During a university graduation ceremony yesterday, architecture and engineering graduate student Mark Abela said that graduation day was the culmination of every university graduate’s studies, but asked searching questions about the levels of commitment of lecturers and the quality of equipment at the university itself.
Mr Abela said: “On this day, everyone here can look at those who have encouraged and invested in our education and can tell them that we succeeded, we graduated in our chosen course.”
Mr Abela also replied to recent media scrutiny of the architecture course and said: “Although this course did not give me everything I need for the world of work, there is no way that I feel like a mechanic after so much hard work and study time.”
He said that all the students were going to work towards removing the stigma irresponsibly attached to students in this course.
He said that while acknowledging the shortcomings of the Architecture Facility, it was still the only place where students could allow their acquired knowledge and creativity to come to life.
“Lately, the credibility of the faculty and the course has been put in doubt, and those of us graduating this year have been attacked in the local media, especially through letters to newspapers,” said Mr Abela.
He said he could not say whether some of the allegations claimed actually took place, but at the same time, it was not fair to generalise. “No matter what anyone says, I will not forget the sleepless nights, the lack of food and sleep, the tension, pressure, panic and tiredness I suffered to graduate in this course,” he said. Those who had made the allegations probably had no clue as to the problems and difficulties that students in the course faced, said Mr Abela.
Everyone nowadays needed a computer to work. “Guess what we found in the computer lab. Two computers and a non-
functioning plotter,” he said. Mr Abela said that students had to fork out money for
computers and software as well as all the other materials they needed to eventually graduate.
He said he did not want to go into specifics, but expressed disdain at the fact that the group of students he was in had decided to pursue a course of studies and had had to put up with lecturers who did not give students their best. “It is not right to have lecturers who try to ridicule students and come across with an attitude of superiority when they are supposed to be passing on knowledge. Full-time lecturers did not dedicate enough time to students and others were absolutely indifferent to students’ needs,” he said.
However, Mr Abela also praised the setting up of some new initiatives such as architectural tours of Malta’s historic cities. “Activities such as these let students learn with their own eyes, and when lecturers come down to the level of students, it helps us understand and it removes the invisible boundaries between student and teacher,” he said.
“There was a substantial number of lecturers who did not dedicate themselves enough to teaching us, but we cannot fail to mention those few who kept our interests at the heart of everything,” he said.
Mr Abela wished all the other graduates all the very best and success in their future careers.
Graduates.
Diploma in Commerce
Marvic Borg, Felix Cefai, Liliana Curmi, Cheryl Grech, Maria Grech Calafato, Christine Grima, Diane Grima, Vicky Xuereb, Denise Zerafa.
Diploma in Political Studies
Joanne Bugeja, Hector Cassola, Joseph Cutajar, Conrad Damato, Maria Ellul*, Carmel Herd, Alexander Pace, Jesmond Polidano, Joseph Sammut, Reuben Sciberras.
Diploma in Management Studies
Pamela Agius, Ruth Agius, Isabelle Aquilina, Moira Aquilina, Nicholas Aquilina, Christopher Attard, Elisabeth Attard, Lorna Azzopardi, Ralph Baldacchino, Manfred Barbara, Ronald Barbara, Etienne Bartolo, John Bartolo, Hedi Benrkhissa, Joseph Bonello, Marco Borg, Mark Anthony Borg, Dorianne Brincat, Theresa Bugeja, Edwin Buhagiar, Joseph Buhagiar, Karen Cacciattolo, Dorothy Calleja, Jeanette Calleja, Shirley Calleja Vassallo, Anthony Camilleri, James Camilleri, Felix Caruana, Maria Casapinta, Ivan Casha, Maria Cauchi, Joseph Church, Robert Cilia, Melanie Cordina, Noel Cuschieri, Rachel Cuschieri, Frankie Dalli, Ruben Dalli, Mantoine Díambrogio Araci*, Marisa Farrugia, Lorraine Fenech, Stephen Fenech, Claire Galea, Cynthia Gambin, Nadya Gatt, Emanuel Gauci, Roberta Gauci Marmara, Alexander Genovese, Abner Grech, Jesmond Grech, Robert Grech, Maria Angela Grech Sant, Roger Lanfranco, Donald Mallia, Elton Mamo, Ian Meli, Gertrude Mercieca Hounsell, Anthony Micallef, Claude Mifsud Wismayer, Melanie Mizzi, Marise Pace, Stefan Polidano, Adrian Refalo, Loredana Ida Sciberras, Phyllis Sciberras, Joseph Scicluna, Christine Spiteri, Raymond Spiteri, Antoine Suda, Stefan Theuma, Petronella Van Der Weerden, Neville Vassallo, Charmaine Vella, Joseph Vidal, Kenneth Xuereb, Jeannette Xuereb Fiott, John Zammit.
Diploma in Education (Individual Educational Needs)
Helen Abdilla, Kenneth Abela, Marie-Therese Abela, Marjoe Abela, Amanda Agius, Doreen Agius, Maria Dolores Asciak, Anne Attard, Dorianne Attard, Glorianne Attard, Juanita Attard, Katia Attard, Mary Rose Attard, Mary Grace Attard, Rita Attard, Claire Axiaq, Dorianne Azzopardi, Doris Azzopardi, Helen Azzopardi, Maria Azzopardi, Sandra Azzopardi, Stella Azzopardi, Maria Bajada, Maria Bajad, Pollyanne Bajada, Amanda Baldacchino, Emily Baldacchino, Lillian Baldacchino, Veronica Baldacchino, Mariella Balzan, Sharon Balzan, Marie Bernadette Bartolo, Michelina Bartolo, Nathalie Bartolo, Marita Beck, Rose Benito Saico, Generosa Bondin, Barbara Bonello, Stephania Bonello, Maria Bonett, Claire Bonnici, Priscilla Bonnici, Daniela Borg, Elizabeth Borg, Ginelle Borg, Josephine Borg, Josephine Borg, Marcelle Borg, Maria Theresa Borg, Marianne Borg, Neville Borg, Pauline Borg, Theresa Briffa, Stephanie Brincat*, Denise Buckingham, Rose Marie Bugeja, Theresa Bugeja, Loridana Buhagiar, Charmaine Buhagiar Pulis, Catherine Busuttil, Diana Busuttil, Anita Buttigieg, Margaret Buttigieg*, Vanessa Buttigieg, Yvette Buttigieg, Janet Calleja, Joe-Anna Calleja, Lisa Calleja, Loredana Calleja, Michelle Calleja, Alexandra Camilleri, Cheryl Anne Camilleri, Corinne Camilleri, Dawn Camilleri, Emmanuela Camilleri, Esther Camilleri, Maria Camilleri, Mary Camilleri, Pauline Camilleri, Sephora Camilleri, Nenita Camilleri Lagana`, Antonella Camilleri Pace, Carmen Caruana, Kathleen Caruana, Marcelle Caruana, Maria Carmela Caruana, Nadia Caruana, Anna Cassar, Caroline Cassar, Karen Cassar, Maria Cassar, Mariella Cassar, Ruth Cassar, Sylvana Cassar, Annie Catania, Christine Catania, Micheanish Catanzaro Sammut, Elizabeth Cauchi, Janice Cauchi, Venera Cauchi, Rose Chetcuti, Carmen Chircop, Marika Chircop, Ruth Chircop, Johanna Cilia, Helen Cini, Jolene Cini, Christine Clews, Alicia Cuschieri, Anna Cutajar, Janet Cutajar, Amanda Dalli, Chantelle DíAnastasi, Maria DíAngelo, Jacqueline De Giovanni, Nadya Debattista, Adelina Debono, Carmen Debono, Christine Debono, Dorianne Debono, Marisa Debono, Celine Debrincat, Nathalina Debrincat, Anna Maria Degiorgio, Jacqueline Degiovanni, Jacqueline Deguara, Margaret Delicata, Alison Delmar, Diane Demicoli, Rina Demicoli, Graziella Desira, Daniela Dimech, Maria Victoria Dimech, Maria Dimech, Rodianne Dimech, Daniela Domancich, Carmen Falzon, Elizabeth Falzon, Josephine Falzon, Maria Theresa Falzon, Carmen Farrugia, Kathianne Farrugia, Rita Farrugia, Sylvia Farrugia, Alexandra Fenech, Charmaine Fenech, Josephine Fenech, Myra Fenech, Vanessa Fenech, Catherine Filletti, Josette Flores Martin, Marika Formosa, Christa-Maria Galea, Frances Galea, Gloria Galea, Karen Galea, Mary Concetta Galea, Michelle Galea, Nathalie Galea, Rachel Galea, Josette Gatt, Mary Anne Gatt, Michelle Gauci, Natasha Gauci, Pamela Gauci, Audrey Ann Gauci Borda, Mary-Grace Gerardi, Mary Doris Ghigo, Andrew Giordmaina, Grace Giuliano, Miriam Giuliano, Christine Grech, Doreen Grech, Francine Grech, Maria Grech, Mary Anne Grech, Mary Grace Grech, Olivia Grech, Imelda Grima, Marlene Grima, Myriam Haidon, Martina Harmsworth, Brenda Hili, Mary Carmen Housley, Anna Jones, Kathleen Lia, Deborah Lyons, Maria Magri, Miriam Magro, Dorianne Mallia, Isabelle Mallia, Isabelle Mallia, Maria Dolores Mallia, Mary Ann Mamo, Joanne Mariani, Karen Mercieca, Anne Marie Micallef, Diane Micallef, Helen Micallef, Jane Micallef, Judith Micallef, Mary Micallef, Mary Doris Micallef, Mary Grace Micallef, Miriam Micallef, Rachel Micallef, Salvina Micallef, Antonella Mifsud, Daniel Mifsud, Francianne Mifsud, Giovanna Antida Mifsud, Nathalie Mifsud, Yvonne Mifsud, Elizabeth Mizzi, Graziella Mizzi, Mary Rose Mizzi, Donia Montebello, Mary Grace Montebello, Catherine Mormina, Catherine Muscat, Charmaine Muscat, Fiona Muscat, Helen Muscat, Lucienne Muscat*, Mandy Muscat, Maria Muscat, Mario Muscat, Monica Muscat, Pamela Muscat, Rosalie Muscat, Simone Naudi, Dolores Pace, Maria Dolores Pace, Maricca Pace, Ritienne Pace, Shirley Pace, Rosabelle Pavia, Marie Therese Pirotta, Nadine Portelli, Christine Porter, Joyce Psaila, Nicholas Psaila, Ruth Psaila, Michelle Pullicino, Brigitte Ragusa, Christine Refalo, Rosanne Riolo, Amanda Roberts, Claudette Rogers, Adriana Rossi, Mary Grace Said*, Georgianne Saliba Azzopardi, Bernardette Sammut, Maria Sammut, Marina Sammut, Mary Ann Sammut, Mona Sammut, Joanna Sant, Mildred Sant, Hilary Schembri, Lorenza Schembri, Mary Anne Schembri, Mary Grace Schembri*, Tania Schembri, Amanda Sciberras, Marjoeann Sciberras, Romina Sciberras, Graziella Scicluna, Rachel Scicluna, Claire Scicluna Risso, Carmen Scorfna, Ninette Seguna, Joseph Spiteri, Maria Spiteri, Marie Louise Spiteri, Marielle Spiteri, Mariella Stellini, Roberta Stellini, Marie Claire Sultana, Amalia Tabone, Louise Tabone, Simone Tabone, Elizabeth Tagliaferro Bowman, Nadine Taliana, Carmen Thompson, Christine Trevisan, Anna Vassallo, Jennifer Vassallo, Anna Maria Vella, Anne Marie Vella, Daniela Vella, Doreen Vella, Doreen Vella, Dorianne Vella, Gertrude Vella, Isabelle Vella, Mandy Vella, Miriam Vella, Nathalie Vella, Roderick Vella, Romea Vella, Sandra Vella, Vanessa Vella, Graziella Xuereb, Lina Xuereb, Lorraine Zahra, Anika Zammit, Anna Zammit, Christine Zammit, Doreen Zammit, Frances Zammit, Jacqueline Zammit, Maria Theresa Zammit, Mary Grace Zammit, Shirley Zammit, Mariella Zampa, Rita Zerafa, Sabrina Zurgani.*
Diploma in Diplomatic Studies
Dagmar Aloisio, Pierre Attard, Firyal Ben Zeglam, Joseph Borg Camilleri, Mariella Buhagiar Bose, Colette Cumbo, Hanan El-Miloudi, Pierre Minuti, Alfred Portelli, Maria Spiteri*, Mary Strout, Iwona Vella, Lauraine Zickert.
Bachelor of Engineering & Architecture, (Honours)
Sponsor: Mr J. Falzon
Claire Abela, Jeanette Abela*, Mark Abela, Daniela Agius, Piotr Armatys, Daniel Bernard, Randolph Borg, Monique Calleja, Tiziana Caruana, Ian Cutajar, Jason Gellel, Melissa Giordmaina, Fredrick Grech, Alexis Inguanez, Edward Magro, Miriam Muscat, Victoria Valletta, Gail Woods.
Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy
Mozna Alazaiza, Irina Cusnir, Ynes De Lara, Sense Dlamini, Roselyn Dorsett-Horton*, Akram El Dadah* , Aziz Khasanov, Thato Lehloenya, Eugenio Matos, Mirjana Milosavljevic*, Sela Moengangongo*, Zemaida Mozali, Serban- Niculescu, Valentin Nikolov, Pavel Ovseiko, Juliet Semambo Kalema*, Saleh Shaqfa, Hirikeshsing Unnuth, Shaukat Valitov, Lorenc Xhaferraj, Wendy Zecic.
Master of Arts in Diplomatic Studies
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo.
Anthony Bezzina, Alexander Bonich, Carmel Busuttil, Denise Caruana, David Cassar, Alison Dato Mallia, Noella Dayal, Monika Frˆhler, Suzan Kayyal, Ryan Meilak*, Hermann Micalle.
Master in Diplomacy
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Stella Ankrava*, John Buttigieg, Hossam El Shenawy*, Saida Fatnassi, Nahed Hejazi*, Haytham Hmeidan, Haitham Kamel, Eka Manjgaladze, Sihem Mazouz*, Andrzej Mojkowski*, Amina Selmane, Tomislav Vlahutin, Marsela Xhangolli*, Ming Yao*.
Master of Science in Road Engineering
Sponsor: Mr J. Falzon.
Stuart Azzopardi, Lara Baldacchino, Daniel Cordina, John Demicoli, Mario Ellul, Odette Lewis, William Lewis, Edric Micallef, Walter Portelli, Mark Scicluna, David Vassallo, Gordon Zammit, Robert Zerafa.
* denotes in absentia