“We are living in a rapidly-mutating technological world wherein the boundaries between one discipline and another are being constantly blurred and redefined,” said Dr Sandra Buttigieg, Director of the Institute of Health Care at the University of Malta.

Speaking during a University graduation ceremony held yesterday, she explained that challenges for tertiary level educational and research institutions urge us to look beyond the traditional disciplinary boundaries in an exciting, innovative and entrepreneurial way. A case in point was the way major innovations as a result of research collaborations between the fields of engineering, health sciences, ICT, medicine, and the traditional sciences have revolutionised knowledge and professional practice.

While considering biomedical engineering and bioinformatics as relatively new fields but fine examples of interdisciplinarity, she pointed out their concrete applications which include biocompatible prostheses, pharmaceutical drugs, and imaging equipment such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography.

The bringing together of the design and problem solving skills in engineering with the expertise from medical and biological sciences has led to improvements in the quality of life of patients.

The emergence of bioinformatics and computational biology has led to major breakthroughs namely, gene finding, genome assembly and prediction of gene expression. Therefore, when researchers face the most testing issues and problems that cannot be understood through the lens of a single discipline, they are bound to move towards interdisciplinarity.

Dr Buttigieg explained interdisciplinarity as “dialogue, interaction and integration between two or more disciplines with a specific and clear purpose, and working in a team climate.” Although the University had started to recognise the importance of interdisciplinarity there was still a long way ahead before confidently claiming that interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research was bearing the necessary fruit.

In his oration, John C Betts who graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering pointed out how different materials have different strengths and different weaknesses but their combination created composites. Material engineers tried to get the best of both worlds by means of modern alchemy, the relentless search for a material fitting our ideal.

In a parallel to academic endeavour, Dr Betts referred to composite material as one devised to overcome the limitations of its components. In a similar manner, he said that their professional calling required them to collaborate with peers, with other professions, “to create something better than the sum of our parts.”

“In the grand scheme of things, a degree is a matter of little consequence. It is what we eventually do with the possibilities opened to us by our qualifications that has much greater import,” Dr John C Betts said.

Master of Science in Engineering

Sponsor: Prof. Robert Ghirlando

Elaine Nicole Calleja, Anthony Psaila, Trevor Spiteri*

Master of Science in Integrated Product Development

Sponsor: Prof. Robert Ghirlando

Ian James Attard, Ronald Attard Pullicino, Charles Azzopardi, Joseph Anthony Bartolo, Robert Bezzina, Hermann Borg, Donald Camilleri, Anthony Caruana, Godwin Cutajar Kinsella, Jason Demicoli, David Farrugia, Emmanuel Francalanza, David Mangion, Nathan Muscat, Kenneth Spiteri, Keith Zammit, Terry Zammit, Samantha Runco*

Master of Philosophy in Engineering

Sponsor: Prof. Robert Ghirlando

Alexandra Bartolo, James Borg Bartolo, Jonathan Cauchi, Raphael Grech

Master in Information Technology

Sponsor: Dr Ernest A. Cachia

Anthony Attard Montalto, Carmel Azzopardi, Keith Bugeja, Vanessa Camilleri, Riccardo M. Flask, Carmel Gafa, Roberta Galea, Doris Grech* ,Gordon Mangion, Owen Sacco, Colin Vella

Master of Science

Sponsor: Prof. Charles V. Sammut

Conrad Attard, Bjorn James Azzopardi, Robert Cortis, Andrew Duncan, Adrian Gouder, Marie Claire Rizzo, Matthew Rizzo, Alison Shaw, Fiona Sammut, Charla Pia Vella, Matthew Vella, Joseph Victor Zammit, Matthew Zammit, Victor Zammit

Master of Health Science

Sponsor: Dr. Sandra Buttigieg

Lorraine Attard, Rose Marie Angela Cutajar, Hannah Kim Grima Formosa, Mary Grace Mifsud, Sandra Schembri Wismayer, Paulann Spiteri, Joseph Vassallo, Stephanie Vella

Master of Science

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Alison Anastasi, Sunaina Balani, Karl Bartolo, Romina Briffa, Adela Cachia, Martina Castillo, Chantel A. Ellul, Owen Farrugia, Claire Gatt

Master of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Wendy Antonia Scicluna Giusti

Doctor of Medicine and Surgery

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Alexia Abela, Silvan Azzopardi, Amanda Baldacchino, Daniela Bondin, Nicholas Borg, Reuben Karl Borg, Amanda Bugeja, Jonathan Calleja, Lara Callus, Nicola Anne Caruana, Roxanna Caruana, Frank Christian Casha, Maria Cassar, Sarah Chetcuti, Thea Marie Chetcuti, Stefania Chetcuti Zammit, Lyle Chircop, Petramay Cortis, Jonathan Cutajar, Jeffrey Dalli, Emma D’Amato, Nicholas Paul Delicata, Krista Falzon, Helena Felice, Rebecca Anne Fenech, David Grech, Sarah Henderson, Kenneth Mangion, Maria Antonella Mifsud, Marilyn Mifsud, Maximilian Mifsud, Maxine Montefort, Martina-Jo Muscat, Michelle Muscat, Marwan Obeid, Michael Pace Bardon, Elaine Pace Spadaro, Bianca Parsons, Justine Preca, Luise Reichmuth, Ian Said, Samantha Saliba, Stephen John Sammut, Mark Schembri, Kelly Taliana, Krystle Blaire Theuma, Edith Vassallo, Joseph Paul Vella, Yanica Vella, Ivan Zammit

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering

Sponsor: Prof. Robert Ghirlando

John Charles Betts, Philip J. Farrugia

Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine & Surgery

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Ali Ahmed Al-Ashtar, Michael A. Borg, Maria Louisa Cassar

* In Absentia