The University’s main challenge is how it can develop its tradition as a teaching institution while remaining a focal point of research and innovation, said Professor Joseph Grima from the Faculty of Science yesterday.

Prof. Grima was giving a speech during the graduation ceremony of postgraduates at the Old University in Valletta.

Knowledge “is meant ultimately to improve the standard of living possibly for everybody, even if this ethical goal remains always a challenge to take up and a task to carry out on an individual, political and social level,” he said.

Prof. Grima said that the key role of any university is to maintain and build up its research capability and added that the EU pushing every university to consolidate its research base. “Universities are ranked primarily, if not exclusively, on the basis of their research output. The equation is very simple: the more high quality research a university produces; the better will be its international ranking,” he said.

Prof. Grima said that the reputation of the University of Malta as a significant and hopefully leading actor is essential for the prosperity of the country.

“Research resources are not money down the drain but potential resource for economic and social growth,” he said.

He pointed out that financial resources are necessary for sustainable scientific research but it is important “that we should try to make the best use of the available resources, especially the human potential that we find among our colleagues and students,”

Prof. Grima called for more collaboration and teamwork – especially in the sciences.

“Our University structures should be flexible enough to respond adequately to such collaborative research work both within and across faculties, institutes and centres, and to ensure that no research opportunities or resources are lost,” he said.

However, he added that these structures can only work if the staff have the right attitude.

“Collaboration on a research project would require the participants to work single-mindedly on one common objective – to achieve a scientifically good piece of work that can be published and shared with the wider academic community,” said Prof. Grima.

During her speech, Ph. D graduate Christine Firman spoke about the role of literacy in society.

She pointed out that irony of speaking about literacy on a day when so many students are graduating.

“It is precisely such achievements that lead us to focus on the needs of those who have not been able to develop their skills – who have been deprived of a full education and who are consequently not adequately employed,” said Dr Firman.

People with literacy limitations have been directed towards softer options – options which exclude the necessity to read and write, options which could lead to exclusion, she said.

Dr Firman said that schools, post-secondary colleges and gradually, also, the University are now becoming more inclusive – “an awareness of different learning needs is now developing.”

She pointed out that access to examinations is becoming more student-centred and an effort is being made to to accommodate the student – “to take him beyond the confines of his disabilities, to give him equal opportunities, to allow him to realise his full potential.”

The early identification of literacy deficits which could contribute to fulfilling one of the Lisbon targets by reducing the number of early school leavers and halve “the percentage of low-achieving 15-year-olds in the area of reading, mathematics and scientific literacy,” said Dr Firman.

Below are the students who graduated yesterday:

Masters Of Arts In Linguistics

Sponsor: Prof. A. Borg

Michael Spagnol, Melanie Ungaro

Master Of Science In Engineering

Sponsor: Prof. R. Ghirlando

Mario Cordina, Owen Darmanin, Clara Delia, Ian Sant, David Scerri, Aaron Zammit

Master Of Arts

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

Joan Angela Abela, Anthony Aquilina, Elaine Azzopardi*, Josianne Azzopardi Mamo, Francesca Balzan, Laura Helen Bolton, Elysia Borg, Joseph Paul Borg, Katya Borg, Nadine Briffa, Elisa Brincat, Maria Brown, Daniela Bugeja, Sarah Bugeja, Marica Camilleri*, Luca Caramagna, Noelle Cardona, Jeannine Debattista*, Marouska Debattista, Amelia Debrincat, Anthony Dimech, Josephine Farrugia, Rowena Farrugia, Nadine Victoria Farrugia Sciberras, Christian Galea, Catherine Anne Galea, Carla Francesca Gatt, Marija Grech*, Robert Grixti*, Victor Emmanuel Jacono, Lorna Mallia, Roger Mamo, Elspeth Muscat, Josianne Muscat, Clive Piscopo, Janice Sant, Charlene Smith, Bernard Charles Spiteri, Marvic Tonna, Martha Vassallo, Matthew Vassallo, David Vella, Melissa Xuereb, Niki Young, Mark Zammit, Mariaelena Zammit.

Master In Contemporary Diplomacy

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

Zenia Basagic, Valeriu Nicolae Ciolan, Naim Dedushaj, Miso Dokmanovic*, Olesya M Grech, Walton Hamilton, Nevena Ruzic, Poussi Sawadogo, Wassef Serhan, Faten Sharaf, Amela Sudzuka.

Master In Interpreting

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

M’louise Borg, Franco Farrugia.

Master In Translation

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

David Aloisio, Anna Bonanno, Rose Marie Caruana, Diane Farrugia, Brigid Garroni, Caroline Gauci, Christine Ann Mercieca, Vanessa Mifsud, Emilia Pace,

John Zammit Dimech.

Master In Translation And Interpreting

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

Anna Maria Bartolo, Miriam Consiglio, Georgina Scicluna Bajada

Master Of Science

Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut

Carmel Abela*, Matthew Richard Agius, Malcolm Attard, Karen Caruana, Valerie Cutajar, Karlston D’emanuele, Lewis Holland*, Vincent Mercieca, Tania Scerri, Mark J. Vella, Patrick Vella, Wallace Wadge

Master Of Conservation In Applied Conservation Std Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella

David Frank Bugeja, Frederika Falzon.

Master Of Arts In European Studies

Sponsor: Prof. P. G. Xuereb

Franca Agius, Joseph Borg, Patrick Anthony Borg, Neville Galea Roberts*, Maria Gatt, Ronald Mizzi, Jason Francis Sultana

Master Of Music

Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino-Inglott

Erica Gialanze

Master Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino-Inglott

Mario Attard

Master Of Arts In Creativity And Innovation

Sponsor: Dr. S. Dingli

Olena Baeva, Leonie Baldacchino, Peter Brincat, Conrad Buttigieg, Louis John Camilleri, Elizabeth Dedomenico, Andreana Dibben, Neville Dimech, Maria Grech Magro, Michal Gruszczynski*, Kathryn Konrath, Keith Pisani,

David Pulis, Emanuel Pulis, Natalie Swaine Nwoko, Adriana Tedesco, Barbara Trotman, Jingyao Xu, Yuanyuan Zhang.

Master Of Arts In Baroque Studies

Sponsor: Prof. D. De-Lucca

Holly Knowles, Yvette Sciberras Mifsud.

Master Of Arts Cct

Sponsor: Rev. Prof. S. Chircop

Anson David Aquilina, Veronica Attard,Jennifer Attard Pullicino , Gabriella Azzopardi Lautier, Gordon Borg , Paul Cachia , Charlene Camilleri, Charlene Cohen, Joanna De Cesare, Cynthia Ann Ellul, Alan Fenech, Velislava Hillman,

Marguerite Magrin, Oxana Mercieca, Conrad Philip Mifsud, Sarah Ann Suda, Walter Sultana.

Doctor Of Music

Sponsor: Rev. Prof. P. Serracino Inglott

Albert Pace

Doctor Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. D. Fenech

Katrin Fenech*, Christine Firman, Damian Spiteri, Giselle Spiteri Miggiani.

Doctor Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. R. Ghirlando

Stephen Abela

Doctor Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut

Charles Galea

* In Absentia