T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A L T A A L U M N I N E W S L E T T E R
The first Farsons Award for Masters dissertations in Conservation and Cultural Heritage has been awarded to Ms Janice Borg for her dissertation titled ‘Further Studies of the Use of Linseed Oil on Building
Materials, with particular reference to Globigerina Limestone’.
The Award was set up in February
2014, as part of a Memorandum of
Understanding between Simonds
Farsons Cisk plc, the Farsons
Foundation and the University of
Malta. The MoU envisages that
Farsons will fund an award of 1,000
Euros, for three successive years, which will be awarded to a Masters graduate from the Department of
Conservation and Built Heritage,
Faculty for the Built Environment.
The presentation of the Award took place recently following a public lecture at the Aula Magna of the University’s Valletta Campus delivered by Professor Ing. Robert
Ghirlando, a member of the Faculty of Engineering and Director of the
Institute of Sustainable Energy, on ‘Malta’s Industrial Heritage:
Highlights and Challenges’.
The Farsons Dissertation
Award was presented by Mr
Michael Farrugia, Chief Business
Development Officer at Simonds
Farsons Cisk plc, and Trustee of the
Farsons Foundation, together with
Professor Alex Torpiano, Dean of the
Faculty for the Built Environment.
Mr Farrugia noted the high level of all dissertations that were considered for the Award. Professor
Torpiano expressed the University’s appreciation to Farsons for making the Award which celebrates and recognizes the achievements of its graduates possible.
All Masters dissertations completed with the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage and for which the final result is published between 1 December
2014 and 30 November 2015, will be eligible for the next edition of the Award. Selection takes place on the basis of scope and originality of research; choice and correct use of research tools; coherence and clarity; applicability and relevance to cultural heritage and society and academic excellence.

THE
The University of Malta has signed a collaborative agreement with the Italian company CTP Tecnologie
di Processo to support the Department of Pharmacy in the area of pharmaceutical technology. Through this agreement CTP is organising highly specific courses focusing on practical examples and hands on experience of Good Manufacturing Processes that are required in the manufacture, testing and distribution of medicines in Europe. The agreement also provides the opportunity for students following the course leading to a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Pharmaceutical
Technology to take up 3 month placements at CTP in
Italy where they are exposed to system development for major pharmaceutical industries in Europe.
CTP Tecnologie di Processo was founded in 1990 and has attained an important role in the pharmaceutical, chemical and healthcare fields in Italy and also in
Europe. The company, employing about 170 scientists with high and diverse professional profiles, has a mission to ensure strict compliance with quality requirements established by FDA and European regulators, focussing on the needs of development and marketing of medicines and generic drugs for the
European market.
The first activity undertaken within this agreement was the course on Good Manufacturing Processes
Requirements for Manufacture of Sterile Products.
The course is spread over four intensive days which included two days in February and the last two sessions will take place in April. Students following the course leading to the degree of Pharmaceutical Technology and postgraduate students at the Department of
Pharmacy are following the course. Professionals from the local pharmaceutical industry and the Medicines
Authority were also invited to participate. The area of manufacture of sterile pharmaceutical products requires special focus and is an area that is expected to develop in the local pharmaceutical industry.
Course tutors from CTP were Dr Simone Villani,
Dr Giuseppe Ruggirello and Dr Aniello Salerno. The opening session of the course was addressed by Hon
Mr Chris Fearne, Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

THE
The final Ancient Wisdom Project Meeting was held in Malta at the end of February. Students from Italy,
Germany and the United Kingdom showcased their final performances for an audience at the Junior College.
The Maltese performance was built upon the Maltese
Legend of ‘Il–Maqluba’.
The project aimed to give students the opportunity to explore the history of different countries and enable them to reflect on local legends, traditions and other cultural heritages. Students were encouraged to examine past and present trends in order to help them appreciate their own as well as others’ cultural heritages through the use of art, performance and technology.
The successful collaboration brought together the
European countries to share and appreciate their differences and similarities.
The Institute of Aerospace Technologies recently organised an event at the Faculty of ICT in order to disseminate the results of research conducted within the Touch-Flight project. This is a national R&I project funded by MCST and is a collaboration between UoM and QuAero, a Maltese aviation consultancy company.
The project is developing new methods to control aircraft using touch technologies.
The event started with a welcome address by the
IAT chairman Professor Ernest Cachia and the IAT director Professor David Zammit-Mangion, followed by addresses from the MCST chairman Dr Jeffrey Pullicno
Orlando and the Parliamentary Secretary for Research,
Innovation, Youth and Sport The Hon. Chris Agius.
Speakers then proceeded to explain the research carried out in the project.
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