University of Malta Rector, Prof. Juanito Camilleri, announced that the University will be offering five summer schools in June this year. Eminent Maltese professors as well as distinguished professors from the USA, UK, Slovenia, Italy and Israel will be lecturing in these summer schools.
Each summer school, which will be of two to three weeks’ duration, will be held at the unique and historic Valletta Campus of the University of Malta, which dates back to 1592. The University of Malta coordinators are Prof. Anthony Frendo for the summer school on Near East Studies, Prof. Denis De Lucca for Military Architecture, Prof. Keith Sciberras for Caravaggio, Dr Timmy Gambin for Underwater Archaeology and Prof. Victor Asciak for Mediterranean Coastline – Threats and Opportunities.
The summer school on Near Eastern Studies will be held between 10 and 28 June and seeks to provide participants with a short but intensive exposure to the Near East from an archaeological and historical perspective. It also provides a comprehensive overview of the most important languages of the region. The summer school will consist of 34 contact hours of lecturing together with a number of field trips.
The International Institute for Baroque Studies is offering the Summer School on the military architecture of the Baroque age entitled Hospitaller Malta – Bastion of the Christian World. This will be held between 3 and 14 June. It introduces participants to the theoretical and practical aspects of the splendid early modern artillery fortifications of Malta, which were built by the Hospitaller Knights of St John during the period 1530-1798. The school consists of 45 contact hours of lectures and debates. In addition participants will also have the opportunity to experience early modern military architecture during a number of field trips. Towards the end of the summer school, the field trips will also be extended to include optional guided tours to early modern fortifications situated in Gozo and south-east of Sicily.
The 20-day summer school on Underwater Archaeology will be held between 3 and 23 June and is based on a balanced mix of practical experience, lectures, site visits and seminars. Excavation and survey work will be carried out on the site of a Roman shipwreck first excavated by Honor Frost in 1967. It is situated in shallow, clear and sheltered waters. Experts from the University of Malta and other professional agencies involved in heritage management and protection will contribute to this intensive and rewarding course. Topics include Excavation Techniques, Survey Strategies, Remote Sensing, Conservation and Heritage Management. Also included in the field school are a number of site visits to museums and archaeological sites that complement the topics covered during the practical and theoretical sessions.
The intensive summer training titled The Mediterranean Coast – Threats and Opportunities will be held between 17 and 28 June. It is aimed at a wide range of audiences including those with some technical or managerial backgrounds. It would be suitable as a refresher course for environmental managers or as an introductory course for final undergraduate or postgraduate students following a large variety of subject areas such as those dealing with environmental law, environmental management, environmental engineering and economics. This summer school includes lectures, site visits and field experiences that will introduce participants to the Mediterranean environment and how this has acted as a driving force behind the human condition in the region. It will also provide a basic review of the coastal and marine environmental characteristics and life-supporting systems.
The Summer School on Caravaggio Art and Knighthood will be held between 3 and 14 June. It comprises an intensive programme of classroom and on-site lectures, seminars and workshops that will be delivered by leading scholars in the field. It will study the dramatic and exciting context of Caravaggio’s turbulent life and will review his Maltese and Late Period masterpieces within the general story of his works. It also includes a close study of the works of art themselves and will discuss issues of style and technique.