THE
LUMINARY
UNIVERSIT Y OF MALTA ALUMNI NEWSLET TER
www.um.edu.mt/alumni
OCTOBER 2014
Agreement between The International
Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law
Foundation and the University of Malta
The University of Malta (UoM) and the International
Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law Foundation
(IIJ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to
promote their mutual interests of advancing peace and
security, promoting the rule of law and the protection
of human rights, in particular in North, West, and East
Africa, and the Middle East.
The IIJ and the UoM will be cooperating on research,
training and the exchange of expertise, thereby forming
the fundamental basis for addressing terrorism and
related transnational criminal activity. This will highlight
Malta as a critical component of the international
framework for addressing these and other 21st century
challenges.
Both Parties will further academic objectives by making
their respective faculties and other experts available
to the other for lectures, seminars and other relevant
activities. IIJ and UoM will collaborate on research
work, its publication and dissemination, and promote
exchanges and the sharing between the researchers of
both Parties of any non-sensitive research data. They will
also exchange expertise and cooperate in developing
superior course content and delivery.
The IIJ is a foundation based in Malta, supported
by over a dozen national governments, the European
Union, the United Nations and others, that aims to
provide rule of law-based training to lawmakers, police,
prosecutors, judges, corrections officials, and other
justice sector stakeholders on how to address terrorism
and related transnational criminal activities within a rule
of law framework. On a broader basis, IIJ will work to
strengthen criminal justice systems and build regional
judicial, police and other criminal justice practitioner
networks to promote justice, security, and human
rights.The IIJ will place a particular focus on countries
seeking to develop rule of law-based approaches to
addressing security challenges such as terrorism and
other transnational criminal activities. Although the
IIJ’s mandate will be global in nature, it will focus on
countries in North, West, and East Africa, and the Middle
East, paying particular attention to supporting countries
in transition.
THE
LUMINARY
2
OCTOBER 2014
Visit by Chair and Members of
the Marigold Foundation to the
University of Malta Research Labs
Mrs Michelle Muscat, chairperson of the Marigold
Foundation, together with members of the Foundation
committee, paid a visit to the research laboratories of
the University of Malta and met researchers who are
investigating particular kinds of Rare Disease, such
as familial breast cancer, rare blood, brain and kidney
disorders.
The delegation was met and shown around by the
University Pro-Rector for Research and Innovation,
Professor Richard Muscat, who gave an overview of the
University’s continuous efforts to invest and excel in a
number of areas of research. Professor Muscat also referred
to the setting up of the University’s Centre for Molecular
Medicine and BioBanking which will bring together a
cluster of laboratories and researchers under one roof.
The University delegation also included Mr Wilfred Kenely,
CEO of the University’s own Research, Innovation and
Development Trust (RIDT) which is tasked to engage with
the community and raise funds for research.
The Marigold Foundation, founded in 2014 and supported
by BoV, helps create awareness about the challenges faced
by society and provides support and assists organisations
in their fundraising and in their initiatives to make valuable
changes in society.
Youth Hub at the
Junior College
Photo by Riccardo Flask
The Parliamentary Secretary for Research,
Innovation, Youth and Sport, the Hon. Mr Chris
Agius, together with Ms Marianne Teuma, CEO,
Aġenzija Zgħazagħ, recently inaugurated a Youth
Hub at the Junior College.
This offers a space where students can spend their
leisure time in a relaxing atmosphere, equipped with
gaming consoles and table games. The aim of the
hub is to provide non-formal education in a formal
education setting where students are encouraged
to improve their personal and social skills.
THE
LUMINARY
3
OCTOBER 2014
Young Maltese Engineer
Awarded Second Place at
the IET’s 2014 Competition
Josef Grech, an engineering graduate from the
University of Malta participated in the Regional
finals of the Present Around the World Competition
(PATW) held in Dublin, Ireland, on 5 September
2014. The PATW Competition is organised annually
by the Institution of Engineering and Technology
(IET) of the UK. This competition provides a forum
for Engineering students and young professionals
from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
to compete by presenting a personal technological
project and they are evaluated on the effectiveness
of their presentation skills and subject matter.
Josef presented his final year project regarding
the development of an affordable clinical tool for the
diagnosis of problematic foot conditions. The theme
of Josef’s presentation concerned the measurement
of plantar pressure and foot posture as key and
essential information in the diagnosis of problematic
foot conditions. In light of the prohibitive cost
associated with state-of-the-art pressure and angular
measurement systems, he developed a wireless
mobile system including specialised visualisation
software, as an affordable tool for the podiatrist.
The judging panel awarded his presentation second
place among 12 contestants and commended the
exceptional manner in which the presentation was
delivered. The event provided Josef and the other
participants with a good opportunity to showcase
their work to fellow professional engineers, and to
exchange ideas and contacts.
The Local heats for the PATW Competition are
held by the Malta Group of Professional Engineering
Institutions (MGPEI) during the month of February.
The local competition follows the format of the IET
in order to select the best candidate to represent
Malta at the Regional level, with an opportunity
to compete at the Global heats that are held in
London, UK, during November. At every stage, the
winner and runner up are awarded a cash prize that
increases to £1,000 at the global level. This event has
been attracting interest from engineering students
and young professionals alike, with an increasing
level of effective presentation skills and interesting
subject matters.
THE
LUMINARY
4
OCTOBER 2014
Jim Crace to
be ‘Writer in
Residence’ at the
Faculty of Arts
Promoting excellence
in Creative Writing
Earlier this year the University of Malta approved the
setting up of the Creative Writing Programme (CWP)
within the Faculty of Arts. The CWP is meant to act
as a forum to promote excellence in Creative Writing
across its different expressions.
The programme is steered by a board of expert
academics and practitioners tasked with building it into
a creative hub that brings together writers of ability,
potential and promise, from the University or outside
of it, to talk about their writing, to derive support and
encouragement from each other, and to promote
Creative Writing more generally. It aims to build up
capacity to provide services to aspiring and established
writers, including individual manuscript consultations,
public readings and talks, information on the publishing
process and connections to both local and international
writing communities.
Persons interested in being part of, or connected with,
the activities and plans of the Programme are invited to
contact Ms Charlene Schiavone.
Part of the Programme’s remit is to periodically host,
as ‘Writer in Residence’ for several weeks each year, an
internationally accomplished professional writer. The
writer, who will be an affiliate member of the Faculty
of Arts, will conduct seminars and workshops, give
talks, share insights and generally act as mentor and
be available for consultation and manuscript advice. A
programme of public activities will be published in due
course.
The Faculty of Arts is delighted to announce that the
first Writer in Residence will be the highly acclaimed
British writer Jim Crace, author of such literary
masterpieces as Being Dead and Harvest. Jim Crace will
be in residence in the Faculty of Arts from 10 November
to 20 December of this year.
A limited number of places is available for participation
in workshops held regularly by Jim Crace during his
residence. Persons engaged in creative writing pursuits
who feel they can derive benefit from such encounters,
and at the same time want to be part of the Creative
Writing Programme in the longer term, are invited to send
a sample of written work (published or unpublished)
of no more than 1,500 words for adjudication to Ms
Charlene Schiavone.
Since the workshop group must be kept small in order
to be effective, places will be offered on a competitive
basis according to the quality of the writing sample
submitted. The adjudicators’ decision will be final.
The other applicants will still have the opportunity
to benefit from other activities in the programme,
including any encounters with the Writer in Residence
designed to reach larger audiences.
Applications with submitted work must reach Ms
Charlene Schiavone by Wednesday, 5 November. Late
applications cannot be considered.
All activities are free of charge.
This newletter is published by the Communications and Alumni
Relations Office within the University of Malta.
All Rights Reserved 2014