Graduation Ceremony 24
Monday 14 December 2015 at 1630hrs – Jesuits Church Valletta
Graduand’s Speech
Iman Omar A. Farhat
It gives me great pleasure to address this esteemed gathering this evening who has come to share
with us our joy and happiness after years of research and study to achieve our ambitions. I welcome
you all and hope that you feel as proud as I do to be a part of this great institution, the University of
Malta. I would like to start by saying congratulations to the graduating classes of 2015 who are
gathered here this evening.
On behalf of the graduating Master’s and doctoral students of the University of Malta Faculty of
Science, I would like to thank all the parents, spouses, families, and friends who encouraged and
supported us as we worked towards our graduate degrees.
I also seize this opportunity to extend our deep gratitude and appreciation to the Chancellor and
Rector of the University of Malta, and all of the academic staff members who have facilitated our
study and served as our instructors, mentors, and friends. Personally, I have to mention in particular
the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Charles Sammut, and my supervisor, Professor Kristian
Zarb Adami. I would also like to thank all of the Faculty of Science secretaries in all the Departments,
and other staff members who always seemed to be there whenever help was needed. Many thanks
also go to the members of this University’s administration, who keep everything in working order.
I feel very grateful that our University has taken major steps to support and boost research in the
last few years. Such advancements are a major milestone which can guarantee that the University of
Malta finds its deserved place among other developed universities in the world. The University of
Malta has provided us all with a marvellous cosmopolitan environment, where students from
different nations and countries are learning together and are sharing their interests, cultures and
experiences. It is such a healthy learning environment for students and researchers, and I applaud
the University of Malta for its dedication in nurturing this.
My PhD involved the instrumentation part of radio astronomy, developing radio telescopes for SKA,
an international project to build a large observatory covering an area of 1 km 2. My thesis presents
instrumentations to measure the abundance of neutral hydrogen gas in the Universe, particularly
instrumentations for a 21-cm intensity mapping telescope. Data acquisition of the Universe’s
hydrogen measurements enables the tracking on how its distribution evolves with time. In
correspondence, a comprehensive picture on how galaxies evolve, the nature of dark energy, and
how the first cosmic structures were formed can be drawn. In these terms and in the context of SKA,
my work employs phased array technologies functioning at the sub 1 GHz frequency band.
I look back this on a journey that started out with tentative steps; but now I can see how far I have
progressed. The development of my professional skills has strongly affected my personality. Indeed,
the virtue of patience, the fear of failing, the facing difficulities, and the excitement whenever I
overcome a problem, have been valuable experiences for me on a professional as well as on a
personal level. When looking back, all ups and downs were diminished the moment any progress
was achieved. Allow me to share with you some of my more awkward and difficult moments. The
consequences of civil war in my home country, Libya, caused the delay of my bench fee, which
suspended the building of my antenna prototype for two years, and a mid-cyclone last year blew it
away when it was installed for measurements on the roof of the Faculty of Science. But because I am
strongly dedicated to my work, I have persisted with a determination to fulfil my studies, complete
my research, and reach my goals. These struggles have motivated me to travel the world in order to
process and gather information for the sake of the progression of my research, notwithstanding the
fact that my supervisor’s expertise was instrumental in my research’s success. His great vision and
pursuit for excellence raised the bar and I would like to express my deep gratitude to him for
accepting to be my mentor. My sincere thanks also go to my co-supervisor, Prof. Charles Sammut,
for providing me with great insights, inspiration and support.
Today is the culmination of what I’m sure has been a challenging and hopefully also a very rewarding
experience. I am certain that for all of my fellow graduands, there have been times of stress,
occasions that have put us way out of our comfort zones, and perhaps the occasional moments of
panic and some extremely challenging experiences. And today, well, now we are all feeling a great
range of emotions: relief that we have made it, pride in our abilities, a sense of reward in the
recognition of our new qualification, and perhaps also a sense of excitement and expectation as we
think ahead to the next leg of our journey and what adventures and opportunities that will bring.
Nevertheless, the fulfilment and pride we feel today should by no means quench our thirst for more
challenges, both personal and professional. We should continue on a path of lifelong dedication
towards learning and achievement, not only within our own selves, but also to improve the standard
of living of others, our society and our home, planet Earth. This responsibility is not one to be taken
lightly, and I hope that the years spent studying at this University have provided all of us with the
character, determination, compassion and skills that will enable us to serve others in the future.
Finally, I would like to conclude by offering a piece of advice: today’s achievements may fade, but
you will always be remembered for the moments in which you were a caring person, for helping
someone, for making someone feel special and appreciated, and for being that person that others
enjoy spending time with. May your careers, but more importantly, your lives, be filled with all the
satisfaction and joy that life has to offer, and may all your dreams come true – I have no doubt that
you will rise to any challenge that will come your way!
Thank you!