WINTER 2013 • ISSUE 4
I D E A S
•
M A LTA
•
R E S E A RC H
•
P E O P L E
•
U N I V E R S I TY
IF DISASTER
HITS MALTA
How can 2000 people die?
DIGITAL
EDITION
THINKIDEA
SMALTARE
ARESEARC
HPEOPLEU
EUNIVERSI
THINKIDE
ASMALTAR
ARESEARC
CHPEOPLEU
Cover photo
Satellite image captured at 09:45 on the 31 May, 2012. Maps the Maltese Islands to 0.41 metres in black and
white, and 1.65 metres in colour. Disaster management teams need this level of detail to use the image as a
reference point. After an incident, a new image can be taken and the two compared. Damage to buildings, roads,
and other vital organs can be quickly determined to co-ordinate a country-wide response. Analysts can also
identify different landcover use for many other purposes. The satellite used is called GeoEye-1 and can revisit
any point on Earth every three days.
ASMALTA
ESEARCHP
CHPEOPLEU
UNIVERM
ITY
EASMALTA
RESEARCH
CHPEOPLE
UNIVERCONTENTS
12
Learning for
the future
Video games: curse or
saviour? Can they teach
our kids how to read
and write?
Research is Vital
alta is a beautiful place. Dr Formosa’s research made my jaw, and the designer’s,
drop. Inspiration hit and we painted everything silver. Malta deserves no less. It also
merits proper research investment.
At the time of writing, the election season was in full swing.
Research was off the political agenda and never debated.
Contrast that with every developed country investing heavily in research and innovation (R&I) since it generates wealth,
jobs, and ultimately a better society. Flip to our contents page
to find a snapshot of some of Malta’s best research.
So, I came up with a few suggestions I hope politicians consider. Items bought through EU research funds or national/
government funds (MCST) should be tax-free. After all, the
funds are sourced through citizens’ taxes. Tax cuts should also
be provided to companies that employ PhD graduates or support R&I in Malta.
Government should include research in already existing cofinancing schemes for EU projects. This would help the country source millions in funds.
Apart from attracting EU investment, Malta also needs
national competitive funds to support post-doctoral positions and research. After a Ph.D., a scientist usually works as
a post-doc and produces their best results at this point. The
country also needs competitive funds to communicate research to the public creatively.
Malta has to reverse the brain drain to its advantage.
Incentives are needed to bring back the best and brightest
researchers to Malta. Ultimately, more funds should be
pumped directly into University research. Fingers crossed.
Malta needs it.
28
COVER STORY
Future-safe
Malta
Malta mapped in 3D
and free for all to use
this June
42
Discover
University 2012
Open week: over 200
events last November
56
Edward Duca
EDITOR
A new business
model for
University
Cosmetics, businessmen,
and science
edward.duca@um.edu.mt
@DwardD
3
CONTRIBUTORS
Prof. Marie Therese Camilleri Podestà
CONTENTS
OPINION
Prof. Mark Brincat
Shattering women's glass ceiling
10
Prof. Charles L. Mifsud
Prof. Camilleri Podestà voices her thoughts
on gender equality at University
Prof. Liam Delaney
FEATURE
Healthier
Fitter
Happier
through
economics
Dr David Mifsud
Dr Saviour Formosa
18
Obesity, climate change,
and recessions solved
Prof. Helen Grech
Victoria Muscat
FEATURE
Daphne Pia Kelleher
Experiment Malta:
Maltish or Engtese?
Patricia Camilleri
36
Bilingualism in Malta:
force for good or confusion?
Dr Ġorġ Mallia
FUN
The Left
Brain is
Creative the
Right Brain is
Logical?
Costantino Oliva
Dr Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone
And much, much more
Dr Karsten Xuereb
Wilfred Kenely
Are you a student, staff, or researcher at the
University of Malta? Would you like to contribute
to THINK magazine? If interested, please get in
touch to discuss your article on think@um.edu.mt
or call +356 2340 3451
50
58
CULTURE GENES
Meme
CONTENTS
6
STUDENTS
Students' thinking
About: diamonds, molecular labs, earthquakes,
and modelling
OPINION
Assisted Conception
THINK
11
Prof. Brincat shares his ideas
on IVF in Malta
I D E A S
•
M A LTA
•
R E S E A RC H
•
P E O P L E
•
U N I V E R S I TY
WINTER 2013 - ISSUE 4
EDITORIAL
Edward Duca EDITOR
PRODUCTION
FEATURE
Insects of Malta
23
Meet moths, beetles, and bees:
they dig into trees, rot fruit,
and produce honey
Jean Claude Vancell
PRINTING
Print It Printing Services, Malta
ISSN 2306-0735
Copyright © University of Malta, 2013
The right of the University of Malta to be identified as Publisher of this
work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Act, 2001.
Alumni Talk
Making the real world digital and
communication law in Bahrain
48
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Tel: (356) 2340 2340
Fax: (356) 2340 2342
www.um.edu.mt
THINK is a quarterly research magazine published by the University of Malta.
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CULTURE
Europe, Culture
and the
Southern
Mediterranean
The challenge and power
of culture in the Arab
context
53
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5
STUDENT
students’
THINKing
Diamonds in computers, shaking in Xemxija,
and molecular labs, all being researched by
University of Malta students
PET
Labs in
solution
IMAGINE the smallest thing you possibly can. The eye of a needle? A human hair?
A particle of dust? Think smaller, something you cannot even see, something on a
molecular scale. Now imagine that molecule
has the potential of a whole laboratory. This
dream is now becoming a reality.
In recent years, the field of molecular sensors has grown into one of the most groundbreaking areas in Chemistry. Molecular
sensors are compounds that can detect a substance, or unique mixture of substances, and
provide an easily detectable output. Usually
this is a change in the absorption of ultraviolet or visible light, or in the emission of Fluorescence. In other words: colours!
John Gabarretta (supervised by Dr David
Magri) created a simple example of these
fluorescent molecular sensors. The molecule was based on the Fluorophore-Spacer-
6
Flourophore
SPACER
Receptor
hv
Flourophore
hv
SPACER
Receptor
F
The molecule’s structure, based on the Fluorophore-Spacer-Receptor model (shown as
a scheme), allowed for a bright blue fluorescence when exposed to Ultraviolet light
Receptor model, where the ‘output’ part of
the molecule (the fluorophore — a structure
which shines light) is separated from the ‘input’ part (the receptor — a structure which
is sensitive to a particular substance, such
as acidity or a metal ion) by an intermediate spacer, whose main function is to link
these two components together. The model
means that a molecule can detect a chemical and respond by shining light or not. The
process gives information about the chemicals in a solution.
The molecule was made by a two-step synthetic route (which took several attempts and
resulted in several different colours), and its
behaviour was tested by dipping into an acid.
In water the molecule was switched ‘off ’, but
quickly turned ‘on’ in an acidic solution by giving a bright blue light when exposed to ultraviolet light (UV) — a pretty satisfying sight!
Molecular sensors have some very advanced applications — the pioneer A. P.
de Silva said that there is room for a “small
space odyssey with luminescent molecules”.
This odyssey includes some that detect substances such as sugars.
While very advanced systems are approaching chemical computers, since they
have multiple inputs and use Boolean
Logic, the so-called ‘Moleculator’ or ‘gaming tic-tac-toe’ systems. The future is bright
(if you pardon the pun) and with more
complex structures more possibilities will
appear; the molecular laboratory may become a reality detecting diseases or toxins
in no time at all.
•
This research was performed as part of a Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the Faculty of Science.
THINK STUDENT
Scientific beauty of diamonds
LAPTOPS AND MOBILES are
smaller, thinner, and more powerful than
ever. The drawback is heat, since computing power comes hand in hand with temperature. Macs have been known to melt
down, catch fire and fry eggs — PCs can be
even more entertaining. David Grech (supervised by Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra and
Dr Ing. Stephen Abela) has now produced
diamond–metal matrix composites that
can remove waste heat efficiently.
Diamonds are not only beautiful but
have some remarkable properties. They are
very hard, can withstand extreme conditions, and even transfer heat energy faster
than any metals. This ability makes diamonds ideal as heat sinks and spreaders.
The gems are inflexible making them difficult to mould into the complex shapes demanded by the microelectronics industry.
By linking diamonds with other materials, new architectures can be constructed.
Grech squashed synthetic diamond and
silver powders together at the metal’s melting point. The resulting composite material expanded very slowly when heated. The
material could dissipate heat effectively,
and was cheaper and simpler to produce
than current methods — a step closer to
use on microchips.
Grech’s current research is focused on
obtaining novel types of interfaces between the diamond powders and the metal
matrix. The new materials can improve the
performance of heat sinks. New production techniques could help make these
materials. By depositing a very thin layer of
nickel (200 nanometres thick) on diamond
powders using a chemical reaction, the
gems would form chemical bonds with the
layer while the metal matrix would form
metallic bonds. The material would transfer heat quickly and expand very slowly on
heating. A heat sink made out of this material would give us a cooler microprocessor and powerful electronics that does not
spontaneously catch fire — good news for
tech lovers.
•
This research was performed as part of a
Bachelor of Science (Hons) at the Faculty
of Science. It is funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through the
National Research and Innovation Programme (R&I 2010-25 Project DIACOM)
and IMA Engineering Services Ltd.
Main image: Diamond particle without an
interface taken by Scanning Electron Microscopy
Above: Diamond particle with metal matrix taken
by Scanning Electron Microscopy
7
STUDENT
Xemxija and Earthquakes
ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the city of
Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 181
people and causing widespread destruction.
Curiously, this damage was not evenly distributed, even for areas right next to each
other. This phenomenon is called the site effect and depends on the underlying geology.
Malta, unlike New Zealand, is not typically associated with earthquakes. The islands lack a seismic building code and many
structures could be damaged with moderate shaking. Malta’s past records list several
earthquakes that have damaged buildings
and even caused some to collapse. Apart
from not being reinforced, buildings have
been built on less stable ground, which increases risk.
Sharon Pace (supervised by Dr Pauline
Galea) investigated this effect in one test
area — Xemxija, in the north of Malta.
She studied how sites in Xemxija would
respond to the energy from an earthquake
by using a portable seismograph to record
ambient noise (caused by sea waves, vehicular traffic, and other anthropogenic
sources) at over 100 points across the village (pictured). The ground’s surface can
be considered a vibrating platform, which
can be shaken both by ambient noise as
well as stronger waves from earthquakes.
The ground may “resonate” at particular
frequencies, or not at all, depending on the
kind of rock or soil layers making up the
top 30 to 50 metres. Analysis of ambient
noise shows if such resonance phenomena
exist, how they are related to the local geology, and how this would translate into
actual earthquake shaking.
At Xemxija, the study confirmed that the
presence of clay (whether at the surface or
buried) does amplify the grounds motion
at certain frequencies. The results match
previous studies in other areas, but this research went further by constructing geological models that can determine the ground’s
underlying structure .
Taken together, the survey shows areas
in Xemxija that might need extra support
to survive future earthquakes and prevent
deaths. Xemxija is not the only area with
soft clay geology, the urbanised area of
Mellieħa and historic citadel Mdina are
built on top of similar structures. Considering the importance of these areas means
that more studies are needed to better
understand the structure of Maltese buildings and how they would respond to earthquakes.
•
This research was performed as part of a Masters of Science in Physics at the Faculty of Science. It was partially funded by the Strategic
Educational Pathways Scholarship (Malta).
This scholarship is part-financed by the European Union — European Social Fund (ESF)
under Operational Programme II — Cohesion Policy 2007 - 2013, “Empowering People
for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life”.
Resonant Peak Frequencies
f<=2
2<f<=4
4<f<=6
f>6
35.965
35.960
Latitude
35.955
35.950
35.945
35.940
35.935
35.930
14.365
14.370
14.375
14.380
14.385
14.390
Longitude
Resonant peak frequency distribution patterns around the Xemxija area
8
14.395
14.400
14.405
Setting up the Micromed Tromino, the instrument used to
perform recordings of ambient noise measurements
THINK STUDENT
Illustration of a 2x2x2 unit cell of Benzene I
as calculated through ab initio simulations
Playing with
Solid State
Benzene
COMPUTATIONAL chemistry is a
powerful interdisciplinary field where traditional chemistry experiments are replaced
by computer simulations. They make use of
the underlying physics to calculate chemical
or material properties. The field is evolving as fast as the increase in computational
power. The great shift towards computational experiments in the field is not surprising since they may reduce research costs by
up to 90% — a welcome statistic during this
financial crisis.
Keith M. Azzopardi (supervised by
Dr Daphne Attard) used two distinct
computational techniques to uncover the
structure of a carcinogenic chemical called
solid state benzene. He also looked into its
mechanical properties, especially its auxetic capability, materials that become thicker
when stretched. By studying benzene, Azzopardi is testing the approach to see if it
can work. Many natural products incorporate the benzene ring, even though they are
not toxic.
The crystalline structures of solid state
benzene were reproduced using computer
modelling. The first technique used the ab
initio method, that uses the actual physical
equations of each atom involved. This approach is intense for both the computer and
the researcher. It showed that four of the seven phases of benzene could be auxetic.
The second less intensive technique is
known as molecular mechanics. To simplify matters it assumes that atoms are made
of balls and the bonds in between sticks. It
makes the process much faster but may be
unreliable on its own due to some major assumptions. For modelling benzene, molecular mechanics was insufficient.
Taken together, the results show that molecular mechanics could be a useful, quick
starting point, which needs further improvement through the ab intio method.
•
This research was performed as part of a Masters of Science in Metamaterials at the Faculty of Science. It is partially funded by the
Strategic Educational Pathways Scholarship
(Malta). This Scholarship is part-financed by
the European Union – European Social Fund
(ESF) under Operational Programme II –
Cohesion Policy 2007-2013, “Empowering
People for More Jobs and a Better Quality Of
Life”. It was carried out using computational
facilities (ALBERT, the University’s supercomputer) procured through the European
Regional Development Fund, Project ERDF080 ‘A Supercomputing Laboratory for the
University of Malta’.
9
OPINION
Shattering women’s
glass ceiling
Prof. Marie Therese Camilleri Podestà
T
he role of women in academia
has always greatly interested me.
Several years ago, when I was
asked to become Gender Issues
Committee chairperson at the
University of Malta, I readily accepted.
Apart from other tasks, the committee has
just compiled a booklet about the profiles of
senior female academics. Our objectives are
twofold: one is to incentivise junior staff to
aim higher and move forward in their career;
the other, to help sensitise male colleagues
to better appreciate the hurdles women face
when pursuing an academic career together
with raising a family.
Multitasking needs a number of skills.
An individual has to prioritise various
contending needs and to hone the skill
of time management. It is definitely an
advantage for children to be exposed to
parents who practice such skills early on.
I am the first woman to be appointed full
professor at the University of Malta. Without
the support of both my parents, when they
were still alive, and of my husband it would
have been difficult for me to succeed here.
My three children were born in a very short
time span and unfortunately my father died
when my youngest child was only one and
a half years old. Now that my children are
grown up, I feel that my example has been
useful in enabling them to develop their
skills to cope with the various commitments
demanded by a modern lifestyle.
The booklet we are compiling has a
prevailing recurrent theme: the need to
support women. Many universities abroad
provide mentors for their academic staff.
I am sure that a similar scheme locally
10
Image: kozzi.com
would be a step in the right direction to
empower female academics to achieve more.
Unfortunately, our university does not have
a structured unit to adequately cater for
gender issues. The only help that the Gender
Issues Committee receives is the provision
of a part-time secretary. To promote gender
equality, many foreign universities give
financial awards.
“To promote gender
equality, many
foreign universities
give financial
awards”
In recent years, child care facilities are one
factor that has undoubtedly contributed
greatly to help women achieve their career
goals. Gladly, I have lately noticed that the
number of these child care facilities has
increased. University has its own nursery.
However, this facility has its limitations.
It is not large enough to match the ever
increasing demand, it also does not open for
long enough nor caters for a wide enough
age range of children.
Overall, I am glad to have seen a great
improvement in the proportion of female
academics, but a glass ceiling still exists.
The statistics still show low percentages for
the top academic posts. The numbers at
the top for women still fall short of their
male counterparts. This ceiling needs to be
broken.
•
THINK OPINION
Assisted Conception
IVF and other procedures
Prof. Mark Brincat
A
ssisted conception procedures
arose as a type of treatment
for infertility. They opened
a whole new range of possibilities for couples that were
unable to have children due to a variety of
problems. Initially, the difficulty addressed
was of blocked or absent fallopian tubes in
women. This prevented the oocyte from
making contact with sperm, hence preventing the formation of an embryo. Naturally,
this also prevented an embryo from moving
into the uterus, implanting itself, and developing into a foetus.
In vitro fertilisation bypasses tubes by
obtaining oocytes from the ovaries and fertilising these oocytes outside the body (in
vitro — in glass). The procedure became a
reality in humans with the pioneering work
of Steptoe and Edwards and the delivery of
Louise Brown in 1974. She gave birth naturally in 1999.
With the further development of ICSI
(Intra cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) it was
possible to fertilise an oocyte (egg) with an
individual sperm. This was a breakthrough
therapy for men with low or absent sperm
counts. When sperm are lacking in the ejaculate, a doctor can retrieve them directly
from the testicles, or the epididymis (a tight-
ly coiled tube from the testes to the rest of
the body). The procedure is known as TESA
or PESA. In combination with ICSI, these
techniques made it possible for these men to
father children.
In our society, infertility is becoming
more common and 8 out of 10 couples can
experience problems. This simple statistic
makes these procedures increasingly important. Nowadays, even couples with the
most severe problems can become parents.
“In our society,
infertility is
becoming more
common and 8
out of 10 couples
can experience
problems”
These procedures have been mixed in
controversy from the beginning, with most
countries allowing science to proceed within certain safeguards. This restrained approach allows for progress.
Regrettably, infertility still carries a large
stigma. The thousands who have benefited
from these and other simpler infertility procedures (they precede attempts for assisted
conception) do not speak out. Normally
they don’t because of how society would
perceive them or their children.
IVF is a physically, psychologically, and
financially demanding procedure. Couples
normally only proceed after having spent a
considerable time beforehand seeking help,
investigating, and trying alternative simpler
treatments. It is usually the final recommended solution to the problem.
IVF essentially means that fertilisation of
the oocytes occurs out of the body. The oocytes are then fertilised with sperm and in a
percentage of cases this is successful and an
embryo starts to develop.
•
This article continues the focus on IVF from
last year’s opinion piece by Prof. Pierre Mallia. Other local experts have been contacted
and we are open for further opinions and comments from our readers.
11
Learning for the Future
Video games make billions as part of the entertainment industry. Parents often view them
as a waste of time. Prof. Charles L. Mifsud talks about studies showing their use in
education. Cleverer, alert, interested students could be coming to a classroom near you
Prof. Charles L. Mifsud
12
THINK FEATURE
13
FEATURE
V
ideo games can be a cause of
concern. Parents worry about
the large amount of time their
children spend playing games.
They fear for their children’s
health, academic achievement, and social
development. Teachers worry about the
increasing competition from enthralling
games and other media for their students’
attention. Students are frustrated by the
wide gap between their exhilarating experience when playing games and their slowpaced lessons at school.
Video games can be beneficial. There are
laparoscopic surgeons who play games to
‘warm-up’ before surgery. Younger, newer
radiologists are more accurate in reading
mammograms than older, more experienced doctors and some researchers have
put this down to keener eyesight gained
from playing video games.
Extensive research now shows that video
games can teach a multitude of skills. They
can help problem solving, language, collaborative and cognitive skills, critical and
strategic thinking, multitasking, hand-eye
coordination, and parallel processing. They
help cultivate new thinking skills, which
enable children and teenagers to process information more effectively. Games can help
teach skills that the children will require
as enterpreneurs in a twenty-first century
economy. They encourage creative solutions
and adaptations that can be applied to real
life situations. As a therapy for young people, video games can help them deal with
emotional and behavioural problems.
Furthermore, when children learn to
play video games, they are learning a new
literacy. Video gaming is a multimodal literacy par excellence. Multimodal literacy extends beyond words and images to include
sounds, music, movement, and bodily sensations.
Concerning more traditional forms of
literacy like reading and writing, video
games improved children’s spelling and
reading comprehension by statistically significant levels. Teacher reports claim that
students who use video games show improvement in basic literacy skills, writing,
and higher-level sentence and question
construction.
d
14
“Today’s kids are
not ADD, they are
EOE: Engage Me
or Enrage Me” ­
Kip Leland
Los Angeles Virtual Academy
(LAVA)
Research into video games is related to
new ideas in literacy. New Literacy Studies
argue that reading and writing should be
viewed as social and cultural practices with
economic, historical, and political implications. “Situated cognition” contends that
human learning is not simply what goes on
inside people’s heads but is fully embedded
in a material, social, and cultural world.
Another idea called connectionism consid-
ers human beings to be powerful pattern
recognizers. People think best when they
reason on the basis of patterns they have
picked up through their actual physical experiences.
The educational potential of
video games
More evidence is showing the positive effects of video games on learning. Gamers are
able to alter and change various situations
and environments, which in real life would
be unalterable. They can view phenomena
that are impossible to witness for real, and
can observe a changing environment over a
span of time.
For learning to be successful, learners
need to feel engaged. They must be aware of
the value of their role within the whole process and feel that their investment will bring
progress and goal achievement. Motivational features that can contribute to effective
learning are present in video games. They
just need to be exploited by game designers
and educators.
Students are more engaged in video gaming when compared to normal schooling,
namely in challenges, curiosity, and particularly in independent mastery. Student
engagement, learning, discipline, responsibility, increased communication by the
students with each other and with teachers,
and a meaningful integration of skills can
be achieved through the use of video games.
They can bring about quicker advancement,
enhanced production, and increased confidence. The elements of challenge, reward
and success in video games, and peer feedback can contribute towards student enthusiasm and motivation to work successfully
in classrooms.
THINK FEATURE
The role of teachers
The use of video games for learning enhances student autonomy. The role of the teacher
changes from an instructor to facilitator or
guide. Learning moments are created when
the teacher makes links between game play
and learning concepts. In such situations,
students become focused on learning, as
they are aware that it may help them in their
current game tasks. Use of guided practice
and regular debriefing supports learning.
Furthermore, teachers take on the role of interpreter, focus on getting the class to think,
and make links between what is happening
in the game and the main learning aims of
the class. Teachers who have a firm grasp
of the subject curriculum are able to utilise
the games appropriately to achieve their educational objectives, rather than to just increase game familiarity. While in the role of
facilitator, teachers need to strike a balance
between encouraging open-ended exploration and giving students a certain degree of
autonomy. They need to be able to provide
specific instructions at teaching intervals,
which will direct the students and keep
them on the track of exploration, of learning on their own, from their teacher and also
from their peers. Although fun is an important element of video games, teachers need to
move beyond this and show the students the
advantages of using video games to learn.
The Centre for Literacy (University of
Malta) has been researching the benefits of
video games in learning. Their experimental
studies show that when using video games in
the classroom, secondary students obtained
significant gains in language and literacy
when compared to other students who followed their regular programme. These research studies make a claim for teachers to
be supported in their endeavours to harness
video games as a teaching and learning tool.
The role of teachers in this process requires
redefinition. The concerns of teachers need
to be addressed to help them adopt video
games for classroom learning.
The Centre is looking into the attitudes
of people towards educational video games.
The studies show increased support for video games from students, teachers, and parents. Most students feel that video games
can provide them with an opportunity to »
Video games can
improve early literacy
>
in 4 and 5 year olds, especially letter recognition
and story comprehension
More than
100
Fortune 500 companies, like
IBM, Cisco and Coldstone Creamery,
use some form of gaming for
training purposes
15
FEATURE
learn many skills. The majority of teachers believe that students can learn through
video games, yet only some of the teachers
actually use video games in the class. Most
parents believe that educational video games
are good tools for classroom learning.
Kids who played
Tetris for
30 minutes
Areas of concern
Violence and gender are two areas of concern in video gaming.
There does not seem to be a link between
games and aggression. None of the current
research even remotely suggests video games
lead to real-life violence in any predictable
way. Some researchers have even argued that
video games have beneficial effects, for example some teenagers use violent games as a
way to manage anger or as an outlet for lack
of control. Many video games do not involve
violence.
Like other pop culture forms, video
games can depict women in stereotypical
ways, but the situation is changing. Many
role-playing games now allow players to
design their own character with an expanding range of choices. There are more and
stronger female characters. After all games
reflect our culture, a culture which can
be changed. Girls and women are quickly
catching up in gaming, though they usually
prefer different games.
Screen grab from ClueFinders 3rd Grade
Adventures by Moby Games
A Learning Vision
Good video games build learning principles
into their design. When young people interact with video games they are learning, and
learning in deep ways.
In education, a video games appeal can
be advantageous. Educators may need to
investigate the game features to identify
what captivates the player’s concentration
and commitment. These techniques can be
“By adopting game-like learning
principles we can redesign our
educational system for the modern
world”
James Paul Gee
Professor of Literacy Studies, Arizona State University
16
a day for three
months had a thicker
cortex than those
who did not play.
The cortex is
believed to process
coordination and
visual information.
adapted to produce learning programmes
with a high level of motivation. Parents
and teachers can support what children and
teenagers are learning by having conversations about games they are interested in.
•
FURTHER READING
• Gee, J. P. (2007). What Video
Games have to teach us about
Learning and Literacy, Palgrave
Macmillan, USA
• Granić, A., Mifsud, C.L., and
Ćukušić, M., (2009). Design,
implementation and validation
of a pedagogical framework for
e-Learning in Computers and
Education, Elsevier, US.
• Mifsud, C.L., Vella, R., and Camilleri,
L. (2013). Attitudes towards and
effects of the use of video games
in classroom learning with specific
reference to literacy attainment.
Research in Education, Vol. 90,
Manchester University Press, UK.
• Prensky, Marc (2006). 'Don’t
Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning!'
How computer and video games
are preparing your kids for 21st
century success. Paragon House,
USA.
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University of Malta
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We warmly encourage those who have not yet done so to fill in the
online form available at www.um.edu.mt/alumni so that we can
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If you have any queries concerning your registration or activation,
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Email: alumni@um.edu.mt
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Alma Mater.
Healthier
fitter
happier
through
economics
People do not always act rationally. They overeat,
overspend, and find it difficult to plan for the future.
THINK met Prof. Liam Delaney to talk about how
a new branch of economics might solve the pension crises,
the obesity epidemic, the financial situation, help science,
and make us feel better. Words by The Editor
18
THINK FEATURE
Prof. Liam Delaney
I
n an alternate dimension, Homo economicus always make the best choices
for themselves, are completely rational,
and can all exercise absolute willpower.
Back to today’s reality, Malta ranked
9th on a BBC global fat scale that I recently
took, the world is still stumbling to its feet
after the biggest recession in living memory,
and every Saturday night in Paceville people
regularly exhibit irrational behaviour.
The scenarios cusp the disconnect between traditional economic theory and how
human beings behave. “I think the notion
of individual rationality doesn’t even make
sense anymore”, said behavioural economist
Prof. Delany (University of Stirling) when
talking about how consumers make choices. Behavioural economics is a cross-disciplinary field that has made huge inroads
into bridging the above gap. It considers a
number of fields including evolution and
psychology. In 1979, the psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky published
Prospect Theory that started to explain how
people make choices, judge and value. These
are all at the root of human decision-making.
Evolution can really shape irrational
choices. Even when considering something
like paranoia, when humans roamed forests
it made sense to be overly alert to the slightest movement — a tiger could be waiting to
pounce on you. But in today’s world, it has
become a potentially serious and debilitating condition — most worries are in your
head (step in psychology). This comes out
in economics. “If you’re too distrusting then
you can lose a lot of trade. In economics this
is called betrayal aversion, it says that people
often pass up opportunities because of the
fear of betrayal. For example, losing €100
from your wallet feels bad, but losing €100
because of your friends feels a lot worse”, explained Prof. Delany. Loss aversion means
“People prefer
situations where
they can simply
say: I’m leaving for
the weekend
can you keep
an eye on the
house”
Societies that lack social capital will under
perform, since they “have to spend big percentages of their GDP on security and legal
contracts against each other”, continued
Prof. Delany. There is an economic benefit
when groups cooperate. It also promotes
wellbeing.
The economics of happiness
An unfashionable topic years ago, but now
there is a huge body of literature exploring
happiness and economics. Prof. Delaney
thinks “we should be designing institutions
that make us happier”. The field has also
been described as the "economics of walking around and asking people what they »
that financial institutions cannot be
run on incentives alone but need trust.
“Where trust is higher, financial institutions do better. It is mutually reinforcing."
Psychology has had a huge influence
on economics. Kahneman won the Nobel
prize in Economics in 2002. Take trust
as an example, lack of trust has a
cost and is related to social capital.
19
FEATURE
think and taking it seriously. […] In general, people do tell you and know if they are
unhappy about a situation. There was a big
connection between behavioural economics and well being”. Prof. Delaney thinks
that countries underinvest in pain-reduction and early childhood intervention.
Both would improve people’s lives tremendously.
Social capital promotes wellbeing.
“People prefer situations where they can
simply say: ‘I’m leaving for the weekend.
Can you keep an eye on the house?’ rather
than ringing somebody and paying them to
come over with a security van. Even if it’s
the same service there is evidence that sug-
20
gests people prefer asking your neighbour
— people feel happier”, continued Prof
Delaney. This reasoning is not how people
might normally view economists.
“The issue is to stop thinking about it
as economic incentives being made by disembodied individuals and start thinking
about how people interpret who is doing it
and why they are doing it”, said Prof. Delaney when we were talking about policies to
change behaviour. By talking to its citizens,
policy makers need to start analysing why
some policies fail and others succeed. “This
is something that comes out in Marie’s
research, [Marie Briguglio lectures at the
University of Malta and conducts research
on behavioural economics]. Changing default options can be particularly effective.
[Governments need to] change incentives
and label them very clearly. People got a
plastic bag tax very quickly”, remarked Prof.
Delaney. This worked in Ireland, not so
well in Malta; in Greece it increased plastic bag use. Policy makers need to look at
traditional instruments (like local culture)
and make them fit better to how people
make decisions.
Economics helping science
The next EU funding round called Horizon 2020 will see science adsorbing tens of
THINK FEATURE
billions of euros. “Enormous amounts of
money are rightly going into science and
the public is feeling that this is not in their
interest”, stated Prof. Delaney. The importance of science and public opinion seem
disconnected. “We need to stop the scenario where all this money is going into developing technologies with pretty much no
resources going into finding out what the
public finds acceptable. How can you make
these technologies acceptable and align
them into how the public behaves?” This
means investing in public consultations
and people who can engage the public with
science creatively. "Science communicators
are incredibly important; designers are incredibly important”, emphasised off Prof.
Delaney.
Behavioural economics for
government
“David Cameron has just set up a behavioural insights team in the Cabinet
— this is a group of physiologists, social
marketers and economists […] it’s a very
innovative thing”, said Prof. Delaney. But
why should a Conservative government introduce more regulations? “Since budgets
are limited, some countries are [accepting]
that we have to come up with better ways
of spending it, which could be very good.”
In the UK, this team has already helped reframe how energy bills should be provided
to people. There are currently tens of thousands of tariffs, now they are being regulated to provide people with the cheapest
tariff.
If the UK has adopted this approach,
should Malta? An open question. This
new approach tip toes between mandatory and non-mandatory. It could just make
“Science
communicators
are incredibly
important;
designers
are incredibly
important”
the market work better, damping future
financial crises. “It makes people feel more
secure”, stated Prof. Delaney.
A good frame of mind
“It’s not that people are irrational in terms
of being stupid, just that it’s not the way that
people make decisions”, stated Prof. Delaney. Decision makers need to consider how
options are framed to consumers. Nowadays
everything is framed for us, online shopping
is rife with recommended listings, mobile
tariffs, pension schemes, loans, absolutely
everything has options, upgrades, and other
categories are all seeking our attention. The
consumer has little hope of rational choice.
So, what can be done to help consumers
make better choices? The first option has already been mentioned: “actively shape consumer choices and make the default options
better”, stated Prof. Delaney. In pensions,
some economists are suggesting “opt out
instead of opt in”, while “fast food outlets
shouldn’t be asking you whether you want
to upsize but framing [it] so that you take
the lighter option”. This technique is called
behavioural intervention and can help shape
consumer choice.
Prof. Delaney suggested another two options: educating people to make the better »
21
FEATURE
choice and forcing mandatory changes. Simply put, do not allow people to buy products
that are bad for them or the world around
them. Prof. Delaney suggested that regulation might be the best approach for the very
big issues (obesity, pensions, the environment, financial crisis and so on).
The devil is in the details
Companies already give consumers all the
information they need. The problem is that
most people cannot, or do not have the
time, to understand hundreds of options.
According to Prof. Delaney, “they should be
explained to you in a way as if you’re explaining it to a 12-year old”. He is not being derogatory, he is emphasising communication.
It is key, not only in marketing and advertising, but for people to make the right health
and financial choices.
Prof. Delaney thinks that apps will be one
key part of this change in consumer-to-buisness relationship. He continued describing
how apps could be developed to recommend
certain foods, or which shop on your street
sells the cheapest towels. “The app would
give the customer the bigger deal." It would
need to be automatic using efficient sensor
technology to suggest the best outcome for
the consumer. “In the short term this might
lower profits, but if customers start to trust
companies more, this could help increase
the market size and have a more innovative
market.”
Why should behavioural
economics butt in?
Obesity is a huge problem. In the U.S., in
2011 it cost individuals $6,518–$8,365 more
per year for obesity-related expenses. For the
U.K., obesity’s impact on the economy could
reach £27 billion by 2015 according to a
Foresight report. “Both Malta or Ireland have
public health systems, so if someone is getting
more obese, more heart disease and diabetes,
that affects everyone. So, it’s not a matter of
personal choice”, said Prof. Delaney. Personal
choice clearly isn’t working. As I stated above,
22
Malta ranked number nine on a global fat
scale. Though these rankings change, Eurostat revealed in 2011 that Maltese women
are the second most obese and men top the
EU rankings. The Maltese are making some
very irrational food choices.
“The problem
with obesity is
evolution”
Even Harvard is recommending prevention to stop excessive economic strain on
countries. “The food industry is starting to
realise that this is something that could rebound on them if the public and politicians
start to think that it is popular for the food
industry to be seen as the bad guys.” In the
long run, companies could suffer excessive
regulation. Most people already know what
they should do: cut down on the pastizzi,
fast food and meat, eat more vegetables and
fruit, and exercise and so on, but less are doing it.
The problem with obesity is evolution.
We’re designed to love high-calorie, sweet,
savoury, fatty food to beef when times are
good and burn it off when crops fail. We
have a lot of baggage from our evolutionary history. Fast food chains, have
only been around for the last few decades and it’s harder to make healthy
food as good to eat. Against millions
of years of evolution,
what hope do
consumers
have?
“This is where behavioural economics fits in, which traditionally has not
been on that side. It’s traditionally been
thought, that people in public health
should think about these problems not
economists. If you think about it, it’s resource allocation and organisation of
public spending. These are fundamental
questions of economics”, explained Liam.
Governments and companies need behavioural economics because it will help
shape the most effective regulations for all,
and the stakes are very high. “It’s not the
apples and oranges tradeoffs we teach students, but [decisions that] will shape the
pattern of society in the next 10–20 years.”
Essentially behavioural economics argues
for pilot studies. When introducing policies or regulations, governments (or other
bodies) should be running small level trials,
analysing the results and building on them.
Prof. Delaney explained, “there isn’t a perfect equation and still a lot of experimentation, some things work well and some things
don’t work. […] We need to redesign our
institutions to work towards the future. […]
We just need to find political leaders who
can look beyond a five-year cycle. I don’t
think it’s that utopian a vision, but common
sense".
•
THINK FEATURE
INSECTS
OF
MALTA
Insects are vital.
Insects also cover the planet, with local research
showing that there might be over 6,000 species
— a wonderful world awaits
Dr David Mifsud
The Asian bark beetle which is killing fig trees.
Image: Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Malta
23
FEATURE
B
iodiversity is the study of all
living organisms on earth.
For hundreds of years it has
captivated many people and
scientists. Studying biodiversity is crucial to understand how ecosystems
work and protect them. We cannot live
without the products and services of our
environment. The natural world also provides security and health. Biodiversity is extremely complex, dynamic, and varied with
plants, animals and microbes all living in
one system that supports millions of species,
including people.
In 1758, the Swedish scientist Carl von
Linné proposed a binomial system to classify every living organism using just two
names. Since then, around 1.8 million
species of living or extant organisms have
been formally named and described. This
number is just a small part of the total
number of species which could rise to 30
to 50 million.
More than half of these species are insects.
They have colonised nearly every habitat.
Insects are found everywhere but are often
poorly understood. They also dominate the
Maltese environment. By understanding
insects we will understand more about Mal-
24
tese ecosystems. For this reason, the Entomological Society of Malta (where currently
I hold the chair of President) is studying all
of Malta’s insect biodiversity. It has tried to
involve scientists from all over the world to
study its rich insect biodiversity. To promote such collaborations, this NGO started
a scientific journal, which I currently edit,
called the Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Malta that focuses on Mediterranean
insect studies, especially those of the Maltese Islands. Since 2008, more than 60 scientists contributed and filled its covers with
detailed information on more than 1,200 insects — a quarter of which were not known
to occur in Malta. Over 300 different insects
lived in Malta for centuries without anyone
knowing about them. Recently, two society
members discovered and described two new
moths. Both species are endemic and only
occur in the Maltese Islands. One named
Stichobasis postmeridianus, a bagworm
moth, and the other, Eudarcia melitensis,
belonging to a different group commonly
known as fungus moths. These Islands still
hold many secrets.
The insect species we have recently discovered are probably the tip of the iceberg.
The society estimates that around 6,000 to
“Some 15 years
ago a longhorn
beetle was
accidentally
introduced from
Central Africa
through timber
industry wood”
THINK FEATURE
8,000 species exist in Malta. Like other living organisms, insects are subdivided into
various groups according to how they are
related to each other. Some 30 different orders are currently recognised, depending on
which scientist you agree with. The beetles
(Order Coleoptera) have the largest number of species and locally there may be more
than 1,700 species.
Alien species are organisms that establish themselves in a new territory. Cataloguing of insects is essential to figure out
if an insect is natural to Malta or an alien.
Once established in a new territory such
organisms may cause several problems. The
lack of natural enemies in the new territory
often means that their population
explodes. These pests can
also compete with native species, which
has happened in Malta time and again.
Damages done by the Red Palm Weevil
amount to thousands of euros and the species is still killing many palm trees. The Red
Palm Weevil’s introduction probably could
not have been avoided, but the authorities could have prevented others. Some
15 years ago a longhorn beetle (Phryneta
leprosa) was accidentally introduced from
Central Africa through timber industry
wood. This beetle destroyed hundreds of
black mulberry trees all over the Maltese
Islands. Right now, because of a bark beetle
(Hypocryphalus scabricollis), fig trees are dying all over Malta. This Asian beetle most
likely ended up in Malta through imported
Chinese Banyan or Curtain fig (Ficus mi-
crocarpa), a tree used for street and square
gardens. Malta has some 10 different species of fig trees.
Butterfly and moths (Order Lepidoptera) are another important group of
insects. In Malta, there are some two dozen
butterflies and some 600 species of moths.
Some butterflies could soon be wiped
out. A typical example is the Meadow
brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina), which
used to breed in abundance and was widely distributed around the Maltese Islands.
For some unknown reason, its population
has plummeted in these last 15 to 20 years
and this beautiful butterfly is now hardly
ever seen.
In Malta, bees, ants, and wasps (Order
Hymenoptera) have largely been ignored. »
The Longhorn beetle which has been
killing mulberry trees since 2000.
Image: Bulletin of the Entomological
Society of Malta
25
FEATURE
“OVER
THREE
HUNDRED
300
DIFFERENT INSECTS
LIVED IN MALTA
FOR CENTURIES
WITHOUT ANYONE
KNOWING ABOUT
THEM”
Asian tiger mosquito. Image: Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Malta
26
THINK FEATURE
The Meadow Brown butterfly which
is almost extinct from Malta. Image:
Bulletin of the Entomological Society
of Malta
There might be over 2,000 species. Another group, true flies (Order Diptera) are
well studied with 600 species identified,
but I am sure that 1,000 species could be
found in Malta. The dreaded Asian Tiger
Mosquito is part of this group. It is a highly
invasive species that originated in Asia and
has spread throughout the world. In 2009,
it was first reported in Malta. By breeding
in any still water, including abandoned
tyres, it thrives around humans — its most
important food source.
Over the last 20 years, extensive research
has been carried out on another group of
insects called Hemiptera, which includes
whiteflies, psyllids, scale insects, bugs, and
cicadas. Some 600 species have been found.
In 1996, I described the whitefly Aleurolobus
teucrii which my wife collected during some
field work in Gozo. This whitefly was then
found in Southern Italy.
Insect studies involve a lot of tedious
cataloguing, so why bother? Why should
we need to identify so many tiny creatures
and learn about their lives? Insects tend to
dominate the ecosystem around us, which
would collapse without them. The more we
learn about them, the more we can understand their relationships and their possible
common ancestors through studies known
as “phylogenetic relationships”. Insects
pollinate flowers, a vital process for most
plants and their products; honeybees produce honey, a delicacy in Malta and Gozo.
Flowers are also essential for the survival of
other organisms that feed on them. Other
insect species are not as kind, some pose
problems to human health, others infect
domesticated animals and can destroy agricultural livelihoods.
“This Asian bark
beetle most likely
ended up in Malta by
importing Chinese
Banyan or Curtain fig
[…] used for street
and square gardens”
The more we can learn about these species,
the better our chances of controlling them,
saving millions, and coexisting happily. Certain species called ‘ecological indicators’ can
give insight into the state of our environment.
Other species recycle nutrients, help plants
grow and spread, maintain all the different
species of plants or provide food for other
animals such as birds or bats. Studying insects
can go a whole lot further than a catalogue.
•
FURTHER READING
• www.entomologicalsocietymalta.
org — Website full of images and
information on arthropods in
Malta, plus scientific literature.
• Mifsud, D. (2008–2012) [ed.].
Bulletin of the Entomological
Society of Malta, volumes 1–5.
The society’s annual volumes that
catalogue insects found in Malta.
• Mifsud, D. (2000). Present
knowledge of the Entomofauna of
the Maltese Islands. Entomologica
Basiliensia, 22: 75–86. A scientific
paper that summarises insect
studies in Malta till 2000.
27
FEATURE
FUTURE-SAFE
MALTA
Dr Saviour Formosa
28
THINK FEATURE
The above cutout could become reality if a Category 3 storm lashes Malta with
178 to 208 km per hour winds. The chances are minimal but too probable to
ignore, since in 1995 a similar storm formed close to the Maltese Islands followed
by others in 1996, 2006, and 2011. Below are two scenarios that compare Malta
as it currently stands against an island with a solid disaster management plan.
[
SCENARIO 1
AN UNPREPARED ISLAND
]
The emergency forces have been inundated with
calls for help and have few plans to operate a
workable rescue effort. Key personnel were lost
at home or while rushing to the scene, since the
infrastructure has been knocked out, paralysing the
island. Power surges or power cuts have caused
fires all over the Islands creating an apocalyptic
scenario. With the storm still raging, the lack of a
back-end ICT network has rendered communication
near impossible.
[
SCENARIO 2
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
]
A fleet of small aerial drones is monitoring the
disaster. The authorities are using them to identify
the hardest hit areas and map out corridors that
allow access on the ground. Emergency vehicles are
being deployed safely. Services will be redeployed
after safety assessments and clearing of the main
infrastructure. Paramedics, NGO rescue teams, and
armed forces help move people to safer grounds and
carry out rescue operations. Community buildings
on higher ground are converted into temporary
shelters. In turn, decision-makers are kept informed
using an Emergency Room for effective relief.
29
FEATURE
B
ack to 2013, extreme weather events are gradually gaining
ground around the world linked
to a changing climate. Building
scenarios of possible disasters is an essential
way to prepare a nation. Malta currently
lacks a comprehensive risk assessment and
the infrastructure to cope with the storm I
described above.
Since 2006, I have been co-ordinating a
€4.4 million ERDF project to introduce
a unique map of the Maltese Islands. This
tool will provide a solid foundation to build
relief efforts. It goes far beyond a digital
map and integrates height data, underwater
depths, building heights, geographical features, environmental protection legislation,
development planning studies, and population studies. The project started off from
a number of directives studying air, water,
noise, radiation, and soil has matured into
a full-blown tool that can be used for relief
efforts, but also to protect the environment
and aid societal change. The layers of information serve civil protection, architects,
town planners, geographers and geologists,
archeologists, social scientists and criminologists to name a few. This tool will allow
3D simulations based on new data to build
new scenarios for any problem the Maltese
Islands might face. We will be launching the
free tool this June.
Riding the Wave
Having this tool up and running will allow
an exciting new wave of analysis. It will empower University Faculties and Institutes
to contribute to an integrated research base
through the generation of digital terrain
3D models. They can be used for urban
and transport planning, environmental
impact assessments, development infringement analysis, security review, modeling of
runoff water, and enforcement of land use
activities. Experts can also study, monitor,
analyse, and protect those areas that are
vulnerable. Spin-offs from the results include updated nautical charts, landscape
assessment, direct line of sight studies to
determine unobstructed views of historical buildings, and viewshed analysis that
allows landscapes to be seen from every angle. The results will also allow for cross-thematic studies in the physical, social, and
environmental domains.
Having been structured around a number
of international directives, the project will
ensure the free delivery of all data to the general public. This is the result of an integrated
exercise to adhere to EU requirements.
All data from this project will be made
viewable and disseminated through a web
portal known as a Shared Environmental
Information System (SEIS). Within the
SEIS the whole of the Maltese Islands will
be uploaded followed by more well-known
platforms like, OSGrid, OpenSimand, ScienceSim, Second Life, and Google Earth.
This prospect opens entire venues for online
commerce, gaming, tourism, virtual development testing, and social interactions in
a virtual reality that mimics or enhances reality. It could take Facebook and Minecraft
to a whole new level in Malta. Testing of »
Ancient Maltese landscapes: 12,000 year old coastlines
showing the Maltese landmass lost to sea-level rise
30
[]
THINK FEATURE
[the map serves]
civil protection,
architects, town
planners, geographers
and geologists,
archeologists, social
scientists and
criminologists
Very high resolution image of the Malta Freeport’s individual containers and
their environmental effects showing shifting sea-bottom sands
31
FEATURE
[
]
We could also
test the first
underwater
hotel within
an entirely
accurate
environment
32
THINK FEATURE
Watch more on our
channel
Images enabling structural studies of Malta’s capital
after 550 years of urban development
33
FEATURE
THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THE PROJECT
The project took data from 3D aerial surveys, vessel-based surveys, and other inputs
to generate a multi-layered map freely available to the Maltese public. The following
technology was used.
LAND
LAND — LIDAR
Scan: Terrestrial
(Topographic Light
Detection and Ranging
(LiDAR))
Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain
Model (DTM) (316km2).
LIDAR is a laser system used to collect topographical
data. With this information, a 3D model of the
terrain can be created. This dataset identifies the
actual height of every point on the island and offers
a rich output in terms of slope and aspect analysis.
This can be used to re-construct historical features
or develop future scenarios.
SOUND
SEA
Bathymetric LIDAR aerial survey - depths of 0m
to 15m within 1 nautical mile from the Maltese
coastline (38km2)
Another first for Malta, an aerial LIDAR survey
measures the bathymetry (water depths) of coastal
waters. The laser pinpointed the exact coastal
boundary. Ship-based scans cannot come close
enough to the shore because of the shallow depths.
Because of the Island’s clear seas a global first was
achieved. The technology pierced through 50 metres
of sea water, 30 metres more than anywhere else in
the world.
3D
High resolution oblique aerial imagery, derived
orthophoto mosaic and tiled imagery of the Maltese
Islands (316km2)
Bathymetric Scan: Acoustic (side scan sonar)
Digital Surface Model and an acoustic information
map of sea bed (361km2).
Sonar equipment mounted on a vessel was used to
scan the seabed for unique physical and biological
characteristics. Coastal waters were surveyed
between 15 to 200 m water depths and within
1 nautical mile from the Maltese baseline coast.
34
By taking aerial photography from a sharp angle
(oblique) of the same area, a precise 3D image was
created. The high resolution images can be seen
from multiple views enabling better analysis of
buildings, which can be critical when assembling
post-disaster scenarios. By comparing a beforeand-after image, rescue teams can pin down exactly
how badly affected was an area. Town planners can
assess the potential impact of new developments.
THINK FEATURE
environmental management plans, town
planning, and a million other scenarios can
be taken up across entire academic domains.
Imagine testing a new paragliding suit over
the Dingli Cliffs and including precise wind
pattern fluctuations. We could also test the
first underwater hotel within an entirely
accurate environment, or an array of wave
powered electricity generators that can be
assaulted with all kinds of weather conditions. The islands could also be bridged with
a new tunnel or single span bridge employing new materials and tested using this technology. The possibilities are endless.
In terms of project outputs, from here, the
sky is the limit. Reruns of the bathymetric
and terrestrial LIDAR (Light Detection and
Ranging) scans would enable change analysis, which is when the laser light reflected by
surfaces is used to measure changes in the
physical structure of historical buildings or
cliff sides. Future technology developments
are needed for an aerial ground-penetrating
radar scan of the Maltese Islands to explore
and protect our underground heritage. By
investing in more research and technologies,
this map could be upgraded and made more
powerful.
Revisiting the Scenarios
The simulation of extreme weather events is
now within reach. The infrastructural data
is now available, while we could glean information about the population from census
and common database data. Other ERDF
projects also have huge readily available
datasets.
If Malta adopts scenario two, a storm
would kick off a fleet of drones to scan
buildings and infrastructure for damage.
In turn, this information would raise the
alarm for critical areas that need instant
intervention. Other sensors will measure
radioactivity or pollutant emissions, whilst
others would measure heat signatures of
trapped persons. Our rescue teams could
be efficient, effective, and save the largest
number of people. Flash flooding can be
predicted based on the rate of precipitation
and slope analysis, allowing the authorities
to work on the most at-risk localities. By
combining this strategy with immediate
generation of risk maps and disaster simulations, the loss of life would be minimised
and an alarm system set in place.
Malta needs to be prepared and its authorities must help develop response strategies. In the next few years, scenarios need to
be tested, followed up by solid strategies to
help brace the Island. Only then will Malta
prevent that horrific newspaper cutout.
•
This €4.4 million project is being implemented by the Environment and Planning
Agency, the University of Malta, the Malta
Resources Authority, the National Statistics
Office, and the Environmental Health. It is
co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project will be freely avail-
FURTHER READING
• Formosa S., V., Magri, J., Neuschmid,
& M., Schrenk, (2011). Sharing
integrated spatial and thematic data:
the CRISOLA case for Malta and the
European project Plan4all process,
Future Internet 2011, 3(4), 344-361;
doi:10.3390/fi3040344,
ISSN 1999-5903
• Formosa S., Sciberras, E., and
Formosa Pace J., (2012). Taking the
Leap: From Disparate Data to a Fully
Interactive SEIS for the Maltese
Islands in Murgante B., Gervasi O.,
Misra S., Nedjah N., Rocha A.M.,
Taniar D., and Apduhan B.O., (Eds.),
Computational Science and its
Applications – ICCSA 2012,
LNCS 7334, Springer, Heidelberg,
ISBN 978-3-642-31074-4
• Formosa S., (2013). Maltese Building
Blocks for Geographical and Crime
Sciences, Journal of Geography and
Geology, Vol. 5, No. 1,
ISSN 1916-9779 (Print)
ISSN 1916-9787 (Online)
• Formosa S., and Sciberras, E., (2013).
Mapping the Micro State: Connecting
LIDAR, SEIS, Aarhus and INSPIRE,
GEOconnexion International,
Vol 12(1), 32-33, ISSN1476-8941
able to the public as outlined by the Commission’s Communication COM (2008) 46
Final “Towards a Shared Environmental
Information System”, the INSPIRE Directive (Directive 2007/2/EC), and the Aarhus
Convention.
35
FEATURE
36
XPERIMENT MALT
THINK FEATURE
Stick to one language! Was the old maxim. Otherwise,
you’ll risk confusing your kids and they will never learn
to speak properly. Research by Prof. Helen Grech and
her team shows that this is not true: bilinguals usually
do better. Teaching your child two languages at a go
might delay them initially but helps them in the long
run. Words by The Editor
Prof. Helen Grech
37
FEATURE
T
he world has globalised. Over
one billion people speak English; for most English is not a
first language. They are multilingual. Before Independence, Malta was a British colony for nearly 200 years.
Its legacy? Most Maltese locals are bilingual
speaking both English and Maltese to various extents, even when stoically denied.
Post-colonial Malta is a unique melting pot.
In the 1980s, speech language therapy
started being professionalised. Their situation? All assessment tools were based on
British or American language models, standardised on children from these countries.
They were trying to assess Maltese children
without having the right tools. It was like
trying to build a house with sand.
Building a solid foundation
“We didn’t have anything”, said speech-language pathologist Prof. Helen Grech (De-
partment of Communication Therapy,
University of Malta). They had to start
from scratch so they ran some pilot studies
to find the best model to identify speech
defects in Maltese children. A speech language pathologist “wants to know if the
child [s/he is treating] is developing typically or has a disorder”, said Prof. Grech,
and they want to identify it quickly. Otherwise, they would be wasting the clients’ and
parents’ time.
To build the right tools, Prof. Helen
Grech and her team (University of Malta),
in collaboration with Prof. Barbara Dodd
(City University, London) and Prof. Sue
Franklin (University of Limerick, Ireland)
adapted British speech assessment models.
Not an easy task considering that Maltese
is derived from Semitic languages (from
the Arab region) and has very different
structures to English. For example when
compared to English, Maltese words are
written as they sound as long as you learn
a few rules. The language also has more
consonants and the word structure is more
complicated. Maltese has many sounds
(phonemes) that are not part of English.
Many other differences exist.
After a pilot study, they came up with a
much shorter test that only took 45 minutes. It was successfully used on a large
number of Maltese children from two to
six years of age. The children can be assessed
in either language, which makes the therapist’s life much easier, the child happier, and
identifies if the children have problems in
their speech or language.
Malta proves to be the perfect experiment. “By three years of age [most Maltese
children] are exposed to both languages […]
there are children who from day one are exposed to both languages”, said Prof. Grech.
Uniquely, this applies to over 80% of the
population. “We conducted research which
could enlighten or encourage research for
other language pairs and culture."
A Maltese text book used in state schools.
Used with permission from the authors and MidSea Books
38
THINK FEATURE
Bilingualism: good or bad?
When I was born in the 1980s, my mother
was told to stick to one language at home.
The fear was that if I heard two languages
at the same time I would mix the two and
speak neither properly. Speaking two or
three languages at home confuses your
child; they might end up with a problematic
pidgin language.
In Maltese children, Prof. Grech found
the opposite in studies she lead. “We have
enough data to claim that if you bring up
your child in a bilingual [environment]
this will eventually be beneficial. […] For
speech sound development (the sounds children make when vocalising specific letters)
there appears to be an apparent [developmental] delay, but by three and a half years,
bilingual children […] not only catch up but
do better."
For other aspects of language development, speaking one or more languages does
not seem to make a difference. Children
should be encouraged to learn more than
one language. At the end of the day, speaking several languages can enrich an individual’s life and bump up their job opportunities.
A specific model for bilinguals needed to
be developed and studied since they develop
differently to monolinguals. “The children
follow different routes […] it’s very unfair to
compare bilingual children to monolingual
children using tools standardised on monolingual children. The bilingual children
process language differently and we found
this also [happened] in [Maltese] children."
Bilingual and monolingual children make
different errors.
“Before these
models were
developed, a speech
language pathologist
may have thought
that a child needs
treatment when
instead they were
just bilingual”
Before these models were developed,
a speech language pathologist may have
thought that a child needed treatment when
instead they were just bilingual. All children
substitute sounds up to certain ages. A bilingual child would be processing sounds in
a different way, they would be “processing
two different languages with two different
structures”, which leads to different error
patterns, explained Prof. Grech. For example, “[a monolingual child] might say tat
instead of cat, a bilingual child might say it
differently”. A bilingual child can also transfer words from one language to another, or
switch between languages. No need to worry, “they are just processing. Children are
very flexible and often, very early on, […]
they will address the speaker depending on
their language and the context”.
The picture is more complicated than it
seems. British, Maltese, and bilingual children all have different error patterns. The
glides is an error pattern where “r and w are
substituted by a j — ruler becomes juje, rubber become wubber. Instead Maltese children may lateralise it — they say liga instead
of riga, […] or label instead of ragel. […] Bilingual children have different error patterns »
39
FEATURE
tkellem
Malti tajjeb
because of the influence of the two languages”, explained Prof. Grech. So Maltese children can have errors unique to the Maltese
language and other errors because they are
bilingual. Which is why speech therapists
need these models and why they have taken
over six years of research to develop.
Speech therapists need to identify the
different errors of children depending on
language. “If an English speaking child
is saying wubber instead of rubber, up to
seven years of age, [then it] is a developmental [problem] so doesn’t need treatment. If an English child says lubber then
that would be unusual and treated, for a
Maltese [child] it is not unusual”, clarified
Prof. Grech. Maltese and English children
develop at different rates. “In Maltese children the r stabilises earlier than in English
children, […] by four years our children
have mastered full adult phonology”, or the
structure of sounds behind spoken words.
If a Maltese child is not treated by this age
it could become a big problem. “There are a
40
lot of clinical implications” for these studies and for Malta, emphasised Prof. Grech.
Maltese and English monolinguals, and
bilinguals need to be assessed with models
standardised to their abilities — anything
else is misleading.
The big question: is teaching your child
more than one language good or bad?
Mounting evidence nods towards good.
Twelve-month old bilingual infants have
shown a greater flexibility when learning
the structure of speech. The infants learnt
information more efficiently. Bilingual children are more flexibile in higher levels of
thought and divergent thinking. Later in
life bilinguals also have the edge. A study
on bilingual seniors aged 60 to 68 showed
that their brains were more flexible than
monolinguals. “Bilingual seniors use their
brains more efficiently than monolingual
seniors”, said Dr Brian Gold (University of
Kentucky). Bilinguals also suffer from less
dementia. Bilingualism is good. Good news
for Malta.
What is going on?
By hearing and speaking more than one language the brain must be developing differently. But why? Theories abound and this
is where it gets hazy. Studies have shown a
higher neural density in certain parts of the
brain. Other studies show that different
neural activity and brain areas are used in
monolinguals and bilinguals speaking the
same language. These studies all suggest a
different brain structure.
According to Prof. Grech, “Exposure to
more than one language is making their
[bilingual] brain work harder. […] Once
they sort it out, they actually get better,
making their brain work really fast — it’s
very beneficial.” For Maltese bilingual
children, by three and a half they surpass
monolinguals in speech development. Her
team’s research suggests that the majority
of Maltese children could start life a step
ahead of other children. Not only can they
speak more than one language but could
THINK FEATURE
have improved brain development for the
rest of their lives.
Obviously, these conclusions are extrapolations and need proper studies to figure out.
Prof Grech thinks that, “it’s all to do with
how we process language. A child who is exposed to two different systems will have to
eventually sort it out. Our brain has the capacity, [normally] we were not using its full
capacity. We are not doing a favour to our
brain by exposing it to only one language.
Initially, the brain might be overwhelmed,
[…] but the children will eventually sort out
the different structures”.
quests for this model from Middle Eastern
therapists.
The models Prof. Grech, her team, and
collaborators have made are nearing maturation. They are looking for ways to spread
their tools to any speech language therapist.
They want to make a manual available for all.
Breaking from the past
“We are not doing a
favour to our brain
by exposing it to only
one language”
The beauty of this tool is that other countries can adapt it. Prof. Grech and her team
regularly collaborate or present at EU conferences. European practitioners are using
locally developed tools and templates and
adapting them to their own country.
The Maltese studies show that our
children share error patterns with Arabic speaking children. Traditionally, “we
used to compare our children with British
children but our children have different
error patterns” in language development,
explains Prof. Grech. She also receives re-
These studies have wider social implications. Bilingualism and multilingualism are
being seen as good for the brain — a case
for teaching minority languages. For many
years, these languages have been suppressed
in the world’s colonial past, China, Burma,
and many other countries. These studies call
for a change. More than half of the world is
multilingual: perhaps this is a great reason to
uncork the champagne and celebrate Malta’s
unique cultural melting pot, while embracing other cultures. Peace and Love.
•
FURTHER READING
• Agius, R. (2012). The Development of
a Literacy Assessment Battery for
Maltese Children. Unpublished Ph.D.
Thesis. University of Malta.
• Gatt, D. (2010). Early Expressive
Lexical Development: Evidence from
children brought up in Maltesespeaking families. Unpublished Ph.D.
Thesis. University of Malta.
• Grech, H., & Dodd, B. (2008).
Phonological acquisition in Malta: A
bilingual language learning context.
International Journal of Bilingualism,
12, (3): 155-171 (3), 155–177.
• Viorica Marian, Y. F.-S., Margarita
Kaushanskaya, Henrike K.
Blumenfeld & Li Sheng (2009).
Bilingualism: Consequences for
Language, Cognition, Development,
and the Brain, http://bit.ly/Xvz2jR.
• Xuereb, R., Grech, H. & Dodd, B.
(2011). The development of a literacy
diagnostic tool for Maltese children.
Clin Linguist Phon 25, 379–398.
41
DISCOVER
UNIVERSITY
F
S PE C I A L F E AT U R E
42
or a week, thousands of people came
to University to take part in over 200
events. The open week took place
between the 5–10 November 2012,
with school children and adults all taking
part in tours, exhibitions, talks, potterymaking workshops, and a lot more. At
THINK we have selected some of the
best events for you to leaf through in the
following pages.
The University of Malta (UoM) is mostly
financed by the public purse. Yet, its inner
workings can appear obscure to the general
public. Universities throughout the world
are central to the economic, scientific, and
cultural lifeblood of a country. UoM is no
exception, and Discover University is an
opportunity for students and the public
to peer under the University’s bonnet and
watch it at work and play.
Under the colourful Discover University
tent, the International and EU Office,
Communications and Alumni Relations
Office, Engineering, Science, ICT, Researchers,
and Student Advisory Services presented
activities, as well as workshops with
dancers from the School of the Performing
Arts. Open Week 2012 was enjoyed by over
3,000 secondary and sixth form students,
and the general public.
Photos by Elisa Von Brockdorff
DISCOVER
THINK UNIVERSITY
Festa italiana
Songs, activities, and short plays
all presented by Secondary school
children. The items were based
on Italian regions and their own
Italian experience. The staff and
students of the Department of
Arts & Languages (Italian, Faculty
of Education) wanted to show, in
action, the richness and diversity
of Italian Culture, while helping the
children to express themselves and
communicate effectively in Italian.
Botanical Walks
The campus of the University
of Malta is home to several
species of plants. Some plants
grow wild, but others have
been introduced for study or
embellishment. The walks went
around the Mediterranean Garden
introducing walkers to a number
of plants, plant adaptations, and
survival strategies.
From the movies to ICT
Talks, career guidance, and interactive
sessions were held by the Faculty of
ICT. Movie secrets were revealed in
the talk entitled ‘Multimedia, Special
Effects, and more…’, which showed
how special effects are created in
movies. In the Signal Processing
Laboratory students could experience
a virtual flight over the Maltese
islands or a virtual chat with famous
people! These work using real-time
signal processing algorithms. These
algorithms can convert Maltese
text to speech and correct Digital
TV picture errors. Multimedia signal
processing is used in just about every
aspect of our daily life — for work and
play!
43
DISCOVER
UNIVERSITY
Making Literacy Come Alive
“Literacy is enjoyable, fun and bursting with life”, said the Centre for
Literacy. Reading is one of the most important skills in life which helps
to improve creativity and build up self-esteem. This 45-minute fantasy
interactive show engages the imagination of the audience with fictional
characters. Boys and girls from Form 1, 2, 3, and 4 all enjoyed the show.
Words by Victoria Muscat
From China to Kuwait
44
Australian, Chinese, Japanese, Kuwaiti,
Omani, and American students
brought their diverse cultures to
University. Chinese and Japanese
students with University of Malta
staff performed traditional Chinese
and Japanese calligraphy, traditional
Chinese fan dance, and Tai Chi
performances. A replica of the Royal
Fort of Oman was set up at University
by Kuwaiti and Omani students who
also helped visitors wear traditional
dress and served Arab coffee, food,
and sweets prepared by the students
themselves. The American students
ran a ‘USA Fun Fact Sheet’, while
Australian students hosted an ‘Aussie
Slang Session and Quiz’. Both student
groups offered homemade apple pie
and sandwiches with Marmite.
The International & EU Office
organised the event. It manages the
University’s International Relations
and the welfare of its international
students. Foreign students account
for 10% of students.
Your daily dose of Engineering
Day-to-day activities such as washing with clean water, turning on a
lamp, using transport, a computer or TV — almost every man-made
object — are shaped by engineering. The Faculty of Engineering opened its
labs to the public giving presentations and tours showing their interesting
research that is using the latest technology to solve Malta’s problems.
DISCOVER
THINK UNIVERSITY
For Discover University rather than a
performance, Mavin Khoo (School of Performing
Arts) presented a dance coaching session: “I
thought that it was really important that we
[...] revealed the kind of process that goes into
the creation of a work. [...] We sometimes fail
to consider dance as a genre or a study that
demands a lot of time, [...] thinking, and physical
and emotional investment because we are not
aware of the process that leads up to that one
[performance] night”.
Foreign choreographers are brought in.
Choreographies developed. Then the whole
performance is constructed. At the same time the
academic work continues. Then the tour. Every student
(total: eight) had to renegotiate themselves as members
of a company — eight different personalities being
consistently made to attempt different ways of moving
their bodies, living the life of a professional dancer, reshifting mindsets, and their “philosophy of living”.
As Mavin puts it, “you are imparting, you are giving
them your life. Everything that you in your life have
experienced, you’re giving it to someone else [...] to use
and develop for themselves”.
And therefore, the coach or
choreographer becomes THE research. But also, “YOU
are your point of research. It is practice as research.
YOU are the subject of your research. You, literally,
not just your body, but you and the understanding
that the construction of this is layered” with history,
politics, semiotics, academia, lineage. Practice, coaching,
observing, all form part of dance research.
The third year students were preparing for a tour in
Malta and in the UK, which went very well.
Sports: Malta-style
Ancestral Voices:
Writings from the past
Artefacts were littered all around the Faculty of Art’s
farmhouse. Phoenician/Punic, Greek, Latin, Hebrew,
Arabic, and Maltese experts gave presentations on how
the ancients wrote and what they wrote.
Visitors discovered how these different writing
systems work and about the history of these languages
in the Maltese Islands. The displayed artefacts were a
window into the past, they showed how archaeologists
and historians use them to piece together the daily
lives of the ancients. Learning and researching ancient
languages can still enlighten today’s world.
This activity was organised by the Departments
of Classics and Archaeology, of Oriental Studies, and
of Maltese, in collaboration with the Departments of
History, History of Art, the Superintendence of Cultural
Heritage, Heritage Malta, and the Archaeological Society
Malta.
Children’s laughter was heard across the Msida campus
and Three Cities as they took part in some traditional
Maltese games. The games on offer included boċċi,
kantunieri, passju, il-borża, bum bum il-bieb, iż-żunżana
ddur iddur, lastku, amongst others. These games
were chosen since they build social skills, require the
participants to cooperate, and help train the brain.
Students from the Institute of Physical Education and
Sport organised the event. With the support of their
supervisor Ivan Riolo, they chose the games to be played.
To research these activities, they performed some online
searches and consulted a local publication about Maltese
Folklore. This study helped place the traditions into the
school and community context.
The event was held during Skopri l-Università fit-Tlett
Ibliet and Discover University.
Words & photo by Daphne Pia Kelleher
Words by Daphne Pia Kelleher
Dance: physical, emotional,
thoughtful
45
DISCOVER
UNIVERSITY
Medieval Meal
The Senior Common Room at University House was
transformed into a medieval banqueting room. Candles, a
beautiful centre-piece, and a medieval backdrop provided the
right atmosphere.
The guests first devoured Zanzarella soup and a Green
Broth of Eggs and Cheese, with a very tasty Pork Pie. The
second serving consisted of minced veal with prosciutto and
currants, lamb casserole, stuffed sardines, broad beans in the
Mediterranean style, and chickpeas with herbs. Dessert was
the most unusual: ham and herb fritters, marzipan pastries,
Angel’s Food and spiced wine.
Professor Carmel Cassar, Dr George Cassar and Mr Noel
Buttigieg researched the meal to deliver an authentic medieval
experience true to the period’s ethnographic roots. The
ingredients and cooking process of the dishes were very similar
to contemporary methods, and seasonal fruits and vegetables
were used. With waiting staff in costume, madrigals, delicious
authentic food and wine, the atmosphere was complete!
The meal was provided by JMOperations.
SKOPRI L-UNIVERSITÀ FIT-TLETT IBLIET
T
he Inner Harbour area (l-Isla, Bormla, il-Birgu) has
a low number of students at the University of
Malta. Skopri is part of a strategy to lift the area
towards the national average. It evolved from the
University Structures Committee coordinated by Prof.
Carmel Cefai and chaired by the University Rector.
When averaged, every citizen should have the same
potential whether they come from the Three Villages
46
or the Three Cities. Many young people are missing out
on realising their possible achievements. If they do not
achieve their full intellectual strength, the community
looses. Finally, it is a waste of resources for the whole
country. In an island whose best asset is its people
and therefore its workforce, it is inconceivable that we
should be allowing these potential wealth providers to
slip through the tertiary education net.
DISCOVER
THINK UNIVERSITY
Writers, Art, and sculptures
fill the Library
Words by Patricia Camilleri
The Library was transformed for a week. Library Tours were
given a twist. Visitors were able to visit restricted areas to
learn how a book is processed from the moment it arrives by
post to the moment it is available on the shelves. The Library
was full of exhibitions. The Treasures of the Library exhibition
showcased its best archives, which go through the works
behind Malta’s alma mater and other rare exhibits. The Children
and the Sea exhibition had thought provoking artworks inspired
by our oceans and coastal environments. Children from all
over the world painted the art, which was on loan from the
International Ocean Institute, Malta. The exhibition How Biology
Can Save the World exhibition features photos that show the
importance of biology in everyday life. It was organised by the
Science Students’ Society (S-Cubed) in collaboration with the
Society of Biology (UK). At Meet the Author!, students could
meet celebrated Maltese authors Charles Casha and Kenneth
Caruana for a chat about being a writer. Across the terrace,
ceramist Paul Scerri (Faculty of Education) created beautiful
sculptures live with his students.
The Skopri experiment aimed to bring the University
closer to the Three Cities. By disseminating information
and engaging the local population, we want to create a
continuous dialogue with University. The event was a
wonderful opportunity to introduce the new Cottonera
Resource Centre to those who will benefit from it and to
find out what the people from the Inner Harbour Area
really want from the Centre.
By extending the Discover University! Open Week,
2012 to include a ‘prequel’, University came to the Three
Cities. The activities were housed in a large tent. The local
councils and Student Advisory staff helped disseminate
information and bring the public to the open discussions.
Public engagement happened through various events:
games for young people organised by students from
the University’s Institute for Physical Education and
Sport, an exhibition that listed famous local personalities
and big achievers, as well as presentations on subjects
relevant to the Three Cities by University academics.
Professor Carmel Pulé created a small exhibition of
engineering materials, closely connected to the sea,
while Junior College students played and sang every
evening. The highlight of the event was three debates
organised through youth and drama groups, which
discussed issues chosen by them and moderated by
University academics.
The debates were organized through local youth
workers, drama, and youth groups. Many common
issues came up during all the debates and included
the perceived stigma of coming from Cottonera and
the area’s negative image as it appears in the media.
People from Cottonera showed an obvious pride. Clearly,
although they might be rivals they would put up a united
front if they felt threatened.
The young people complained that new gardens are
barred to bikes and footballs, while other areas have been
given to private companies. They also asked for support
for those who found it difficult to study at home. This
revealed a need for better links between the home and
the school from primary education onwards, and the
importance of information about their options.
All three groups spoke about the economic situation of
families and the strain it put on the young peoples’ desire
to study. They discussed the vicious circle of reliance on
the state. Other issues were truancy, the importance of
the historical areas of Cottonera, and the value given to
local skills such as boat building.
•
Special thanks are in order for all three Local Councils
without whose help and enthusiasm this event would not
have been possible and Ms Maria McNamara, Principal of
St Margaret College for her invaluable assistance.
47
ALUMNI
ALUMNI talk
Life after University can lead you to Bahrain or other worlds
The law covers the globe
DR JEAN SCERRI talks to us about his journey from Malta to Bahrain
THE LAW IS AN ASS — as the cliché goes — and yet it is ubiquitous, since everything we decide to do or not do has legal
implications. Thankfully, we do not bother
to think about the legal consequences of everyday routine activities. For example, this
magazine is covered by copyright law which
in a nutshell means that no part of it can be
copied without the author’s permission. To
yours truly, it has a more financial bearing —
it gives me a job.
I currently work in Bahrain as a senior
legal advisor in competition and telecoms
to the Kingdom’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Why Bahrain I hear you
ask? Bahrain is an island state with causeways linking it to Saudi Arabia and by plane
it is only an hour away from Dubai. Bahrain is seen as the most liberal of the Gulf
States and its communications regulatory
framework is probably the most advanced.
It benefits from the most competitive market within the Middle East, and has multiple
mobile and fixed operators. My challenge is
to transform the regulatory landscape into
a more competitive system — an exciting
challenge.
My family and I moved to Bahrain in
late December and I have immediately been
immersed in some very important projects.
They include the post 3G auction for frequencies which enable superfast broadband
48
on mobile devices. In Bahrain, subscribers to
communications services can already watch
their favourite TV programmes (including live sports) on their tablets and mobile
phones in nearly all parts of the country —
the auction should take quality and coverage
a step further.
My journey to Bahrain commenced in
September 1991, when I entered the University of Malta to read law at the ripe old
age of 17. At the time, the law course lasted
six years and culminated in an LL.D. (Doctor of Law) degree. The course covered the
more traditional subjects (civil law, criminal
law, commercial law). European law had just
been introduced and competition law was a
mere subset of it. Telecommunications law
was, if I remember well, not covered at all.
Prior to Malta joining the European Union
the focus was understandably on these core
subjects.
After completing my LL.D. degree, I decided to study European Law. Consequently,
I enrolled into the Mag. Jur. (Master of Law)
course at the University of Malta where I
focused on competition and telecommunications law, partly since I was working
at Maltacom plc (the predecessor to GO).
When I moved to Melita Cable plc in 2001,
I set up its legal department and eventually
took on the role of Company Secretary. At
Melita I took up further studies, this time at
Queen Mary College, University of London
and graduated with an LL.M. in Computer and Communications Law. At Melita,
I was heavily involved in competition and
regulatory issues at both national and European levels which exposed me to many
invaluable experiences. After seven highly
enjoyable and eventful years I was appointed
as Head of Regulatory Affairs for Southern
Europe and Ireland at Cable and Wireless
plc, which is a FTSE100 company based in
Bracknell, UK Eventually I also took care of
the company’s regulatory issues for Africa
and Middle East. Following a two year stint
as Chief Officer (Legal, Risk & Compliance
at MITA), my yearning for a new challenge
has now taken me to the Middle East.
•
THINK ALUMNI
Simulating
the real world
DR KURT DEBATTISTA shares his passion
for computer graphics
IN 2003, I left Malta for the UK to pursue
a Ph.D. in Computer Science and am now
an Associate Professor at the University of
Warwick. I specialise in the area of computer graphics — simply put: the generation,
manipulation, and display of images using
computational resources.
During my bachelor studies in Mathematics and Computer Science (University
of Malta), I experimented with computer
graphics for my undergraduate project. After
graduating and working at IT Services (then
Computer Services Centre) for a couple of
years, I took up a post as Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science
and AI; during this period I taught computer graphics and completed an M.Sc. in
parallel computing (supervised by Dr Kevin
Vella), which gave me the first glimpse into
conducting research and publishing. These
skills served me well throughout the rest of
my career.
My Ph.D. at the University of Bristol was
supervised by Prof. Alan Chalmers, who was
vice-president of ACM’s SIGGRAPH, the
largest special interest group of computer
graphics professionals. My research focused
on physically-based rendering, which is
the process of generating realistic images
by simulating the lighting in a virtual environment; such simulations can take a sub-
stantial amount of time to
compute. I worked on how
limitations in the human visual system can be exploited
to speed up the computation
of physically-based images.
My approach was to reduce the rendering
accuracy of simulations in unimportant
parts of an image.
While I thoroughly enjoyed my Ph.D.,
the most beneficial part of it was working
with other students and researchers on all
aspects of computer graphics. It gave me
a broader understanding of the subject. I
spent another year in Bristol as a Research
Fellow. During this time, my research focused on accurate and efficient renderings
of buildings for architects in collaboration
with the University of Manchester.
In 2007, I joined the University of Warwick as an Assistant Professor to form part
of the newly established International Digital Laboratory that brought together a large
number of disciplines including engineers,
computer scientists, psychologists, mathematicians, and healthcare specialists, all to
promote research in applied computing. In
2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially opened the laboratory.
My main focus is research, which is
grounded in helping solve real world prob-
lems with academic rigour. This has given
me the opportunity to explore different aspects of computer graphics and its applications. The varied research projects include
designing new fundamental algorithms to
simulate lighting and applications of computer graphics methods for use in industry
and society; for example the technology
has been implemented in serious games,
and used by civil engineers and manufacturing companies to improve design and
simulation. I have also filed a number of
patents and co-founded a spin-out for the
university, focused on enabling the capture,
storage and display of high dynamic range
content.
As an Associate Professor, I help prepare
the next generation of researchers. I currently supervise nine Ph.D. students and have
supervised three others who now work for
academia and industry.
The future for computer graphics is
bright, we are still a long way off from simulating the real world accurately. It should
keep me busy enough until I retire.
•
49
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FUN
52
A Short
History
of Nearly
Everything
.2
28. 27. 26. 2 5
, .
4 . 23. 22. 2
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56. 55. 54.
53.
2
BOOK REVIEW
by The Editor
20. 19. 1 8. 1 7
. 16
. 1 5. 14. 13
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12
8
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0. 59. 58
.5
2. 1
7.
3.
100
WORD
ideas to
change
MALTA
A think-tank
for humour
by
DR ĠORĠ MALLIA
Maltese society tends to take itself
much too seriously. This is not
unique to the Maltese nation, but
still becomes problematic when
even the slightest hint of humour
comes into politics, football, local
feasts, and a large number of other
social functions. Humour becomes
an affront to staunch, deep-rooted
beliefs and reacted to vehemently.
A think-tank is proposed that
will discuss, educate and suggest
scientific ways in which humour can
be installed in every aspect of society,
from the old stalwart of seriousness,
the school, all the way to the echelons
of administration, replacing excessive
pompousness with smiles and
laughter.
•
50
Bill Bryson
BILL BRYSON was a ‘bad science
student’, dropped out of University, and
wrote one of the best popular science
books. After five years of gruelling research,
which mostly involved asking: ‘I’m sorry,
but can you explain that again’ to dozens of
scientists, out popped a near masterpiece:
A Short History of Nearly Everything.
The book was published in 2003 and desperately needs an update. It also mentions
controversies that have now been settled
and it has at least 28 errors. In an over 600–
page book (paperback), that’s not so bad.
Now to the good points, it’s easy to read,
a great laugh and jam-packed with quirky
errata about your favourite scientists. After
reading this book you might become the
life of many a dinner table. It talks about
evolution, astronomy, quantum physics,
and everything in between. An achievement that deserves every award Bryson has
received, including becoming a bestseller
— not an easy feat for a popular science
book.
First he goes through the history of
science picking some great stories. About
Carolus Linnaeus, who penned “long and
flattering portraits of himself, declaring
that there had never ‘been a greater botanist or zoologist', [who had] a feverish—
preoccupation with sex”. On “Adonis”
a.k.a. Edwin Hubble, “he was a strong and
gifted athlete, charming, smart and immensely good-looking, […] a large mass
of ego [and] an inveterate liar” who built
his best work on others without acknowledging them. He found out “how old is
[the universe] and how big?” by using the
work of two computers, Henrietta Swan
Leavitt and Annie Jump Cannon. Back
then, computers spent their lives studying
photographic plates of stars and making
computations.
The number of scientists he talks about
is startling. There is activist scientist Clair
Patterson (male) who figured out the age
of the Earth, the grenade swinging J.B.S.
Haldane, one of the best evolutionary biologists, other greats: Einstein, Marie Curie (unfairly ostracised from the scientific
community for her long-term affair), Newton, and countless others. Bill Bryson has
found a scientist for everyone.
He also explains science simply and elegantly. Everyone can understand how he
talks about Newton’s three laws of motion
and universal law of gravitation, the uncertainty principle, the peculiar world of the
atom, and how chemistry was saved by the
Periodic Table. If only I’d read this book
when I was younger.
After these wonderful pieces, he starts
picking rather random topics: dinosaurs
(great chapter), volcanoes, water and talks
about each topic’s history always from the
point of view of its greatest researchers.
This is the magic of Bill Bryson and his
book, a must read for anyone—you won’t
look at the world (and its scientists) in the
same way again.
•
THINK FUN
GAME REVIEW
by Costantino Oliva
Proteus
Production:
Ed Key & David Kanaga
Platform:
Windows, Mac
“THERE’S NOTHING to do here!”
This might be your reaction right after
downloading Proteus. It is making headlines in the indie community after receiving
awards at Indiecade and Independent Games
Festival. Or you might actually find yourself
staring at the stars, surrounded by the peaceful digital sounds of a multi-coloured island.
Isn’t this “something to do”, after all? Proteus
is an uncompromising “game”, with no clear
goals, enemies, or point systems; rather, it’s
pure exploration of different small islands.
Stripped of every narrative aspect, Proteus
focuses on graphical style and a detailed,
responsive sound design. Its designers apparently paired irrelevant elements with
swooshes of synths and crackling of beeps.
This responsiveness shows the game’s best
side, which has to be matched an aseptic
control scheme. Perhaps the control system
is too close to standard first person games for
such a peculiar experience.
•
www.visitproteus.com
FACT or FICTION?
Are we still
growing
taller?
«»
For the last 150 years, the human species has been getting taller. In
Western nations, people are around
10 cms taller (nearly 4 inches). Better
public health and diets during childhood have fuelled the rise. Women
preferring taller men who then have
taller offspring could also have pushed
the increase.
Unfortunately, this won’t last forever. There are physical limits. People above 188cm (6ft 2in) are more
likely to suffer back problems. Above
203cm (6ft 8in), the heart finds it difficult to pump blood and heart problems increase.
The left brain is
logical
the right side is
creative
«»
In the 1960s, psychologists Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga performed experiments on patients who
had the connections between the left and
right side of the brain cut as an extreme
treatment for epilepsy. They stimulated
each side of the brain separately and
asked patients to draw, arrange blocks,
talk about their emotions, and so on.
These simple experiments proved insightful but misguided.
From their experiments they concluded that the left hemisphere was logical,
rational, and good with numbers (the sci-
entist), the right hemisphere was creative,
imaginative, and took in the big picture
(the artist). This overly simplistic reasoning is drowning out the real beauty of our
brain. The real deal is a lot more complex.
Take speech. Classically, the left side
of the brain is meant to handle it all.
Right-handed people do mostly use the
left side, but left-handed people tend
to use the right side. Imaging studies of
brains show that the brain lights up like
a firefly using multiple areas for speech.
Most complex actions need multiple brain
areas.
Send in your questions to think@um.edu.mt
51
FUN
FILM REVIEW
by Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone
Inbred
MIKE McCAHILL for The Guardian is perfectly right to comment that Alex
Chandon’s Inbred offers nothing we haven’t
seen before. Inbred follows in the League of
Gentlemen-line of UK answers to US backwoods horror, which includes Deliverance,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and my personal
favourite Motel Hell. Like so many horror
subgenres, it is ‘inbred’ in itself, including
the superb parody Tucker and Dale vs Evil,
and recent remakes like 2001 Maniacs, a
revisiting of H.G. Lewis’s Two Thousand
Maniacs!, a ‘blood feast’ of outrageousness
which fuses violence and gore with slapstick. Its song ‘The South is Gonna Rise
Again’ made the ‘singing/dancing yokels’
something of a stock piece for backwoodshorror (with a nudge from The Wicker
Man), recently picked up by the Belgian
horror Calvaire, and now — Inbred.
‘Weaknesses in Pacing, Plot and Characterisation’ (Sloan Freer, The Radio Times).
All well-noted. This kind of film doesn’t
need a plot — it needs a scenario, a setting
(in this case, a small northern town), and
characters (we’ll come to that later) — any
semblance of ‘plot’ in Inbred is paper-thin,
and blown away in a hail of scattered limbs
and viscera. Yes, I did wonder about the occasional mysterious locked door, curious to
see if some hidden depths to the plot would
52
be revealed — but those concerns are soon
forgotten. The film makes no pretence to excuse or justify the gore, nor does it parcel it
out in tidy and measured little doses — but
unapologetically launches it like an ill-mannered series of land-mines, with little sense
of propriety or measure.
“The film makes no
pretence to excuse
or justify the gore”
The first moment our ‘heroes’ are made
aware of the danger they’re in marks a sudden and abrupt shift, with barely any sense
of transition. There’s no crescendo, nor
much suspense — one simply waits for the
next thing on the menu at the local inn. The
pacing appears less ‘weak’ when one considers the genre. The ‘problem’ is that too much
happens, in relentless fashion and none of it
has much ‘significance’. The plot takes second stage while the gore is pointedly gratuitous, stylistically and thematically — the
first murder occurs because of a misunderstanding, and the rest simply as ‘entertainment’ for the yokels. Again, this (‘weak?’)
Jim (Seamus O’Neill) introduces the show
Film: Inbred
«««««
Director: Alex Chandon
Certification: 18
Release: 21 September 2012 (UK)
Gore rating: SSSSS
pacing is consistent with the genre’s gorier
strand, where plot — not gore — tends to
get in the way.
Characterisation of the main actors is
handled the shorthand way — this is a gorecomedy, and both genres tend to prioritise
a single trait in each character. Subtle, the
inbred locals aren’t. I would be disappointed
if they were; indeed perhaps even offended,
by a more ‘realist’ approach to something
which comes uncomfortably close to being
un-PC. Seamus O’Neill (Jim) hams it up
with glee, calling to mind the tradition of
‘villainous innkeepers’, and lingering shadows of Tod Slaughter characters from the
30s.
So, let’s judge the film by its own criteria
— what are its shortcomings? It lacks the
dark satirical edge of The League of Gentlemen, which leaves it open to accusations of
being un-PC. In a subgenre already so ‘inbred’, it is just a notable entry — it doesn’t
have the potential to become a ‘cult classic’.
Inbred doesn’t modify or add anything to
the formula, but pays tribute in allusions,
while it parodies the genre it works within.
Then what about the criteria it does court?
Does it make good on its promise of comedy, gore, and — perhaps most importantly
— FUN? On all three counts, it delivers —
just don’t expect subtlety.
•
THINK CULTURE
Europe, Culture and the
Southern Mediterranean
Dr Karsten Xuereb tells us about the role of culture in the Arab world
E
uropean cultural institutes are
spread throughout the Southern Mediterranean. Each
institute takes on a different
political, social, and economic role depending on the country’s culture.
Local communities have expectations from
cultural projects that influence the challenges within each country and their European
partner. Projects may aim at developing
partnerships, yet the starting points may
vary and colonial elements are still highly
influential. To learn more about the influence of European cultural institutes in the
Southern Mediterranean, I carried out interviews with artists and cultural operators
in Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and
Malta. Through them I gained insight into
the realities experienced by people active in
their own territory, while using these experiences to reflect on the wider Mediterranean.
The people contacted are engaged on both
local and international levels, which allowed
for a fruitful exchange of ideas and experiences. I contacted colleagues and friends from
the Association BJCEM (Biennial of Young
Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean), established in 1985 in Barcelona and one of the
veteran artistic initiatives in the region, represented locally by the literary association Inizjamed. BJCEM opened up contacts who are
active cultural participants in each location,
as well as in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Different Mediterranean territories offer
their own blend of cultural expression and
cooperation. Their particular characteristics
need to be respected. However, my research
aims at extracting indicators of common
challenges and opportunities faced by people within these different territories. The
goal is to provide reflections and recommendations which cater for local realities within
the Mediterranean. As a result, the outcome
is to propose a set of common actions. As
argued by the UCLG (United Cities and
Local Government) in Agenda 21, working
together with a greater understanding of
each other would benefit the different Mediterranean communities. This is preferable
to maintaining today’s situation where each
city or local authority operates separately or
with limited coopreration.
The interviews also show that the term
‘the Arab world’ is a gross oversimplification
of the complex existing realities. Nevertheless, common trends do exist and are used
as reference points in the accompanying
analysis. In writing about common cultural
challenges faced by the Arab world in the
Mediterranean context, the reflections offered by Ahmed Moatassime are of particular assistance. He notes that identity is mainly related to language, self-perception »
53
CULTURE
and representation. These are important focal points for any research dealing with cultural relations in the Mediterranean. Moatassime’s aspects strongly featured in the
interviews, together with the interaction between contemporary and traditional interpretations of identity. In ways which recall
observations by Toynbee as well as Franco
Cassano on power struggles in cultural relations, Moatassime notes there are many geopolitical and geosocial elements at play. He
identifies two opposing lines that are of critical importance in this analysis. The first is
the ‘cultural resistance’ that favours the ‘specific’, in the expression and study of personal
plus collective identity, in other words, what
individuals and communities express and
experience in an area. The second is the wider, more encompassing perspective which is
THINK CULTURE
Protesters attend a rally in Tahrir Square, Egypt, to call on the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to transfer power to a civilian administration and to honour the revolution’s martyrs. Photo by Iokha, Flickr
connected to the overarching geopolitical
realities. For this research, the framework of
geopolitical realities are provided by cultural relations within the Mediterranean.
Moatassime highlights two other important
elements which shape Arab cultural expression in relation to Europe and the Mediterranean, namely:
al, artistic, and political expression. At the
moment of protest, these fused into powerful tools for change. As Lynch notes with
good foresight, the emergence of a transnational public sphere was driven by domestic
repression and political entrepreneurs. They
took advantage of new media opportunities
to invoke a shared identity.
i. the Mediterranean North–South divide is
represented by who dominates whom; and
ii. the influence of globalisation, European
influence, and culture. He notes that Francophony, Europeanism, and globalisation
(coupled to the US, China, and Brazil) can
be described as ‘extra-Mediterranean’, but
over time, they have enmeshed themselves
within the Mediterranean fabric.
“the term ‘the Arab
world’ is a gross
oversimplification
of the complex
existing realities”
Moatassime’s analysis is also useful in my research by distinguishing between different
groups of Arab people from the Southern
Mediterranean by identifying them as:
i. Europhiles (or those who put foreign cultures before their own);
ii. local culture supporters; and
iii. those at ease with both cultures.
The social and political upheaval in the
Southern Mediterranean has changed the
context of culture in these states. As pointed
out by Marc Lynch, these recent developments have gone hand-in-hand with cultur-
The study of cultural policy allows engagement with various elements of human
expression. It encourages the interested individual to structure diverse outcomes in
ways which may lead to recommendations
and action. All across the Southern Mediterranean there are concerns with language
and ethnic belonging to identify groups, the
flow of migrants and the mix of cultures,
the struggle to make projects happen in
spite of limited resources, and establishing
structures for communities, like schools and
centres. In each territory the wants are different but urgent. For change to take place, a
thorough analysis of the situation can drive
a plan for sustainable action based on solid
political will, vision and a concern with the
human dimension.
•
Karsten Xuereb was recently awarded a
Ph.D cum laude in cultural policy (Universitat Rovira i Virgili Tarragona, Catalonia,
Spain). Dr Xuereb was tutored by Professor
Enric Olivé Serret (UNESCO Chair on intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean)
and assessed by Professor Franco Cassano,
University of Bari. Dr Xuereb is Project Coordinator for the Valletta 2018 Foundation.
The research document may be accessed here:
http://hdl.handle.net/10803/97209
FURTHER READING
• BOUQUEREL, Fanny; EL HUSSEINY,
Basma (2009). Towards A Strategy
for Culture in the Mediterranean
Region, EC Preparatory document:
Needs and opportunities
assessment report in the field of
cultural policy and dialogue in the
Mediterranean Region,
http://bit.ly/ThinkV18a.
• MOATASSIME, Ahmed (2006).
Langages du Maghreb face
aux enjeux culturels euroméditerranéens, L’Harmattan,
Paris.
• LYNCH, Marc (2012). The Arab
Uprising, Public Affairs, New York.
55
RESEARCH
A new business
model for University
U
niversities are places from
where leaders and entrepreneurs emerge. From here,
new knowledge originates
and students are forged to
face the real world. While retaining these
traditional roles, modern universities must
embrace new ones by pushing the social and
economic progress of a country.
Stronger relations with industry to create and transfer new knowledge and new
technologies are the primary drivers of this
change. This new business model requires
new funding streams. Investment needs to
come from the corporate sector and philanthropic organisations. The Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT)
of the University of Malta has, since 2011
when it was set up, attracted an encouraging
number of donors — companies, public institutions, foundations, individuals, alumni,
and students — who have generously donated funds or equipment.
On the knowledge creation front, the
University Knowledge Transfer Office
(KTO) recently won a European Social
Fund (ESF) project entitled ‘Creating a
Knowledge Transfer Framework and Technol-
56
ogy Entrepreneurship Training Programme’.
KTO expects to use the project to perform
a giant leap and propel the University of
Malta towards becoming an Entrepreneurial University. University will become more
entrepreneurial by inducing a more buisness
orientated culture in its alumni, faculties,
students, and staff by collaborating with
private companies, government entities, and
business networks. The approach will promote entrepreneurship at a national level for
Malta’s socio-economic benefit.
“University can
support business by
providing research,
innovation and skills”
All big words and noble goals, but the approach must be practical and down to earth.
The first step has involved an audit of the
current situation. Based on this information,
the KTO hammered out a realistic future
goal for Malta and the framework needed to
achieve it. The result is a roadmap to structure the office around four activities. First,
to encourage collaboration between business and University. University can support
business by providing research, innovation,
and skills. Second, to provide consultancy
services that link academics and University
departments with buisnesses. Third, to support academics by protecting and commercialising intellectual property, and use this,
through licensing and start-up activities, to
promote innovation and stimulate economic
activity. Fourth, to setup a business incubator on campus to support graduates and academics to launch then grow start-ups.
One immediate target which will be
launched shortly, is the University’s new
Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business
Incubation (CEBI). This academic centre
will be responsible for entrepreneurship
training at the University. The Centre will
launch a new Intensive Training Programme
(ITP) in Entrepreneurship for graduates
in Engineering, ICT, Sciences, Media, and
Creatives. The goal is to equip graduates
with the necessary tools to convert their
ideas into successful start-ups.
THINK RESEARCH
Cosmetic Research?
C
Photo by Jean Claude Vancell
Dr Anton Bartolo, Director of the
KTO, outlined some exciting development for the University of Malta and its
future role. “Through the ESF project we
are creating a network of all stakeholders
involved in the Knowledge Transfer and
Entrepreneurship ecosystem: entrepreneurs, businesses, academics, investors,
students, lawyers, accountants, and
members of related entities including
the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Malta Enterprise,
MCST, and MITA. By the end of the
year we hope that all Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship activities will
be housed in the newly built Faculty of
ICT building. This will include the offices of the KTO and CEBI staff and a
brand new Business Incubator for University spin-outs and other start-ups, including, we hope, those seeded through
the ITP course."
Without the proper support for research, none of these developments that
can improve Malta’s future would be
needed. Research generates new knowledge and innovations, and this is the only
fuel that can keep times bubbling.
arnival revellers (male and
female) recently plastered
their faces with lipstick,
mascara, facepaint, nail
polish, and dozens of other cosmetic products. Few of these
wondered about the extensive research needed to overcome the packaging challenges behind these beautyenhancing devices.
Challenges are numerous and diverse:
how can a make-up cosmetic case minimize the chances of the customer opening a dry and flaked product? How can
a lipstick container be designed in an
elegant and smooth way that opens silently? What functions can make a cosmetic case more useful, secure, and light
in a handbag? How can a cosmetic case’s
button be improved to prevent broken
nails?
A company like Toly Ltd (based in
Malta) needs these questions answered
to provide a world-class product. To
remain competitive and innovative, research and development need support.
Chairman and CEO, Andy Gatesy
strove to meet these challenges head on
by working with the University of Malta (UoM). Toly has forged a long-term
joint research collaboration with UoM,
in particular the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
(DIME). Through this collaboration,
many undergraduate students had the
possibility of applying their theoretical background to real world problems,
which results in win-win-win scenarios,
for Toly, the student, and DIME.
Toly also partnered with DIME and
other University Departments in nationally funded research initiatives such
as the MCST R&I Automate project.
This concerned industrial automation
and two ERDF projects — one of them
intended to amplify innovation in the
manufacturing industry and another
one on improving energy efficiency in
manufacturing.
Toly’s belief in the research potential of the UoM is reflected in regularly sponsored projects. It recruits UoM
graduates to help it remain innovative
and competitive. It also allows an Associate Professor to spend time from
his sabbatical period to follow product
development. “We cannot predict the
future but we can create it”, said Mr
Gatesy. Experience has shown that joint
research with UoM is essential for Toly
to develop its future growth towards a
global market.
•
•
57
MEME
culture genes
MEME
THINK
58
Engaging seminar series
on Intellectual Property
and Knowledge Transfer
www.um.edu.mt/knowledgetransfer
Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013
Empowering People for more Jobs and a Better Quality of Life
Event part-financed by the European Union
European Social Fund (ESF)
Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds
Investing in your future
ISSN 2306-0735
www.um.edu.mt
I D E A S
•
M A LTA
•
R E S E A RC H
•
P E O P L E
•
U N I V E R S I TY