback. I hope you enjoy reading this edition also, this
is already our 5th issue and I must admit that it can be
rather challenging to keep coming with new ideas so
thank you for your suggestions...keep them coming!
Please let me know about any worthwhile articles of
interest, your achievements, publications and
Departmental news. I would welcome and consider all
After what was a very cold January and what is for most of us the most broke time
after the Christmas shopping spree...this was a very hectic month for the
administration with examinations, conversions and timetables and now we look
forward to another semester.
Love is in the air this month as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. I want to
share this nice quote with you. "The best way to cheer yourself up is to
cheer somebody else up." - Mark Twain.
I have heard about the Positive post-it initiative that has changed lives,
and in small ways made the world a kinder and better place. Let us all
try to spread a little love around this year!
newsletter.healthsci@um.edu.mt
+35623401204
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Past Events
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Publishing, Research
and Presentations
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Announcements
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Social Corner
Past Events
Faculty of Health Sciences Christmas Lunch
December was party season and Christmas celebrations. Our Christmas staff
lunch took was held on Wednesday 17th December at the Grand Hotel
Excelsior. Where we enjoyed a scrumptious buffet lunch. The Chef went that
extra mile to make sure that anyone with a special diet could had a good time
too. It was simply wonderful.
Thanks Doris (Dean’s Office) for your perfect organising and brilliant time!
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Past Events
Faculty of Health Sciences Christmas Staff Party
Everyone enjoyed the Faculty Christmas staff party
on Friday 19th December in the staff room. Special
thanks to the Department of Nursing for the good
planning of the wonderful get together with plenty of
mouth-watering finger food, Christimas spirit and the
unmissable karaoke. A great way to celebrate the last
day before recess. Thanks to Dr Xerri DeCaro for the
pictures...funny face anyone? :)
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Past Events
Visit from Dr Gauden Galea
Dr Gauden Galea the Director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and
Life-courses at at WHO/Europe, visited our Faculty on Thursday, 18th December.
Dr Galea is a public health physician who has worked for WHO since 1998. He
has a special interest in health promotion, in the social determinants of
noncommunicable diseases, and in the links between these diseases and the
development agenda. During his visit he was welcomed by Prof. Angela Xuereb, the
Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Prof. Rizzo Naudi and various Faculty
members.
The Division under the directorate of Dr Gauden Galea aims to improve health in
the WHO European Region by addressing the determinants, risks and
consequences of chronic, noncommunicable conditions, by promoting mental and
physical wellbeing across the life course, by the population-based prevention and
clinical control of disease, and by preventing violence and injury.
Dr Gauden GALEA - Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Life-Course WHO Regional Office for Europe UN City, Marmorvej
51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, DenmarkEmail: gga@euro.who.int, Skype ID: who-galeag Mobile: +45 30 45 00 49
Dr Gauden Galea with Prof. John Rizzo Naudi presenting his book:
Rizzo Naudi, J. (2005). Brucellosis: The Malta Experience : a Celebration, 1905-2005. Malta:
Publishers Enterprise Group (PEG)
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
Dr Paulann Grech, assistant lecturer in the Department
of Nursing (Mental Health), FHS, was awarded a PhD
from the University of Sheffield after successfully
defending her thesis entitled:
‘The Therapeutic Alliance in Mental Health Services: A
Politico-Critical Analysis of Knowledge and Power’.
ABSTRACT
Dr Paulann Grech
Assistant Lecturer,
Department of Nursing,
FHS
The main aim of this qualitative study was to explore
the nature of the combination of knowledge and power
in therapeutic alliances in a mental health in-patient
setting in Malta.
Twenty seven therapeutic alliances were explored
during semi-structured interviews conducted with ten
individuals receiving psychiatric care in an inpatient
setting in Malta. Sixty pages of Medical and Nursing records that pertained to the
ten participants who had been interviewed were also analysed. A Foucauldian
Discourse Analysis framework was used to guide the study.
The following outcomes of the study may need to be considered in the
application to practice in the setting explored:



Equalisation of knowledge and power in the therapeutic alliance
The need to include and emphasise the care receiver’s voice
The need to promote the therapeutic alliance in the sphere of the ordinary
The first point emerged from the awareness that the majority of the alliances
explored were characterised by a power imbalance in favour of the professional –
this was linked to care receiver anger, resistance, fear and covert
institutionalisation. This may be brought about by a clear engagement (of care
receivers and care providers) in dominant discourses related to compliance,
conservatism, depersonalisation and medicalisation (overemphasis on the Medical
Model as the sole management system of mental distress). In relation to the
psychiatric setting explored in this study, this may call for the need to re-think the
construction of some of the alliances. This may be done in order to focus on a
knowledge-power balance – a situation where care receivers and providers
behave as partial knowers (Brown, 2007, p.12). The second point relates to data
that highlighted the empirical need for a higher degree of care receiver
involvement in service delivery. This may be done by including care receivers in
seminars, care planning, in the implementation of new acts (such as the new
Mental Health Act which is currently being introduced in Malta) and in the
auditing of care. The final point culminates in the simple yet profound awareness
xxxxxxxxCont. pg. 6
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
that perhaps it may be more useful to view the therapeutic alliance as a rather
ordinary relationship – indeed a template for other relationships that the care
receiver may form during and after his/her recovery journey. This is a shift from a
perception of the therapeutic alliance as a complex system that has to be
technically manoeuvred by highly skilled professionals by the application of specific
advanced skills. Instead it may be more beneficial to primarily focus on building a
civil humane relationship that is based on anything that may help a person during
his/her recovery: this may be a mix of ordinary stuff and professional knowledge.
On a concluding note, it seems then as if, with regards to care receivers: we may
have been doing things for them and about them but it is high time that we focus
more on doing things with them.
Lunchtime Seminars
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
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Dr Natasha Azzopardi was responsible for the
organisation of the first two workshops at the peer
reviewed European Public Health Conference
(November 2014) held in in Glasgow:
Workshop: Small states, helath systems and
European health policy : Quo Vadis?
Dr Natasha Azzopardi
Muscat, Lecturer - Health
Services Management, FHS
the following papers:
Workshop: Overcoming Health Inequalities
through the use of EU Structural and
Investment Funds
During the Conference Dr Azzopardi also presented
Azzopardi Muscat, N., Grech, K., Buttigieg, SC.
‘Challenges and policy concerns for health systems in small European
States: A review of the Literature’, published in the Journal of Public
Health, (2014) Vol 24(2) pp 192
ABSTRACT
A renewed interest in small states in Europe has occurred in the aftermath of the
financial and economic crisis. Mainstream theories on vulnerability and resilience of
small states are being re-examined. Health systems have been affected as a result of
the crisis. There is a gap in the literature bridging small states and health systems. The
aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review on health systems in
small states. This knowledge is important to understand the implications of European
policy on small health systems and therefore this review specifically addressed
common policy concerns for health systems in small European states.
A systematic literature review was carried out during April 2014 in PUBMED using
the following MeSH terms: health system, health facilities, health manpower, policy,
health planning, delivery of health care, health care reform in combination with any of
the following Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia or Iceland
(population under three million). Screening of the articles was conducted and
validated. Abstracts which met inclusion criteria were categorised according to
keywords. The final articles selected for review underwent detailed content analysis
by two independent reviewers. Themes were coded and the literature was mapped.
Grey literature was also searched using national non-impact journals and health
system reports as sources.
Preliminary results showed particular patterns for health system issues for different
countries linked to their socioeconomic and geographic conditions. Primary care,
xxxxxxxxCont. pg. 8
Publishing, Research and Presentations
attitudes of health professionals, manpower planning and organisation of highly
specialised care emerge as important policy concerns.
There is value in framing the findings from this study in the broader literature on
small states and the vulnerability resilience axis. Small states increasingly look
towards the European Union for shelter and support. A deeper understanding of the
issues and policy concerns in small state health systems is necessary to ensure that
European health policy is shaped to meet their needs. This is an area where
appropriately crafted European policy can easily demonstrate added value.
Azzopardi Muscat, N., Brand, H.
‘The European Semester: A growing force shaping health systems
policy and reform in the EU’, published in the Journal of Public
Health, (2014) Vol 24(2) pp 232
ABSTRACT
The European Union has been pushing for a greater degree of policy coordination in
important economic sectors. The health sector as a fast growing employment and
economic sector is thus expected to come under increasing scrutiny. This scrutiny
is partly being conducted through the ‘European Semester’ process. This presentation
highlights features characterizing the Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) in
the area of health and analyses the implications of this process on health systems in
Member States (MS). A documentary analysis of CSRs for the years 2011, 2012 and
2013 was carried out from the documentation available on the official website of the
European Union in January 2014. In 2011 only four MS received health CSRs. By
2013 fifteen MS were in receipt of health CSRs. Over the three year period
(2011,2012,2013) 22 out of 25 CSRs were concerned with the issue of sustainability.
Whilst this is not sur prising since health has been packaged under the ‘Sustainability
of Public Finances’ pillar, it is a worrying development from a public health
perspective since the discourse on policy objectives is clearly shifting towards
sustainability with equity and quality being sidelined. Content analysis shows that
some valid recommendations are being put forward even if the focus remains
anchored in funding and governance more than public health or investment. Whilst
the enforceability of these CSRs is unclear, the language is finding itself in the
National Reform Programmes being drawn up by individual MS. It is therefore argued
that the European Semester has become a key driver of national health policy
development and health system reform. Whilst this has been highlighted in the case
of countries undergoing an economic adjustment programme, the impact of the
European Semester now appears to be widespread amongst MS health systems.
There is an urgent need to ensure that CSRs are evidence informed, appropriate to
the context of the country being addressed and sufficiently balanced in their
objectives so as to safeguard health systems from the overwhelming pressure on
xxxxxxxxCont. pg. 9
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
Dr Natasha Azzopardi gave a presentation of the following paper at the Health
Systems and Policy Monitor (HSPM) network annual meeting (October 2014)
held in Berlin:
Azzopardi Muscat, N., Demicoli, K., Grech, K., Brand, H.,
‘Implementation of the patients’ rights and cross border care
directive in Malta: A window of opportunity for domestic health
system reform’,
ABSTRACT
The implementation of the directive on patients’ rights and cross border health care
in Malta provides an interesting example of the way in which EU directives can
influence domestic health policy. The policy process is examined using the Multiple
Streams Approach. The need for new legislation on the organisation of the health
care system had been recognised since the early 1990s. The sensitive political
context and the strength of professional associations and trade unions led to a
situation of policy inertia in health system reform. It is argued that civil servants
acted as policy entrepreneurs and used the window of opportunity presented by
the cross border directive as well as a change in Government to fast track the
implementation of the long awaited Health Act. The Health Act did not only deal
with the issues covered in the directive but also covered matters of national
competence such as the organisational structure of the Ministry and health care
benefits. Around the time of implementation of the cross border directive, the main
issue locally was that of the new obligation for health professional indemnity
insurance, not a key issue in the cross border directive discussions at EU level. EU
directives can therefore be an important catalyst for policy implementation in small
Member States where powerful external stimuli are often required to overcome
policy inertia.
Prof. Sandra Buttigieg and Ms Dorothy Gauci contributed a chapter
in the book entitled: Challenges and Opportunities in Health Care
Management by S. Gurtner and K. Soyez.
ABSTRACT
Prof. Sandra Buttigieg, Head and Ms Dorothy
Gauci, Visiting Assistant Lecturer, Department of
Health Services Managment, FHS
Despite the challenges being faced
by health care systems worldwide,
the implementation of innovations
within and across health systems
remains slow. While the term
‘innovation’ has become the
buzzword in health care literature,
collaborative research on an
international level is scant. To
understand the successes and
xxxxxxxxCont. pg. 11
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
curbing public sector expenditure from plunging Europe into a health crisis. Appropriately crafted CSRs could present an important positive force for health systems
transformation.
Azzopardi Muscat, N.
‘European Structural and Investment Funds: A mechanism for
Europeanisation of Health Systems?’ published in the Journal of
Public Health, (2014) Vol 24(2) pp 252
ABSTRACT
Europeanisation has been described as a process in which domestic policy areas
become increasingly subject to European policy making. The distinction between
European Union (EU) and Member State (MS) competence for health systems
seems
to become increasingly blurred. In the case of European Structural and Investment
(ESI) Funds, MS wishing to make use of ESI Funds for health investment, must fulfil
certain conditions. For some MS, these requirements may have a resultant impact on
health policies and systems.
This presentation analyses how the European Commission (EC) is shaping Europe’s
health systems through ESI Funds. This presentation seeks to explore the extent to
which ESI Funds are promoting Europeanisation of health systems in certain MS.
The EC is in a powerful position in the asymmetric power relationship between the
donor (EU) and the recipient (region in a MS). Regions wishing to benefit from ESI
funds for health investment 2014-2020 must submit a Health Systems Plan
according to guidance issued as part of the ex-ante conditionality. The discourse in
this guidance is directing health policy development according to the political and
policy objectives established within the Europe 2020 strategy. Member States may
benefit from the requirement to draw up these plans as their health policy
development may develop in a more coordinated and coherent manner. However
EC criteria for the evaluation of the regional health system plans may lead to an
excessive focus on budgets and sustainability to the detriment of quality and equity.
Since most plans will be drawn up in the poorer regions of the EU, it is important to
monitor the impact of this process on health systems to ensure that the ultimate
objectives of the ESI Funds, i.e. reducing inequalities at European level are actually
reached. Health systems performance assessment could provide an important
framework for monitoring developments in health systems in a comparable manner
at EU level. Raising awareness on these developments within the academic public
health community and with authorities responsible for managing and implementing
ESI funds at EU and MS level can help to foster positive Europeanisation through
sharing and diffusion of best practices.
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Publishing, Research and Presentations
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failures of health care innovations, it is important to review the complex pathways
that lead to workable innovations. Furthermore, it is essential that successful
innovations are not removed from the outer context in which they were borne,
namely the environmental and operational characteristics of the healthcare system.
This chapter discusses the extent to which innovation is strategically considered in
health systems by comparing three different health systems in three countries,
namely the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. It is clear that there
are wide variations in innovation capacity across systems, which may influence the
extent to which innovations are transferred. Thus research should adopt a more
international perspective so as to push towards more equitable global health care
delivery through innovative solutions, implementation and control.
Sango, D.M., McElhatton, A. and Valdramidis,V.P.
‘Determination of the efficacy of ultrasound in combination with
essential oil of oregano for the decontamination of Escherichia coli on
inoculated lettuce leaves’, published in the Journal of Applied
Microbiology (2014) Vol 3, pp194.
ABSTRACT
Investigations Recent outbreaks related to fresh produce have
shown that there is a need to develop new efficient and
effective decontamination technologies that protect consumers'
safety. Ultrasound and assisted ultrasound, i.e., the combination
of ultrasound with another decontamination technology has
been shown to be effective against bacteria. In this study equal
surfaces of free-bacteria of Romaine lettuce were inoculated
with Escherichia coli O157:H7 NCTC 12900. Leaves were then
treated with an ultrasound probe system (26 kHz, 90 μm, 200
W,14 mm Ø). Same processing time (300 s) was applied with
continuous and pulsed modes of: (i) 10 s on/6 s off,
(ii) 5 s on/5 s off and (iii) 2 s on/8 s off. Thus, total treatment
durations were 5, 8, 10 and 25 min.Moreover, concentrations
of essential oil (i.e. 0.010% v/v, 0.014% v/v. 0.018% v/v, 0.022% v/v
and 0.025% v/v) of oregano were tested, operating with
continuous and 2 s on/8 s off pulsed mode. The structure of
treated samples was also analysed by SEM and light microscopy.
Continuous ultrasound treatments led to a reduction of 2.65
± 0.23 log CFU/cm2 of E. coli on the lettuce. No significant
differences were found among the tested
Dr Anna McElhatton, Head, Dr Vasilis pulsed and continuous modes reduction on
Valdramidis, Senior. Lecturer, and Mr David the surface of the lettuce at concentrations
Millan Sango, project Officer, Department of
Food Studies & Environmental Health, FHS
Cont. pg. 11
Publishing, Research and Presentations
higher than 0.010% (v/v) of oregano EO. Significant
differences were found at 0.018%, 0.022% and 0.025% (v/
v)both in continuous and pulsed US modes when
compared with samples treated only with US. Same
concentrations of EO combined with continuous or
pulsed mode of US reduced the level of E. coli in water
below the limit of detection. When continuous or pulse
mode of US was combined with 0.025% (v/v) of EO of
oregano the result was synergetic. Images reported neither structural differences
nor damage of the leaves among treated samples and controls. Concluding, the
effectiveness of the assisted ultrasound process was dependent on the processing
time rather than on the different configurations (continuous or on/off) or the total
treatment duration. Furthermore, EO combined with US could work synergistically
on enhancing the inactivation of the tested bacteria.
Agius, T. and Formosa, C.
‘Degree of Burnout Among Maltese Podiatrists Working in Two
Different Settings’ published in the Malta Journal of Health Sciences
(2014) pp35-39
ABSTRACT
The issue of burnout is receiving increasing research
attention. However, most of the literature on burnout has
focused on the nursing, physiotherapy and occupational
therapy professions, with very few studies within the
podiatric profession exploring this concept. The purpose of
this paper is to compare the degree of burnout among
Maltese podiatrists working in two different settings, namely
the public health service and private practice. A quantitative
Dr Cynthia Formosa
Head, Department of non-experimental study, involving a convenience sample,
was conducted. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI)
Podiatry, FHS
was used to evaluate levels of burnout in the two
participant groups. No statistical difference was found between the overall mean
burnout scores for Maltese podiatrists employed in the public health service and
those working in private practice (p = 0.067, mean = 48.89 vs 31.84). Although
the level of burnout did not differ between podiatrists working within the two
different settings, podiatrists working in the public sector in general reported
higher mean scores for each subscale of the CBI than podiatrists working in
private practice. More research is necessary to build a better understanding of
burnout among podiatrists in parallel with other health care professionals, in
order to help prevent or alleviate this phenomenon.
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Announcements
Call for Papers: Malta Journal of Health Sciences (MJHS)
The Malta Journal of Health Sciences (MJHS) is a peerreviewed, open access publication that promotes the sharing
and exchange of knowledge in Health Sciences. It provides a
platform for novice and established researchers to share
their findings, insights and views within an inter-professional
context. The Journal originates within the Faculty of Health
Sciences, University of Malta. The December 2014 issue may
be accessed through the following link.
MJHS disseminates research on a broad range of allied health
disciplines. It publishes original research papers, review
articles, short communications, commentaries, letters to the editor and book
reviews. The readership of the journal consists of academics, practitioners and
trainee health professionals across the disciplines of Applied Biomedical Science,
Audiology, Communication Therapy, Community Nursing, Environmental Health,
Food Science, Health Services Management, Medical Physics, Mental Health
Nursing, Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry and
Radiography.
MJHS invites submissions on aspects of the above mentioned allied health
disciplines to be considered for publication in its third issue, planned for the first
trimester of 2015. Papers must be submitted by email to the Editor-in-Chief on
mjhs@um.edu.mt. Manuscripts need to be prepared according to the guidelines
listed under the Manuscript Submission and Notes for Contributors links on the
Journal website here. Failure to abide by these guidelines may lead to immediate
rejection. Submissions will be evaluated through the Journal’s peer review
process.
Library workshops - HyDi and Refworks
The University of Malta (UoM) Library will be delivering two different
workshops, HyDi and Refworks throughout the academic year.
The HyDi sessions will guide users how to access the Library’s online and print
resources and use the information.
The RefWorks sessions will assist users on how to enter different types of
references (articles, books, reports) into RefWorks, which then can be used for
creating bibliographies for dissertations, long essays, papers and assignments.
A set timetable dedicated to workshops is provided on the Library web page.
which is updated on a monthly basis throughout the academic year.
For further queries, kindly contact Ms Daniela Farrugia,
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Upcoming Events
Indian Lunch
Become a COST Expert!
COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science
and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research in all areas
including basic research, applied science and humanities, on a European level.
COST invites independent experts from all scientific areas to participate in the
evaluation of proposals for COST Actions which, are collected twice a year, through
an Open Call. By being available for occasional, short-term assignments, experts will
contribute to a fair, inclusive and fully transparent scientific project-assessment at a
European level. COST Experts do not need to form part of an academic institution
however, a university degree and, considerable scientific or professional experience
in the specific areas of expertise, are required. It is to be pointed out that COST
aims to establish a gender and age-balanced expert pool.
Further information and online registration can be found at www.cost.eu/
participate/experts.
COST in Malta is managed by MCST, the Malta Council for Science and Technology.
For more information please contact COST national contact point Prof. Janet
Mifsud or Ms Laura Sue Armeni.
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Upcoming Events
Voluntary Work 2015
The Chaplaincy in collaboration with the Jesuit Youth Network, are pleased to offer the
following summer experiences abroad.
The applicants for all the experiences will undergo an interview before setting up the
various groups.
Formation meetings are planned for separate groups and for all the groups together.
Fundraising activities will be organised in order to collect funds for the poor and the
needy.
Naples: 5 July - 6 August 2015
Palermo: 5 July - 6 August 2015
A group of 15/20 volunteers per destination will be organising a summer school in a
depressed area in Naples. The experience is coordinated and done with the Sisters of
Mother Theresa. Sixty to eighty children are expected to attend the summer school.
The young people participating in this summer school are urged to give their time and
efforts in a loving and gratuitous way. The experience requires a lot of energy. Applicants
are required to participate in the preparatory sessions prior to the departure date.
Participants will be urged to live a spiritual and communitarian aspect as part of the
experience.
London: 26 July - 16 August 2015
This year we are offering an opportunity to work with the Missionaries of Charity
(Mother Theresa Sisters) in London. The work will consist in helping the poor during
the morning in the soup kitchen and a children’s summer camp in the afternoon.
Applicants are required to participate in the preparatory sessions prior to the
departure date. Participants will be urged to live a spiritual and communitarian aspect as
part of the experience.
Ethiopia: 29 July - 24 August 2015
A Spiritual experience consisting of voluntary service among very poor persons
resident at the Mother Theresa Home of the Dying, run by the Missionaries of Charity
(i.e. Sisters of Mother Theresa) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The experience is done in close
collaboration with the Franciscan sisters of the heart of Jesus, Angels Children’s Home
and the Jesuits. Applicants must be willing to live the experience with simple means and
in a community spirit. Students having a medical formation background and a desire to
discover the missionary in the Church are particularly
urged to apply.
For further details and application forms please contact
Fr Michael Bugeja sj
Email: chaplaincy@um.edu.mt
Tel no: +356 23402341 or Mob no: +356 79001241
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Upcoming Events
International Conference on Bilingualism (23-25 Mar.)
A three-day conference on Bilingualism will be held between 23 and 25 March 2015 in
the historic and cultural city of Valletta in the Mediterranean island of Malta.
Over the past decades, research has focused on both individual and societal
bilingualism. This conference proposes to explore issues related to language choice and
language attitudes, as well as language policy and management in the various
educational and public spheres. In view of the global status of English and the fact that
it is often one of the languages in the bilingual’s linguistic repertoire, an important focus
of this conference is the emergence of varieties of English in bilingual and multilingual
settings.
This conference aims to have an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas with researchers
and students from different linguistic backgrounds.
Keynote Speakers
Professor Siv Bjorklund (University of Vaasa, Finland)
Professor Penelope Gardner-Chloros (Birkbeck College, University of London, UK)
Professor Edgar Schneider (University of Ragensburg, Germany)
Professor Antonella Sorace (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
Professor Henry Widdowson (University of Vienna, Austria)
Organising Committee
Professor Lydia Sciriha - Chair, Organising Committee (University of Malta, Malta)
Ms Romina Sah Frendo (University of Malta, Malta)
Scientific Committee
Professor Helen Borland (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia)
Professor Barry Carlson (University of Victoria, Canada)
Professor Anca Gata (University of Galati, Romania)
Professor Ulrike Jessner-Schmid (University of Innsbruck, Austria)
Professor Marilena Karyolemou (University of Cyprus, Cyprus)
Professor Monika Lodej (Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland)
Professor Mario Vassallo (University of Malta, Malta)
For more information visit the International Conference on Bilingualism website.
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Upcoming Events
International Conference: Climate Change Targets and Urban Transport
Policy (13-14 Apr.)
The Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development will be hosting an
International Conference, on the theme Climate Change Targets and Urban Transport
Policy, in collaboration with the WCTRS (World Conference on Transport Research
Society) SIG G3 Urban Transport Planning and Policy.
The conference, which aims to bring together leading researchers from around the
world, will be held on 13 and 14 April 2015, at the University of Malta Valletta Campus.
For further information access the Conference Website.
Psychology and the Arts International Conference at the University of
Malta (24-28 Jun.)
The 32nd International Conference on Psychology and the Arts will be held at the
University of Malta, on 24-28 June 2015. The conference is organised by the PsyArt
Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Psychology at the University of
Malta. The yearly conference draws scholars in the area from around the world.
Papers are accepted in any application of psychology, from psychoanalysis, object
relations, feminist, Jungian, or Lacanian approaches, cognitive psychology, or
neuroscience, to the study of literature, film and visual media, painting, sculpture, music,
performance, or the other arts.
Further details may be found at conf.psyartjournal.com/2015.
PsyInternational Symposium: Mediterranean Fractures – Contested
Pasts, Unrealised Futures (5-6 Nov.)
The next Mediterranean Fractures International Symposium to be hosted by the
Mediterranean Institute.
After the success of the first Mediterranean Fractures symposium held last May at the
University of Kent (UK), the Mediterranean Institute is pleased to announce that it will
now be hosting the next edition of the international symposium in Malta. Themed as
Mediterranean Fractures – Contested Pasts, Unrealised Futures, the symposium is
convened by Dr Norbert Bugeja and organised in collaboration with the Centre for
Postcolonial Research of the University of Kent and the Associazione Italiana di Studi
nelle Culture e Letterature di Lingua Inglese (AISCLI).
The symposium will bring together an international community of academics, including
some of the foremost scholars within the postcolonial Mediterranean interface, in a
cutting-edge and trans-disciplinary debate on the issues, urgencies and challenges facing
the contemporary Mediterranean and its increasingly pertinent postcolonial outlooks.
For more information about the Mediterranean Fractures symposium, kindly contact
Dr Norbert Bugeja.
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Upcoming Events
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The Call for Shanghai University Summer School 2015
(Deadline: 15 Apr.)
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China is inviting the students at
the University of Malta to participate in their Summer School with scholarships.
The Summer School will be held between 14 June and 10 July, 2015.
The scholarship award includes:

exemption of tuition

food

accommodation fees.
The students bear the cost of their return ticket.
Application Deadline: 27 April, 2015
Click here for more information.
For admission information please click here.
To apply please click here.
The Workshop: Efficient Thesis Writing & Presenting
(15-16 May)
The first PhD Workshop 'Efficient Thesis Writing & Presenting' will be held in Opatija,
Croatia and organized by the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija,
University of Rijeka. The workshop will take place from 15 - 16 May 2015.
The first part of the PhD workshop will primarily focus on identification of methods of
efficient thesis writing and presenting. The second part will include structured
presentations of research proposals (doctoral dissertation or working paper) by
students.
PhD students at all stages are encouraged to prepare and present their current work.
The PhD Workshop will consist of:

Pre-course readings

Lectures

Discussions

Participant presentations
Why should you participate?

Meet the top internationally recognised lecturers

Enrich your knowledge and discuss your work

Build new contacts and start a paper or project collaboration

Additional information is available here.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Opatija.
Announcements
Farewell Ms Miriam Tonna and Ms Pauline Aquilina
Last December, we bid a farewell to Ms Miriam
Tonna who retired from the Department of
Nursing after being active in the field of training
and education development for twenty five
years, starting in 1989 with the Nursing School
and with the Institute of Health Care in 1992.
Her main subjects were Perioperative Nursing
and Surgical Nursing. Miriam has had the role
of Coordinator of the CNP and Diploma
Programmes for various years.
This month we also bid goodbye to Ms Pauline
Aquilina who has been active in the field of training and education development for
the past twenty five years, starting in the Nursing School. She was involved in
setting up and coordinating two Nursing Aides teaching
programmes.
Her main teaching subjects were
research based medical/surgical nursing and childcare.
She also initiated the problem based learning module.
Ms Aquilina was extensively involved in the setting up
of a new curriculum for nursing studies where she was
the coordinator of clinical skills. She also developed
study units on the use of ICT in health care and
elective study units on dermatology nursing.
We bid them both a warmhearted farewell with fond memories. May your days be
filled with joy fulfillment and fun!
Academic and administrative colleagues from the Nursing Department gathered to
bid Ms Tonna ans Ms Aquilina a Happy Retirement.
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Some Positive thoughts =)
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