THE
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UNIVERSIT Y OF MALTA ALUMNI NEWSLET TER
www.um.edu.mt/alumni
OCTOBER 2013
The New Academic Year Opens
The University of Malta academic year 2013-2014
started with a ceremony at Sir Temi Zammit Hall.
Rector, Professor Juanito Camilleri, and Mr Thomas
Bugeja, President of the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
KSU, welcomed freshers and delivered the traditional
speeches. This was followed by the Opening of
Freshers’ Week on Atriju Vassalli. The Inauguration
Mass followed, celebrated by Fr Patrick Magro
University Chaplain. The theme for the new academic
year is: Between Vision and Reality…There’s You,
Commitment, and Action.
Rector encouraged the new students to dream of a
future Malta and of the heritage they wished to pass
on to their children. He invited the students to dream
of new technologies, of an open and better educated
society, of a sustainable environment, of the highest
human values, and of a dyanmic economy, well placed
in the global market. He wished for the students to be
worthy of their Alma Mater through their hard work so
that they could continue building on the foundations of
their forefathers.
Prof. Camilleri, once again, appealed for a method to
be sought for the long term financing of the University,
so that its sustainability and autonomy would be
protected and strengthened. He stated that the funds
invested in University placed great responsibility on
its authorities to ensure that the financing was well
managed and that the investment translated into a
better standard of living for all the Maltese, whether
directly or indirectly. Apart from referring to the
University’s utilitarian function, Rector emphasized
that pure research was also very important for future
productivity, creativity and innovation. To this end it
was vital, Prof. Camilleri said, for the University to have
the financial and infrastructural means to create its
own research programme. “One must avoid a situation
whereby the funds that this country invests in research
are controlled exclusively by outside prescriptive and
restrictive pressures. This would hinder academic
autonomy and limit progress in research,” he said.
“Over the years, we need to continue working on our
development plan, that is transforming this University
into a modern third generation university based on
the three pillars of teaching and training, research
and innovation, and services to industry and to civil
society,” he reiterated. “This must include the renewed
commitment by the University to translate the fruits of
its knowledge into entrepreneurship and added value
for our country”, he said.
Prof. Camilleri emphasized that according to its
international vocation, the University must strengthen
its academic profile so as to prove itself as a prestigious
institution and attract an increasing number of
students, researchers and academics from overseas. To
this end the University has to enhance its post doctoral
level by receiving and by generating the necessary
resources and by building the required infrastructure
so that it could employ academics on Research
Fellowship projects of international excellence or of
particular importance for Malta’s social and economic
development. The University must generate work
for tomorrow’s graduates through its research and
innovation and in areas that are still to be created,
Rector pointed out. Above all, he said, the University
is measured according to its success in influencing
the country’s direction in the social and economic
spheres, so that as a member of the European Union,
Malta would remain sovereign and sustainable, able to
contribute significantly on the international front, and
capable of facing future challenges.
Rector spoke of the new Centre for Entrepreneurship
and Business Incubation, the Knowledge CONT>
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OCTOBER 2013
Transfer Office, and the Business Incubator which
should soon host new technology start-ups inspired
by the students’ work. Prof. Camilleri explained
that works on the two new floors of the Biomedical
Sciences building were also at an advanced stage.
These new floors, he said, would consolidate and
expand the wet-laboratory facilities, to create the right
environment to enhance the research programmes in
genetics, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sciences,
complementing the development of the Life Sciences
Park close to campus. Prof. Camilleri went on to speak
of the continued embellishment of the Valletta campus
as an international conferencing and graduate centre,
of the plans to expand the facilities of the Gozo campus,
and of the recent investment in the sports facilities and
the new childcare centre at the Junior College.
Rector also spoke on the progress made on a number
of new projects which he said would hopefully address
the operational and recreational space requirements
2
on the Msida campus, and which would provide the
required infrastructure for research and innovation
particularly at post-doctoral level. He described these
as an unprecedented leap forward in the capacity and
range of facilities available on campus in the coming
years.
Prof. Camilleri concluded that he was delighted that the
University had recently managed to secure even more
funding through European Regional Development Funds,
allowing projects in the pipeline to be implemented.
These funds and Government’s continued support were
proving instrumental for the University to enhance its
research profile, he pointed out.
Referring to Malta’s presidency of the EU in 2017, and
to Valletta the City of Culture in 2018, Rector said that
both projects were of National and European pride, and
he invited all Deans, Directors, and Heads to actively
encourage their staff and students to lend a hand both in
the run-up, as well as during the unfolding of these events.
Come and Discover
the University
On Sunday 10 November, come visit University, see
parts of campus you have never been to and learn
about what goes on behind the scenes. From 1000hrs to
1700hrs join the tours, listen to the talks, and participate
in sport activities. Canteen facilities will be available and
parking offered at car park 6 by the main gate, on the
side of Mater Dei Hospital. All the activities on Sunday
are open to all: teenagers, adults and children, as well
as University staff, students, and alumni.
Drop in at the Marquee (Car Park 4) to visit the
different zones, and listen to live music. Spend some
time at the Engineering Pavilion. This year, the Faculty
of Engineering is celebrating the 50th anniversary of
the commencement of its first course. For this reason,
the Pavilion in Atriju Vassalli will entirely be dedicated to
the Faculty of Engineering.
The Open Week, Discover University, is between 10th
and 15th November. However, from Monday 11 to Friday
15 November activities are reserved for secondary
school students and sixth formers.
Activities will showcase the University’s many facets
through a number of themes including: Courses;
Research; Faculties & Departments/Institutes/Centres;
Junior College; Student Life; Sports; Cultural Activities;
The Library; Administration; Alumni; Malta University
Holding Company; Malta University Press.
The various events are aimed at attracting prospective
University students, alumni and interested members of
the general public who would like to find out how the
University works and plays.
The main large tent - the Marquee in Car Park 4 will
have internal booths according to themes. Lecture
rooms in the Mikiel Anton Vassalli Conference Centre
and in other lecture centres, University House and the
Sir Temi Zammit Hall will be utilised. Another Pavilion
will be set up in the area in front of the University Library
for academic, sports and cultural activities. There will
also be planned visits to laboratories and to the Library.
The well researched Renaissance Meal will be held
on Friday 15 November 2000hrs at the Valletta Campus.
Reservations by email to comms@um.edu.mt
For more information visit www.um.edu.mt/
discoveruniversity
Discover University is sponsored by Middlesea, a
member of the Mapfre group.
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OCTOBER 2013
Ministry of Education Offers Support to UoMR
University of Malta Racing (UoMR) is made up of a group
of students from different courses, who have formed
an association with the aim of designing and building a
Formula style racing car. The car will be raced in 2014 in
a competition organised by the Society of Automotive
Engineers. This is where various universities from different
countries will battle it out against each other. The team
will be assessed on criteria which include engineering
design and rule compliance, product marketability and
the car’s outright performance in an endurance test. This
reflects the innovative and end-user design philosophy
which has to be adopted by entrepreneurs in today’s
competitive market. The team’s participation in the
competition is the second time for the University of
Malta, the first time being in 2007.
The Ministry of Education and Employment is one of
the most recent supporters of this project. By taking
the Gold Package it became one of the main partners
of the association. Since this is a costly project, UoMR
requires the backing of companies and organisations
in order to purchase and manufacture the necessary
parts required to build a competitive car. At this point
in time, the design stage has been finalised, the major
components purchased, and the fabrication of the spaceframe chassis has commenced. The assistance of the
Ministry of Education and Employment, along with the
other sponsors of UoMR has been fundamental in getting
this project off the ground. UoMR has also partnered
with other active University collaborators including OK
Malta, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, RIDT and the Malta
Council for Science and Technology (MCST).
LIBRARY EXHIBITION
Saint Augustine Lectures 2013
The University of Malta Library is currently hosting an
exhibition of literary works of four Maltese authors – Charles
Casha, Trevor Zahra, Rita Saliba and Leanne Ellul.
Besides examples of their publications, the exhibition includes
drawings, manuscripts and other interesting material relating
to their literary output.
His Eminence Cardinal Professor Prospero Grech OSA,
from the Augustinianum
in Rome, will be the main
speaker. Cardinal Prospero
Grech OSA is a very well
known authority in the
field of New Testament
studies and scholarship,
and has lectured widely in
various academic institutions around the world. For
several years, Prof. Grech
was also Preside of the
Augustinianum in Rome,
the renowned academic
institution for Patristic
Studies. Cardinal Grech
will deliver the first public lecture on Tuesday, 29
This newletter is published by the Communications and Alumni
Relations Office within the University of Malta.
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October 2013. The event
will take place in Hall E,
M.A. Vassalli Conference
Centre - Gateway Building (GW) at University of
Malta, Msida Campus, at
1900hrs. Cardinal Grech
will deliver another public lecture on Thursday,
31 October 2013 in lecture hall Saint Augustine, at the Augustinian
Institute, Pietà (Gwardamangia Hill) at 1830hrs.
The lecture will be in
Maltese on the theme of
Il-Kotba Mqaddsa f’idejn
Santu Wistin: It-Tagħlim
Nisrani (On Teaching
Christianity).