A group of secondary school students, who had participated in the Malta Junior Science Olympiad, were awarded Go4Research summer internships at the Faculty of Science and at the Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, University of Malta.
During the summer months, the students were attached with research groups and worked on a wide range of interesting projects under the supervision of researchers and other academic members of staff. The student projects concerned a range of topics from fieldwork in nature, to studying the exposure of electromagnetic waves from an antenna. They were able to work on problems related to geometrical probability and statistical analysis, among other topics.
The University of Malta's Faculty of Science, in collaboration with the Directorate Learning and Assessment Programmes and the Ministry for Education and Employment, recently held the concluding event for the Go4Research student internship programme in the Auditorium of the University of Malta's Valletta Campus. The group of 20 students who completed the internship programme attended the concluding event and received certificates of participation. They also prepared and exhibited posters about their projects.
Professor Sammut introduced the event and gave a short message wherein he stressed the impending need for more scientists and to increase the number of undergraduate students at the Faculty of Science. However, more funding is required to accommodate the increasing number of MSc and PhD students as well as postdoctoral researchers. The director of DLAP, Gaetano Bugeja, expressed his opinion that the Go4Research internship programme is invaluable to the students as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
A video clip highlighting the students' experience was shown, followed by a panel discussion involving two students, Faye Magro and Matthias Pellicano, along with two researchers, Professor Liberato Camilleri and Audrey Zammit, who talked about the various skills gained by the students.
Three concluding addresses were delivered by the rector Prof. Alfred Vella, G. Kathleen Hill, Ambassador for the United States and Minister Evarist Bartolo.
The rector stressed the importance of increasing both scientific literacy and awareness of scientific research opportunities and competitiveness on an international scale. Ambassador Hill emphasized the need for policies that help support women in the workforce and a more equitable representation of women and men of all ethnic and socioeconomic groups in all sectors of society, including STEM. Minister Bartolo gave a short speech focusing on the importance of fostering students' creativity both formally and informally. He also expressed his support and enthusiasm for the Go4research initiative and praised the excellent cooperation and collaboration of the Ministry with the Faculty of Science.