THINK - Issue 27 by Think

MARCH 2019 • ISSUE 27

ISSN 2306-0735

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250 CELEBRATING

YEARS

250th Anniversary 1769â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2019

Serving students, scholarship and society, sustainably. #UMmakesHistory

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EDITORIAL

HOME

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new year has brought with it reflection for the team at THINK magazine. Our essential purpose is to learn,

share knowledge and engage our readers. Ultimately,

With you wherever

THINK wants to make meaningful impacts on society. But in a

world facing so much division, that is a challenge. Inevitably, we asked: what is it that unites us?

To see our best photos and illustrations instagram.com/thinkuni

The answer proved simple. We’re all human. And as human beings, we share basic needs. Only when we

fulfill them—in whichever ways we deem fit individually—can we go out into the world and live a meaningful life. And THINK will address those needs in 2019.

To view some great videos youtube.com/user/ThinkUni

um.edu.mt/think Home. Health. Purpose. Love.

In this issue we delve deep into HOME and what that word

means (p.12). We look at our island and the impact our chosen lifestyles are having on it (p.26). We dive into identity through Maltese nicknames (p.30) and music (p.34). Local feasts make an

To read all our printed magazines online issuu.com/thinkuni

appearance too, as well as their harbingers—fireworks. Are these colourful displays worth their impact? (p.22) There is so much worth protecting, as the documentary Kemmuna so brilliantly shows (pg.18). As we set off into 2019, we do so with a new appreciation of the simple (though not small) things. Home is just the beginning.

For our archive from the University of Malta Library um.edu.mt/library/oar

CONTRIBUTE

Edward Duca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

edward.duca@um.edu.mt @DwardD

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Cassi Camilleri

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Are you a student, staff, or researcher at the University of Malta? Would you like to contribute to THINK magazine? If interested, please get in touch to discuss your article on think@um.edu.mt or call +356 2340 3451

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS ISSUE 27 � MARCH 2019 TOOLKIT

Heat for health

WITHOUT BORDERS

Safe haven?

6 DESIGN

HOME Home. Literally. This series of covers uses celestial objects to represent our human needs. As more of them are fulfilled, the more whole we become. From the earth, to the moon, sun and universe.

Conjuring the ultimate art space

HOME FOCUS

OPINION

Kemmuna

Punish or rehabilitate?

Beneath the glow

Of robots and rights

The case for a sparsely carred island

Home

Sejjaħli b'laqmi

Architecture: a dying art?

Musical messaging: politics in Maltese music

Politics with a small 'p'

STUDENTS

Research to business plan: a metamorphosis

Poverty in a prospering country

CONTRIBUTORS TOOLKIT Dr Alfred Gatt Gail Sant

STUDENT SECTION Samuel Casha Michelle Cortis

Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo Prof. Alfred Vella Mario Vella

ALUMNI Teodor Reljic Loranne Vella

WITHOUT BORDERS Dr Trevor Borg Cassi Camilleri

FOCUS Dr Charles Briffa Dr Marie Briguglio Konrad Buhagiar Luca Caruso Prof. Alan Deidun Dr Charles Galdies Abigail Galea Nika Levikov Prof. Antonio Mollicone Franica Pulis Karl Reuth Gail Sant Dr Jonathan Spiteri Simone Spiteri

FEATURES Dr Jelena Agranovska Benjamin Charles Cassar Dr Antonios Liapis Prof. Ivan Sammut Jasper Schellekens

START UP Dr Jean Paul Ebejer Luke Collins Gail Sant Jake Xuereb

DESIGN Leo Chircop Dr Joanna Delia OPINION Dr Patricia Bonello Dr Jackie Mallia Michela Scalpello

IDEA Cassi Camilleri RIDT Laura Bonnici Prof. Lorenzo Mule’ Stagno

LAB TO LIFE Dr Shawn Baldacchino Dawn Gillies Prof. Godfrey Grech ILLUSTRATIONS Gabriel Izzo Roberta Scerri

THINK is a quarterly research magazine published by the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office at the University of Malta. To subscribe to our blog log into um.edu.mt/think/subscribe and fill in your details. For advertising opportunities, please call 2138 2741/7989 4778 or get in touch by email on afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt

PHOTOGRAPHY Samuel Attard James Moffett Nicole Parnis Andrew Rizzo WEBSITE Cassi Camilleri Roberta Scerri

FEATURE

The unusual suspects

Hercule project

A video game with no limits DATA Agent.

One size does not fit all for EU funds—a lawyer’s perspective.

START-UP

#GetLearnD: students tutoring students

IDEA

The revolutionary act of owning less

Tutoring by students for students

How do spending habits impact our pockets and lives?

RESEARCH

Taking solar to sea

LAB TO LIFE

Written in blood Maltese researchers are leading the way in developing new diagnostic tools for cancer.

Sunshine and modern technology come together to help reduce our carbon footprint.

ALUMNI

A multi-disciplinary life

TO-DO LIST

The road to purpose is winding: award winner Loranne Vella shares her story.

What to watch, read, listen to and who to follow on social media

THINK I D E A S

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U N I V E R S I TY

MARCH 2019 - ISSUE 27

EDITORIAL

Edward Duca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cassi Camilleri EDITOR DESIGN

Roberta Scerri DESIGNER Gabriel Izzo ASSISTANT DESIGNER COPYEDITING

Amy Borg

Our content picks to stimulate your eyes, ears, and mind.

ISSN 2306-0735 Copyright © University of Malta, 2019 The right of the University of Malta to be identified as Publisher of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Act, 2001. University of Malta, Msida, Malta Tel: (356) 2340 2340 Fax: (356) 2340 2342 um.edu.mt All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of research and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this magazine are correct and active at the time of going to press. However the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent issues.

PROOFREADING

Amy Borg PRINTING

Print It, Malta

Toolkit

TOOLKIT

Heat for health O

ver 10% of the Maltese population lives with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This means the local

risk for peripheral arterial disease, the one that usually leads to amputation, is alarmingly high. But now, a team of researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences (University of Malta) has its hands on a new high-tech camera that can be used to detect foot complications before it’s too late. A common symptom of peripheral arterial disease is a gradual temperature increase in a person’s foot. The change is very mild, making it difficult to detect manually. So Dr Alfred Gatt and his team are using the state-of-the-art thermographic FLIR thermal camera to hone in on these temperature variations from type 2 diabetes mellitus. The camera uses infrared light in the same way a regular camera uses visible light to produce an image. Yes, puppy pictures are still possible, but they definitely won’t look as cute. Its ability to measure emitted heat means it is non-invasive, reducing risks of infection completely. So while the €30,000 invested by the University may seem high, it will save money in the long run. The applications of this piece of equipment go above and beyond diabetes. It is being used for multiple research projects and contributing to medical knowledge related to other vascular diseases and physiological processes. Its true

The FLIR portable thermal imaging camera uses infrared light to hone in on temperature variations from type 2 diabetes mellitus

Toolkit

value? Priceless.

WITHOUT

Without Borders

BORDERS

Safe haven? Author: Cassi Camilleri

ome refer to the Venice Biennale as the pinnacle of the international

art world. Last year, feathers were flurried by the Maltese delegation and their representation of Maltese identity. This year, the works question a specific part of the Maltese narrative. ‘We are working around the theme of MALETH,’ says Dr Trevor Borg, artist, curator, and University of Malta lecturer. Maleth refers to the ancient word for Malta. ‘It is also called

My work begins at the cave. But I will then leave the cave behind and delve into a distant world that never was!

delve into a distant world that never was! The work responds to fabricated histories, museological conventions, historical interpretations, and hypothetical authenticity. It is based on pseudo-archaeological objects and imaginary narratives,’ he explains. Collaborating on this work, bringing the artefacts to life is Dr Ing. Emmanuel Francalanza (Faculty of Engineering). The process began at the National History museum in Mdina. ‘Together,

HAVEN and SAFE PORT.’ These were

we selected and scanned a number

all terms used in reference to Malta

of animal bones from their archives,’

over the centuries. But is our island

Francalanza says. This included femurs,

really that? This is the question being

teeth, and skulls among others. ‘I then

tackled by Borg and his colleagues.

supported Trevor in reconstructing the

Immigration has been a critical

3D model and preparing it for printing.’ For Francalanza, this was a chance

issue in recent years, creating an inflammatory divide in Malta. Borg

to apply engineering technologies in

is using the first immigrants, the

new ways, to allow artists to express

animals that travelled to Malta during

themselves. But not just. ‘At the

the ice age, to make his point. ‘They

same time, this opportunity provides

travelled here because of the heat

us engineers and scientists with an

our island provided and the food that

avenue to explore concepts and even

came with it. But as the ice in the

utilise thinking patterns which are

North started to melt, sea levels rose and they were unable to return.’ What is the relation between

Dr Trevor Borg

To represent this visually, Borg is

not traditionally associated with our disciplines. It helps us be more creative and open to innovative practices.’

an (apparent) safe haven and a

going to create an archaeological find

Working together, Borg and

heterotopia? Here, heterotopia

with hundreds of objects from history.

Francalanza are blurring the lines

refers to Michel Foucault's notion of

Animal remains will feature, as will

between what is real and what

the 'other place'. Heterotopias are

unusual artefacts and other strange

is fake. By recreating the original

described as 'worlds within worlds',

finds. Borg was inspired by Gћar

artefacts in such a way that a viewer

connecting different places. They are

Dalam and used it as a starting point,

cannot determine whether what is

places that constitute multiple layers

but this work is not about history.

being seen is authentic, the project

of meaning, that accumulate time,

‘My work begins at the cave. But I

is poignant commentary for the

that can be both real and unreal.

will then leave the cave behind and

post-truth era we are living in.

Without Borders

DESIGN Conjuring the ultimate art space F

orm follows function. This is

a focal point for anyone wanting to

interrupted only by lightweight steel

the maxim that rules modernist

experience the world of contemporary

stairs and floors, or glass railings. The

architecture and industrial design:

art. He wanted a place where

result is a sublime canvas ready to

the shape of an object or building is

established and emerging artists could

bring art to life and inspire others.

determined by its use or purpose.

come together to trigger dialogue

Around 10 years ago, contemporary

with the community and its visitors.

artist and architect Norbert Francis

A few years and several permits later, three warehouses were

admission is free of charge. VC recently

that would see the two merge

purchased and transformed.

published its first book, Valletta

together in a perfect marriage.

Carefully-designed excavations and

Contemporary 001, which includes a

beautifully-proportioned internal

compilation of VC's 2018 exhibition

apertures created triple-height spaces,

program alongside all show catalogs.

Vallettaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walls that would serve as

Design

is open from Tuesday to Friday, and

Attard embarked on a project

Attard envisaged a space within

Note: Valletta Contemporary (VC)

Opposite page: Alex Attard, Parallel Existences Exhibition at Valletta Contemporary

Design

This page: Carlos Coronas, The Dreamed Territories Exhibition at Valletta Contemporary

Punish or rehabilitate? Michela Scalpello

magine walking into an animal

believes citizens do not want the

return to their communities. They

shelter. Sad eyes look to you,

truth about the dull misery inside.

will become your neighbours.

nameless. All of them hoping to be

They want a story; they want drama.

for a second chance at happiness. Your heart goes out to them, but there are so many you don’t have time to focus on each individual. They have food and water; they are alive—it will have to do. Prisons are not so different. Desperation is palpable. People walk the grounds alone, shunned and forgotten. Sentenced to prison for criminal offences, they were promised care and rehabilitation to prepare them for a better life. And yet, the first reaction for most people when

that punishment and rehabilitation can never be effectively combined. It doesn’t take much to offer a humane, educative environment behind prison walls. Prisoners need purposeful activity, focusing on education and on developing essential skills aimed at securing a job. We need to look at inmates and remember that they are, first and foremost, people, each with their own individual needs. People with nothing to do find ways to pass the time. When no positive choices are available, it is all too easy for inmates to get caught up in the

scorn. ‘Help them? Why should we?

disheartening places. They’re

prisonization effect, teaching each

Leave them there! They deserve it.’

spaces for punishment, very rarely

other the tricks of the criminal trade.

offering rehabilitation of any

On the other hand, those engaged in

surveilled population, but also the

kind. Politicians favour harsher

training programs are at least three

most invisible. Sensationalist stories

punishments as a show of power and

times less likely to reoffend, armed

are plastered all over the news, yet

control. What they fail to mention

with an alternative to criminality.

in-depth prison reports are never

is that around 95% of individuals

widely disseminated. The media

sentenced to prison eventually

Prison populations are the most

Opinion

What they fail to mention is that around 95% of individuals sentenced to prison eventually return to their communities. As it stands, prisons are

they see this is not empathy, but

In 2018, a report by Crest gave evidence against the common belief

shown kindness, all of them hoping

Do you still think we should throw away that key?

Of robots and rights Dr Jackie Mallia n 2019, Malta will create a National

lives. Many of us make use of intelligent

devices taking, and to what extent

Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI)

assistants, be it Amazon's Alexa or

are we even aware of them? Do we

in order to establish the country as

Apple's Siri. Others use Google Nest

have a right to know the basis upon

a hub for investment in AI. Speaking

to adjust their home’s temperature.

which such decisions are taken? If a

about AI at the Delta Summit late last

Then there are the millions with Netflix

machine’s ‘intelligence’ is based on big

year, Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat

accounts whose content is ranked in

data being fed to it in an automated

stated that ‘not only can we not stop

order of assumed preference. All of it

manner, how do we ensure it remains

change, but we have to embrace it

is convenient, and all of it is due to AI.

free from bias? Can decisions

with anticipation since it provides

But some of the skepticism towards

taken by a machine be explained

society with huge opportunities.’ He

the technology may be warranted.

in a court of law? Who is liable?

followed up with similar declarations

High-profile failures include Google

at the Malta Innovation Summit,

Home Minis allegedly sending their

is not misplaced. The issues are

also observing that in the future,

owners’ secretly recorded audio to

real and present. But the answer is

‘we may reach a stage where robots

Google. Facebook’s chatbots, Alice and

not to turn away from innovation.

may be given rights under the law.’

Bob, developed their own language

Progress will happen whether we

A focus on the regulation of AI

to conduct private conversations,

want it to or not. Yes, we need ‘to

generate unease. Reading some

leading to their shutdown. In addition,

embrace it,’ as Muscat stated, but we

of the negative comments posted

there were two well-documented fatal

must do so in the most responsible

online, I realised that for many, the

autonomous car accidents in 2018.

way possible through appropriate

This latter statement seemed to

mention of ‘AI’ still conjures up images of the Terminator movies.

AI is still evolving, but at the same

strategy and optimal legislation.

time, it is becoming ubiquitous, which leads us to some very important

Dr Jackie Mallia is a lawyer

self-awareness, sentience, and

questions. What is happening to the

specialising in Artificial Intelligence

consciousness may take decades to

data that such systems are collecting

and a member of the Government

materialise, AI is already pervasive in our

about us? What decisions are the

of Malta’s AI Taskforce.

Although a machine possessing

Opinion

OPINION

Home Dr Patricia Bonello

he theme of this edition of THINK magazine

providing mere accommodation. They must

is meant to evoke feelings of belonging,

create an environment which meets the needs

identity, warmth, and solidarity. Our home is

of the persons who live there. They should

usually a place associated with these positive

provide a safe space for people to come in,

feelings: a place where I can be myself and, in a

be themselves, and develop their potential.

safe environment, develop into the me I want to

For those who don’t need to move out of

be. This is something valuable, something which

their current home, options include support

we should safeguard passionately. At the same

and professional interventions, such as family

time, as a social worker, I know many for whom

therapy, to deal with the sadness associated

'home' does not have such positive connotations.

around the home, or to improve the dynamics

The people that come to mind are abuse

within it. Social service providers in Malta and

victims, children and adults living with domestic violence. For them, 'home' means suffering, often accompanied by a feeling of helplessness. Others find 'home' a difficult concept. Think of people who cannot make ends meet, who have difficulty paying their rent, who cannot afford to buy their own house because of high property prices. Then there are those who can no longer

This is where a network of social solidarity, both formal and informal, comes into play.

live in their own house because they are unable to look after themselves, be it because of old age

Gozo carry a lot of responsibility. Unfortunately,

or health issues. There are members of broken

the supply does not always meet demand, and

families who have difficulty identifying their

some people have to wait considerably before

home, asylum seekers who left home behind,

being able to move into more comfortable and

and people who have lost a family member

nurturing placements—sometimes while living

and now associate ‘home’ with sadness.

in abusive environments. In other situations,

Everybody needs a place where he

the necessary support is not readily available,

or she feels ‘held’ and safe enough to

as in the cases of asylum seekers and homeless

develop their potential. But if ‘home’ does

people who need a roof over their head.

This is where a network of social solidarity,

While formal support is important and necessary, all Maltese citizens need to share the

both formal and informal, comes into play.

responsibility and offer a helping hand without

Alternatives for people with issues related to

judgement. That way, Malta will be able to nurture

the concept of ‘home’ include foster placements,

communities that work together to create 'homes'

shelters, or other residential facilities. But

which cherish everyone, respecting their dignity

these services are tasked with much more than

and worth and encouraging them to flourish.

OPINION

not fit the bill, where will this be?

STUDENTS Research to business plan: a metamorphosis Michelle Cortis

n recent years, there has been a

For my dissertation, I developed a

product instead of selling it? Should we

shift in the relationship between

business plan for the research team.

continue developing the product or is it

research and commercial industries.

An engineer myself, and having earned

already innovative enough? What if we

Commercial viability almost always

a Masters by Research back in 2014,

developed a spin-out—would it be too

comes into question for ongoing

this was different to anything I had

expensive or is it worth the investment?

research. Commercialisation can be

done before. My supervisors, Prof.

By analysing a project through a

a boon. When a research project

Russell Smith and Dr Ing. Nicholas

commercial lens, all these questions

has demonstrated its potential to

Sammut, helped me find the right

arise, pointing out potential ways

become a viable business, funding

balance between utilising my technical

to make a good project great.

opportunities increase, meaning the

knowledge whilst also analysing the

But what makes a good business

research can be turned into a product

product’s commercial potential. Even

plan great is when all these

or service that people can use.

my language changed through the

questions are answered.

In 2018, as part of a Masters in

process; I began to speak of ‘euros

Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship,

per day’ rather than ‘kilowatt hours’.

The Project 'A Smart Micro

I analysed the commercial potential

I learnt to differentiate between

Combined Heat and Power System'

of an ongoing University of Malta

technological features and what real

is financed by the Malta Council

project. I conducted an in-depth

benefits future users would gain.

for Science & Technology, for and

STUDENTS

market feasibility study on Prof.

Being presented with a physical

on behalf of the Foundation for

Ing. Joseph Cilia’s Smart Micro

product, initially one may assume that it

Science and Technology through

Combined Heat and Power System,

is to be sold to customers, or protected

the FUSION: R&I Technology and

a device that can be fitted into

through a patent and licensed to the

Development Programme.

homes and offices to deliver heat

private sector. However, my market

as a by-product of electricity,

analysis revealed new target audiences

Are you carrying out research at the

reducing energy costs. Many EU

that had not been thought of before.

University of Malta which you think

countries are setting up incentives

Selling the device was not the only

may have commercial potential? If so,

to make these systems more feasible

way to exploit the project’s commercial

contact the Knowledge Transfer Office

and attractive to consumers.

potential. What if we leased the

on knowledgetransfer@um.edu.mt

Poverty in a prospering country Samuel Casha Throughout history, countless artists

n 2018, anti-poverty organization

The situation is not the fault of

Oxfam reported how in 2017, the

any one political party or another.

have depicted poverty, among them

world’s 2,043 billionaires increased

Poverty is a structural problem.

Vincent Van Gogh, whose Potato

their combined wealth by $762 billion–

Capitalism generates poverty, just as

Eaters (1885) remains one of the most

enough money to eradicate global

it generates wealth. Yet, too often,

powerful paintings about poverty

poverty seven times over. While in past

those in the middle-class point their

in history. Criticised for its lack of a

centuries, poverty was a consequence

fingers not at the rich and powerful

‘conventional sweetness,’ in a letter

of a lack of resources, abundance is

fuelling the machine, but at the poor

to his brother, Vincent insisted that ‘a

a far greater issue in today’s world.

themselves. Many assume that the

painting of peasant life should not be

The problem is resource distribution.

poor could climb the social ladder if

perfumed.’ Van Gogh’s Potato Eaters

only they worked harder, but many

brings the viewer face-to-face with

poor is ever-widening, and this is

are employed and still fail to achieve

a type of poverty that exists behind

a reality that is true in Malta.

a decent standard of living since

closed doors. Malta’s poverty problem

the minimum wage is inadequate.

is exactly that: behind closed doors.

The gap between the rich and

Our streets might not be blighted

If we cannot do much to help them,

by homeless people as in most big European cities, yet hidden poverty is increasing. In 2016, the National Statistics Office reported that 16.5% of the Maltese population live at risk of poverty. Skyrocketing property prices have their part to play, grinding society’s most vulnerable members down. Currently, over 900 families live in garages, as stated in a parliamentary meeting in May 2018.

This is where a network of social solidarity, both formal and informal, comes into play.

at the very least, the poor deserve our empathy, not our judgement. This article is based on research carried out as part of the B. A. (Hons.) History of Art with Fine Arts course within the Department of Art and Art History, University of Malta, under the supervision of Prof. Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci.

STUDENTS

FOCUS

HOME

helter is one of our most basic needs.

cornerstone to prosperity in all its forms. In this

It protects us against the elements and keeps

FOCUS we explore the meaning of the very word

our belongings safe. But it also enables us to

'home' and what it could mean to live without it.

grow roots into our community and the environment

We take a deeper look at our own home, our

that surrounds us. Yes, HOME may be a primitive

Maltese islands, our identity and culture, all from

first step in life's journey but it is also a fundamental

the lens of researchers from the University of Malta.

Kemmuna Diving deep to show the diversity we must protect

Beneath the glow Are Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer firework spectacles worth their impact? You be the judge

The case for a sparsely carred Island Our addiction to cars and other environmental stories

SejjaÄ§li b'laqmi Nicknames are more than a fun origin story

Architecture: A dying art? From quaint Maltese balconies to concrete boxes. What happened?

Musical messaging

Politics with a small 'p' Where Maltese identity, politics and theatre collide

36 FOCUS

Harmonies, notes, and chords can rally the masses or ignite revolution. How have they been used in Malta?

Focus

Kemmuna

Despite being one of Malta’s hottest attractions, a lot of what Comino has to offer is covered by the cool blue waters that fuel its popularity. Prof. Alan Deidun and his team have embarked on a journey to bring what’s hidden beneath to the surface, tentacles and all. Gail Sant writes. to work together. Directed by Pedja Miletic

Approximately 10,900,000 results

and funded by the Malta International Airport

pop up, and the vast majority of

Foundation, Comino is the fifth film in the series.

them relate to holidaymaking tips and weather information,

Filming took place throughout 2018, focusing on everything: marine to terrestrial, shallow to

with a sprinkling of research projects. Once

deep, diurnal to nocturnal. Deidun admitted

the hideout of pirates and smugglers, the little

that they struggled with finding and filming

island’s crystal-clear waters have now made it a

enough organisms. ‘It took around 50 trips to

paradise for travellers. But despite the suffocating

Comino and back to get the footage we needed,’

love and attention Comino gets during the

he says. But the result speaks for itself.

summer months, many of its wonders remain hidden underwater, unattainable to most.

Helping them achieve the sheen they needed for the final work, Deidun and his colleagues

This was the motivation behind Prof. Alan

used a state-of-the-art 8K underwater camera.

Deidun’s most recent documentary, Comino: A

Hardware of this calibre is the sort you find on

Secret Paradise. An academic at the Department of

big budget productions like the BBC’s beloved

Geosciences (University of Malta), Deidun is an avid

Blue Planet. The camera enabled the divers

diver, environmentalist, and advocate who wants

to film animals from a different perspective,

‘to bring the underwater world to people who don’t

providing audiences with a new experience.

normally venture beyond the swimmer’s zone.’

Take, for example, the Common Octopus,

Deidun’s first foray into documentary filmmaking

Octopus vulgari, a documentary staple whose

came with Dwejra (2012), a film that featured the

camouflaging skills got some well-deserved

long-lost Azure window. Soon after were Rdum

attention in Comino. The camera also came in

Majjiesa (2012) and Mġarr ix-Xini (2013). His big

handy with more delicate, elusive creatures.

break came with Filfla (2015) which went viral and

The weird and wonderful Berried Sea Anemone

continues to do rounds on social media today.

and the Flying Gurnard, species the team

Even in 2012, the aim was always to highlight

hadn’t been able to capture in previous work,

the beauty and importance of local Marine

could now be seen in all their complexity.

Protected Areas. In 2019, this has not changed.

SCIENCE & ART FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

BEHIND THE SCENES The team met to film the first documentary in the series back in 2012 with Monolith Limited. The experience was so positive and fruitful that

Another big motivation behind this documentary is a lack of science communication—a global issue. Deidun emphasised that academics need to

the team has remained practically unchanged

share their findings. ‘You can’t just publish in a

since. Film after film, they all keep coming back

peer-reviewed journal and stop there,’ he says. Focus

ave you ever googled Comino?

‘You need to engage, start a dialogue

to formal government conferences.

that are difficult to see are those that

with society.’ Because despite all of

A conscious understanding of our

need the most attention. Fauna such

us choosing different walks of life,

environment leads to its conscious use.

as the endangered Rough Ray, the

Focus

we share one home, and scientific

In this case, Comino can help expose

protected, crimson purple Echinaster

findings should influence how our

people to marine diversity and show

sepositus starfish and the Striped

environment is treated. To move

them this complex micro-realm that

Prawn all face man-made threats.

from research to societal action,

‘is not just Blue Lagoon.’ Most people

communication is key. Scientific

know about the Damselfish (Ċawla in

low fish biomass [amount of fish]

findings on their own quickly become

Maltese) or the Mauve Stinger (BRAMA!

for the Maltese waters,’ Deidun

stagnant, but through discussion

in Maltese). Their large numbers might

says. ‘But that’s not surprising.

and dialogue, they can thrive in the

make people think that Maltese waters

Maltese waters are constantly fished.

different layers of our communities:

are safe from overexploitation, but

Overfishing is a reality.’ Even Comino,

from quick, friendly conversations

this is far from the truth. The animals

a Marine Protected Area (MPA), is

‘This has resulted in an alarmingly

1 - A scorpion fish excels in the art of blending in, assuming a body colouration which can be easily mistaken for that of surrounding algae. 2 - A squid mesmerises with the visual display it puts up, using body colouration for evading predators but also to communicate with potential mates. 3 - The hermit crab is the textbook example of mutualism, compensating for its soft body armour by lumbering around a mollusc shell which can be colonised by stinging sea anemones on top. 4 - The octopus uses every trick in the book when being pursued, from hiding in the smallest of nooks and crannies to squirting ink as a lastditch attempt at escape. 5 - Nudibranchs, or naked gills, are every SCUBA diver's favourite, with their mesmerising array of bright colours. 6 - The berried sea anemone comes to life at night, but its 'berries' can deliver a painful sting and are best not disturbed. 7 - The flying gurnard is known for its graceful gliding movements just above the seabed, but also for the grunting sounds it makes during mating season. Stills from Comino documentary

surrounded by nets and fishing lines.

approved management plans’ which

ages can learn about our sea through

It seems that while most of us are

need to be ready and presented to

science, arts, and new technology.

proud of our crystal-clear waters,

the European Commission by the end

we are not paying attention to the

of 2019—a step towards a healthier

The sea is part of our heritage, a

problems ailing it. ‘This is what we

sea with a sustainable future.

part of our identity. And we must

hope to change,’ Deidun adds.

As for these documentaries,

The Maltese are an island people.

work harder to preserve it for

Deidun has big plans there too,

future generations. It is through

and they involve Netflix. He also

documentaries like this one that we

wishes to add the films to digital

can appreciate and protect our home.

Deidun has plenty of hope. He tells

libraries of local schools. In time,

As biologist Jane Goodall once said,

us that ‘our MPAs are paper tigers for

this will all feed into his vision of

‘Only if we understand, can we care.

now, but the Environmental Resource

establishing a local ocean literary

Only if we care, we will help. Only

Authority (ERA) is working on having

centre, a space where people of all

if we help, we shall be saved.’

COMINO’S FUTURE; OUR FUTURE

Focus

Beneath the glow

In Malta, fireworks are the harbingers of summer, joy, and celebration. But news that their chemical leftovers are harming our environment and health cannot be blatantly pushed aside. How do we find the happy medium between heritage and safety? Gail Sant writes. It surprised no one when he eventually picked

along a narrow rubble wall. Her

up pyrotechnics as a pastime. It’s been three

mother raises an eyebrow—'Tilgħabx

years now, and the novelty has not worn off.

man-nar,’ she calls out. Translated, the saying that warns against

‘tempting fate’ also literally means ‘don’t play with

The techniques involved, from developing

fire’, ironic when one of Malta’s national pastimes

specific colours to altering the shape of the

is literally fire play—logħob tan-nar. Fireworks.

blast, create a myriad of opportunities for

With around 35 known firework factories

self-expression. That said, Rueth swiftly adds,

peppering Malta and Gozo, the tradition can be

there’s much more to it: ‘It’s part of our culture.

traced back to the Knights of St John. They used

And not just for the village feasts. Every activity

fireworks to celebrate important occasions such as

you care to mention involves fireworks.’

the election of a new Pope or Grand Master, and

Think of events like those organised by the

so the display became rooted in our past and more

Valletta 2018 Foundation or Isle of MTV; all of

recent history, evolving with time to become the

them make use of these colourful bombs to add

complex artform that today wins Malta acclaim

energy and charm. ‘We advertise our island with

the world over. But there is more to the story.

imagery of fireworks,’ Rueth notes. And yes, a lot

Studies have shown that there’s a dark side

of press related to tourism and travel to Malta

to this flashy spectacle. Some of the chemicals

does feature fireworks. They create spectacles,

used to create fireworks are harmful, and as a

ones which tourists appreciate and enjoy, and with

result, each festa leaves behind residue which

tourism being one of our most important economic

may be more dangerous than we think.

drivers, a glowing skyline and a free show does add

To get a better idea of the situation, we interviewed two people on opposite ends of the

Photo by Charlot Ryan Spiteri

‘It’s an art form. It helps you express yourself, bringing out your unique ideas,’ says Rueth.

value to our little island beyond the sun and sand. The issue Rueth points out himself is the

fireworks operation: Mr Karl Rueth, a firework

one with noise. ‘Nowadays many people

crafter, and Prof. Alfred Vella, an environmental

see fireworks as a nuisance. It’s a reality we

chemist who has studied some of the effects

can’t escape,’ he says, also admitting that

fireworks leave behind after the party is over.

unfortunately, there is no real solution for

FIREWORKS AND IDENTITY

this. Many within the fireworks community

Rueth is a Dinglin, born and raised. Brought up in a village that celebrates one of the most widely recognised patrons on the island, the feast of St Mary, he grew up fascinated by the

believe the bang is as important as the colours. However, ‘it’s all about balance,’ says Rueth.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN ‘If I had to live through a summer where not a

annual summer bonanzas. The fact that his

single bang would be heard, Malta would have

friends and family were involved helped too.

truly lost a part of its identity,’ says Vella the Focus

child laughs with glee as she skips

minute we sit down to discuss the

in every 10 deaths in Malta, placing

perchlorate. This chemical is a key

issue. Thinking back to his time living

them as one of our biggest killers.

ingredient for successful blasts. His

in the US, Vella laughs, remembering

Not only does this dust fall in excessive quantity, it also contains

amount of perchlorate remains

Much like Sunday School’s

chemicals which are either toxic or

unused after the explosion, settling

bells, a firework’s distant boom

which, though initially inert, become

on our island, both outdoors and

is something we’ve grown

toxic once they’re burned. ‘What we

indoors. His findings show that the

accustomed to, a background

were putting in those explosives was

amount of perchlorate dust found

noise. However, the comfort that

remaining around unexploded or in the

indoors is almost twice the amount

comes with those chimes, flashes,

form of its products,’ Vella emphasises.

of China’s indoor dust. China. The

and bangs hasn’t blinded him to their negative side-effects.

pioneering country that invented

create a glitter effect, changes into

fireworks back in the ninth century

antimony oxide, a known carcinogen,

is also the country that banned their

when burned in air. Heavy metals that

use in its capital city during the

have is the sheer amount of dust

are used to add colour to the explosion

2018 new year celebrations in an

they leave behind. This particulate

include barium. Accumulation of

attempt to fight off air pollution.

matter in the air causes many health

barium in the body can lead to

problems, including respiratory issues

muscle paralysis, gastrointestinal

that perchlorate can interfere with

such as lung inflammation, while

hemorrhage, and even death.

thyroid function. Currently, there

exacerbating others like asthma. Respiratory diseases account for one

Photo by Karl Rueth

Focus

Antimony, the chemical used to

environmental impacts fireworks

Vella says that one of the biggest

studies suggest that a significant

how it felt a little ‘too quiet.’

Finally, Vella moves on to the main player in his research—potassium

Photo by Claudine Despott

Related research has also shown

aren’t any studies which link the two together locally, but knowing that

chemical all over our environment isn’t great news. ‘Why should we

FINDING BALANCE Though Rueth and Vella have

perchlorate a controlled chemical.’ At the moment, of the three main oxidising agents used to make

have to live side by side with a

different ideas of what fireworks

fireworks, perchlorate is the only

chemical which is totally alien to

mean to them, they both agree that

one which doesn’t require permits.

our environment?’ Vella asks.

some sort of compromise is needed. ‘You need to understand where people are coming from,’ says Rueth,

that he doesn’t want an outright

adding that for some, noise pollution

ban on fireworks. ‘For better or for

lasts the whole summer, not just a week.

worse, it is part of who we are.’

As for their chemical effects, he’s ‘sure

At the end of the day, few people

that some harm is caused.’ However,

can deny that the visuals fireworks

he also believes that more research

give us are mesmerising. But we also

would be beneficial, helping us to

need to acknowledge the science.

understand the topic better. To him, this

‘Much like alcohol consumption, a little

is not a matter of ‘us against them,’ but

of it is probably not all that damaging.

about finding a way to make fireworks

We can tolerate a small impact of

safe and enjoyable for everyone.

fireworks because of the benefits

On that note of safety, Vella Prof. Alfred J. Vella

Despite negative media framing, Vella takes a moment to emphasise

they give us,’ says Vella. But we

thinks that ‘it’s high time that we

cannot go through life drunk. Just like

control fireworks through making

everything else, moderation is key.

Photo by Isabelle Mallia

Focus

there’s an excessive amount of this

Focus

THE CASE FOR A SPARSELY CARRED ISLAND

As the call for a cleaner, more sustainable future becomes louder, what impact do our individual choices make? Nika Levikov writes.

more complicated according to economist Dr

You drag yourself into the waking

Jonathan Spiteri (University of Malta). Older

world. You need a shower. You need

cars emit more harmful pollutants and are

coffee. Cereal? A weary glance at

often in need of repair. Transporting goods and

the clock and suddenly there is no

services around the Islands is key for the Maltese

time for breakfast, let alone a packed lunch. I’ll

economy, but this contributes to a lot more than

grab a pastizz and go to the shop later, you think

just Gross Domestic Product. The environmental

as you jump into your car. Actually it will have to

stresses caused by cars and lorries are clear.

be the supermarket; the green grocer is too far, and you’re behind on your latest ‘big report’. The morning rush is a bane shared by most in

Malta faces maddening traffic and the degradation of green areas all over the island, met by subsequent demands for wider roads and more

contemporary society. Multiply that routine by a few

parking. There are also more insidious implications

hundred thousand, and the impact adds up fast.

for citizens since polluting vehicles lead to higher

Our hectic lifestyle is just one cog in a huge wheel leading to increased waste, pollution, and poor health. What’s more, behavioural economist Dr Marie Briguglio (University of

respiratory illnesses—Malta has a high asthma rate.

MALTA’S CLIMATE CHANGE Green technologies are booming. Both

Malta), asserts that, ‘the main environmental

Iceland and Tokelau have hit 100% renewable

concerns of citizens in Malta today pertain

energy production, while China invests

to declining quality of life in urban areas.’

hundreds of billions in renewable energy.

FACTORS BEHIND ENVIRONMENTAL SHIFTS AND PRESSURES

But what has been happening locally?

It can be difficult to imagine certain forms of

‘It's not all doom and gloom,’ Spiteri notes. ‘Since 2008, the proportion of total energy generated from renewables has increased from

consumption, especially basic needs like food

0.2% to 7.2% in 2017.’ There has is also been

and water, as detrimental. But Malta’s State of

an increase in the purchase of electric and

the Environment Report by the Environment &

hybrid vehicles. In 2015, 246 electric cars and

Resources Authority (ERA) ranks agriculture and

approximately 439 hybrid vehicles were registered.

the electricity-guzzling osmosis plants high among environmental pressures on the Maltese Islands. Transport is another indispensable need. Car ownership is a big culprit but the situation is

Nonetheless, regular cars are omnipresent. Between 2012 and 2015, the number of vehicles on the Islands grew from 293,498 to 346,918, from one vehicle per 1.4 people to one vehicle Focus

he alarm blares for the millionth time.

The urban heat island effect is another issue. Highly built up areas, with few green spaces and large numbers of people, see heat getting trapped, raising temperatures fast.

per 1.24 people. These numbers

Galdies believes we can do more. 'The

must also tackle how institutions

are staggering considering that

emphasis on further investment in

communicate about climate change.

Malta is the most densely populated

traditional modes of transport can be

We need to speak ‘directly to

country in the EU. In 2011, Malta

problematic,' he says. 'This also applies

the community,’ says Galdies.

was home to 1325 people per

for maritime and aviation transport.'

Researchers need to work with

The urban heat island effect is

citizens to better our natural world;

the EU average of 116.9 people.

another issue. Highly built up areas

they play a crucial role in providing

Looking at ERA's report, Malta’s

with few green spaces and large

their own visions and ideas. According

population is expected to exceed half

numbers of people see heat getting

to Briguglio, ‘Contrary to popular

a million by 2060. Will the increase

trapped, raising temperatures fast.

belief, repeatedly, our surveys show

in cars be proportional? Malta needs

Galdies notes the danger this can

a willingness by Maltese people

innovative public transport systems

pose for young children and the

to behave pro-environmentally—

to reduce the addiction to cars.

elderly, especially during summer.

where infrastructure, institutions,

Towns and cities can be up to 6°C

and intervention enable it.’

square kilometer, more than tenfold

Speaking about local climate change mitigation, meteorologist Dr Charles

hotter than rural areas due to heat

Galdies (University of Malta) believes

being absorbed by roads and buildings

now. As they work on a National

that addressing gas emissions from

during the day and emitted into the

Strategy for the Environment, a

cars is a priority. However, he also

atmosphere at night. Green roofs,

forward-looking plan from 2020

mentions that, according to ERA's

as proposed by the team behind

to 2050, they’re inviting citizens

report, greenhouse gas emissions

the LifeMedGreenRoof project (see

to contribute in shaping Malta’s

decreased 31% from 2012 to 2015.

Issue 21), can be a solution, adding

future. Perhaps there is no better

Other positive steps forward include

much needed green spaces.

time to make our voices heard,

Malta’s National Strategy for Policy

LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD

to support an environment that

and Abatement Measures and the

Focus

Climate Adaptation Strategy enacted

Alongside political and

And this is what ERA is doing

provides for a better quality of life and contribute to a National Strategy

in 2012, which are addressing

technological solutions to the

that seeks to nourish the lives of

vulnerable areas, including coastal

environmental problems we’re

all individuals. After all, don’t we

zones and freshwater resources. But

facing as a modern society, we

deserve a breath of fresh air?

Sejjaħli b'laqmi (Call me by my nickname)

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your best friend? Is it the way they wear their socks up to their knees? Is it their long curly hair that seems to have a character of its own? Abigail Galea speaks to linguist Prof. Charles Briffa about the use of nicknames in Malta’s communities.

xperiences feed into our language choices.

nicknames, Briffa says they were

‘Your choice of words

customary for those going into

can tell a whole story

battle. Warriors would choose a

about you,’ says Prof.

name for themselves and with it, a

Charles Briffa, a linguist, researcher,

narrative of what they brought to

and author who studies language

the battlefield. ‘Our names have our

beyond its communicative role.

identities wrapped up in them. By

Briffa looks at words and phrases as

FOCUS

only making their nickname known

a way to understand those who speak

in battle, they believed the enemy

them. ‘I see language as a reflection

would have less power over them.’

of people’s minds—their way of

Briffa talks about primitive man's

thinking, their values and priorities in

belief that the name was a vital portion

life, the opinions they have, and their

of the self—a distinct part of man’s

interpretation of the world,’ he says.

personality. People also believed that

In one of his most recent

Discussing the early use of

they could be harmed by the malicious

publications, Il-Laqmijiet Karkariżi

handling of their name. And so they

fil-Kultura Maltija, Briffa explores

often hid their real names to protect

the nature of nicknames (laqmijiet

themselves from evil-disposed persons

in Maltese) in our communities.

who might injure their owners. The

Commissioned by the Birkirkara Local

nickname was used to make this

Council, it is a collection of all the

possible. Everyone could use it freely

nicknames he could find for the locality.

and divulge it to anyone since it held no

id-Didunna

tal-Minfuħa and so would not endanger their safety. Over time, nicknames evolved into

origins. Briffa noted everything he found: ‘I felt I had no authority to choose

was given to you by others in your

which was right and which was wrong.’

community, usually based on a

For example, ‘Tal-Minfuħa’ can refer

trait you possessed, your job, or an

to physical appearance, since minfuħa

experience you had been through.

means ‘blown up’ in Maltese, but could

It became a means of describing

also refer to personality, since minfuħa

you as a distinct individual.

can mean that someone is arrogant. After collecting all these stories, Briffa

also looked into the etymology of the

to be a critical source of information.

words. ‘Some of the names I found had

He also posted about his research

unknown roots. I couldn’t find anything

on a Facebook group called Muża

about them in Maltese dictionaries. In

Karkariża, asking people to give him

those cases, I would go back to Sicilian

nicknames they knew about, as well

and Arabic dictionaries to find possible

as the explanations or stories behind

meanings.’ Some nicknames remained

them. The response was astounding.

elusive. Briffa says he still can’t find the

Suggestions and stories from

roots of the nickname ‘id-Didunna’. But

the community came pouring in.

in successful attempts, Briffa would

Often Briffa needed to go through

‘re-discover’ lost words—an occurrence

them carefully and conduct his own

that gives him joy and motivation.

research. People did not always

Il-Laqmijiet Karkariżi fil-Kultura Maltija Photo by James Moffett

encountered nicknames with numerous

something more social. A nickname

For Briffa’s book, an electoral

Prof. Charles Briffa Photo by James Moffett

On other occasions, Briffa

This ‘linguistic archaeology’ is important,

differentiate fact from hearsay.

Briffa tells us. It links us to an older

Other times, they just did not realise

Maltese culture, reconstructing what

certain words were linked. Take the

language and society sounded like in the

nickname ‘Paxaxa’. No one seemed

past. ‘Ideally every locality would support

to realise that it was an alternative

such publications since they preserve

form of paċaċa (a Maltese vulgarity

cultural and linguistic wealth. More so,

meaning ‘incompetent’ or ‘silly’).

they preserve Maltese identity.’ FOCUS

‘real’ part of the person it belonged to

Arc

hite

ctu

FOCUS

ying

re:

art?

Konrad Buhagiar, AP Valletta

Prof. Antonio Mollicone

Making smart choices for our current urban fabric through architecture requires a massive understanding of all the moving parts of the industry. But is it time to go back to basics? Cassi Camilleri speaks to Prof. Antonio Mollicone and the talented people at AP Valletta to come up with an answer. and rotated clockwise to east by

make-up for buildings. Nothing

landscape over recent

eight degrees to get the best of the

more. I call it lipstick architecture.’

years has been drastic. All

sun in winter and the least of it in

over social media, petitions

summer.’ Higher ceilings can create

architect at AP, also speaks frankly,

keep being shared to

Luca Caruso, an environmental

a four-degree difference in the

noting that the ‘construction sector

prevent one original building or another

temperature inside a room. As for the

is the least innovative worldwide.’

from being torn down and replaced

floor to ceiling windows you see in

However, by putting an emphasis

with contemporary apartments. This

all the glossy magazines, Mollicone

on quality and criticism, this can

has ‘resulted in discomfort for many,’

finds them problematic, noting the

change. ‘Criticism is important in

says Prof. Antonio Mollicone, an

costs involved in terms of energy

order to raise awareness about the

architect lecturing within the Faculty of

efficiency when replacing stone with

possible consequences of Malta’s

Built Environment (University of Malta).

glass. ‘Certain basic techniques in

‘uncontrolled’ growth. […] Debate

design are being lost in the fast-paced

can lead to new, innovative ways

one level, it has to do with the physical

world of today,’ Mollicone asserts.

to inspire decision-makers while

climate within buildings. Over the last

On this note, founding partner

respecting local characteristics.’

The discomfort is multifaceted. On

few decades, Malta has seen a shift

of AP Valletta, Konrad Buhagiar,

The reality, as Caruso states, is

in the property types people buy, and

says that with the ‘era of radical

that ‘Malta has undergone massive

these properties seem to be leaving

pragmatism’ we are currently living

changes over the last 30 years, and

people hot or cold in their own homes.

in, ‘the commercial aspect of a

this is a process that requires some

project is paramount,’ adding, ‘It will

more years to mature.’ Buhagiar

an old Maltese farmhouse as his

always be so. It is the nature of the

announces himself a cynic, saying

case study, Mollicone found that ‘a

industry.’ But with this being said,

that ‘to produce something excellent,

property’s orientation, double skin

effort needs to be put into giving

you need an enormous amount of

(having two layers of brick walls), ceiling

buildings and new projects a depth that

thought and discipline, rigour, and

height and window measurements

‘connects [them] to [their] context.’

dare I say, sacrifice, all words that do

Through his research, which used

all have a role to play.’ Mollicone

Even with the best of intentions,

not describe the current culture in

points out that ‘orientation is most

challenges still arise. Mollicone

any way.’ But Mollicone has hope that

important.’ In an ideal world, based

laments the flashy features he sees

common sense will prevail. ‘All we need

on Malta’s position on the globe,

added to a building’s façade before

is to take more time to think about

‘houses should be north-south facing

a thought is given to function. ‘It’s

things. Create mindfully. That’s all.’ FOCUS

he changes in the Maltese

MUSICAL MESSAGING

Politics in Maltese music

Music has been used as a vehicle for political commentary since time immemorial. Cassi Camilleri, Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo, and Brikkuni’s Mario Vella reflect upon the Maltese scene and its contribution to the discussion.

usic triggers all

relationship between music and

Reljić, former radio presenter and

sorts of reactions

politics, Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo

music journalist Dr Toni Sant described

and emotions in

points to the distinctly Maltese

the tendency of Malta’s political

people. Hollywood’s

practice of adopting international hits

parties to rely on foreign songs as

multi-million

to accompany political campaigns.

an unfortunate example of ‘cultural

dollar soundtracks are an eye-

Such adoptions have included We Take

colonialism’. ‘It relates to the general

watering testament. Throughout

the Chance by Modern Talking, the

Maltese idea that whatever comes

history, music has also been used to

anthem used by the Nationalist Party

from Britain, the US, Europe (take

transmit messages to the masses.

in 1998 after the collapse of Alfred

your pick) is better than what can be

Music can simultaneously act as a

Sant’s Labour Government, and, of

produced in Malta. It shows a lack of

call to arms and a form of rebellion,

course, New Tomorrow, Labour Party’s

national cultural identity, unless the

depending on your perspective.

rallying call for change in 2013.

Maltese cultural identity is actually

FOCUS

As part of his research into the

In another interview by Teodor

entrenched in its colonial past, rather

Mario Vella Photo by Nicole Parnis

Then you're screwed.’ Vella has none.

than its more recent political history.

those most vociferous on the island are

And on it goes…’ Sant told Reljić.

Brikkuni. Frontman Mario Vella explains

Vella and Vassallo both believe that

his motivations saying, ‘As a songwriter,

there are limits to artistic expression.

but adds that this ‘colonialism’ is not

I feel inclined to delve into matters

Vassallo puts an emphasis on ‘respect

the only reason for the phenomenon.

that affect me both on a personal level

and autodiscipline’. In an interview

‘In a globalised world, culture is being

and in a wider context. Little matters

with Vassallo, singer-songwriter

hybridised,’ Vassallo states. ‘You cannot

whether one is apolitical or dismissive

Vince Fabri explained that, ‘if I want

tell what is local and what is foreign.

of this age-old phenomenon. Politics

to criticise someone, I’d rather

Rihanna does not belong to Barbados,

will, one way or another, force its way

not offend him. I can definitely be

where she was born and raised as a kid,

into our everyday lives. Addressing it is

satirical, cynical, or mocking, but I

but to the world (and to Malta as well).’

but a natural and obvious consequence.’

will never resort to vilification and

Beyond this, Vassallo points to the

There are critics, of course. ‘I receive

Vassallo agrees with Sant’s reasoning,

absurdity.’ Vella, too, doesn’t see

commissioned music that political

endearments of the 'I hate you and your

artistic limitation as a hindrance ‘as

parties have funded over the years.

music' variety,’ Vella notes; however, the

long as you're the one setting it.’

These songs’ lyrics are usually

results of this work have seen the band

interpretations of manifestos, used

and its music embraced by many who

that comes with the ability to speak to

to get the electoral slogan to voters.

see truth in the lyrics. L-Eletti’s message

people on a visceral level. Artists can

‘One of the most popular songs in

of contempt towards the ridiculousness

use their skills for positive effect. In

this genre is Ngħidu Iva with lyrics by

embodied by those ‘elected’ (the

2007, at the height of the immigration

Joe Chircop and music by Philip Vella.

English translation of eletti) is poignant

crisis in Malta, singer-songwriter

This composition was the official

especially when paired with the music’s

Claudio Baglioni pointed to the fear

song of the Nationalist Party during

fairground flavour. But loud voices often

artists’ influence can instil in politicians.

the 2003 referendum campaign

pay a price, and Vella is no different. ‘I

This is why, he said, ‘we have to be

for Malta to join the European

have faced considerable censorship, but

close to politics, but not immersed

Union,’ he writes in his paper.

I hardly look at it as a repercussion. I

in it. We can be like sentinels.’

But what of those operating outside

tend to view it as an inevitable reaction

There is an element of responsibility

At a time when the line between

the parties’ influences? Those who

to choices consciously made. There's

truth and lies gets increasingly blurred,

want to criticise and shed light on bad

always some other way out of the hole.

perspective makes all the difference.

behaviour and problematic choices

Even ones you dug for yourself. Unless

If our sentinels can provide us with

made by the powers that be? Among

you have a couple of kids to provide for.

that, we’ll be all the better for it. FOCUS

Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo presenting his radio show on Campus FM 103.7FM Photo by Samuel Attard

Dù Theatre are back on stage after an absence of four years. Founder Simone Spiteri speaks to THINK about her newly penned play Repubblika Immakulata co-produced by Spazju Kreattiv, the influences that motivated her to write it, and the importance of using daily language on stage.

epubblika Immakulata

even, by partisan politics would

reacted to that. It was, relatively, a most

revolves around a Maltese

be a straight out lie. However, isn’t

welcomed effort. Not without the odd

family trying to cope, or

everything else that governs the rest

purist decrying the meshing of two

not, with being involved in

of our lives another type of politics

languages in such a vernacular manner.’

a general election, wedding,

too? Don’t we all form part of smaller

of writing commissioned plays for

Premju Francis Ebejer winner

family (or similar) units?’ she adds.

young people. It was not something

Simone Spiteri (visiting lecturer,

In the early days, Spiteri’s focus

Spiteri thought she could or wanted

School of Performing Arts) wrote, and

was always the people rather than

to do, but it was a challenge that

is directing, the satirical comedy as

the issues at hand. She was also very

ushered in a new way of thinking

an exploration into Maltese identity

interested in exploring language.

about writing. She describes it as a

and the climate of current affairs.

FOCUS

‘It was a time when most plays in

process that demands a thick skin.

‘So is it about political parties?’ is

Maltese didn’t tap into the mundanity

Young audiences were the toughest to

usually the first question most people

of how we speak, how we sound, how

please, she notes. The task demanded

blurt out when I’m only a quarter

we behave around each other. I was

her to be exact, precise, and concise.

into explaining what Repubblika

particularly interested in dissecting

Immakulata is about,’ Spiteri says.

naturalistic dialogue. Code-switching

thought of going back to writing for

But there is more. ‘The play tries to

from Maltese to English was not

an adult audience started bothering

examine our relationship, locally, to

something you’d see characters do in

me. I didn’t feel the pull to write for

straightforward politics drenched in

most local plays,’ Spiteri points out.

pleasure. It felt more like the need

election fever. But that is only part of

Then, unexpectedly, came five years

communities, and even smaller,

and local feast all on the same day.

‘I wanted to explore how the

‘During these years, the niggling

to write to purge,’ Spiteri says. ‘There was plenty to write about.

the whole. The undeniable can’t be

understated, rather than the epic

ignored. To say we are a country that

and dramatic, worked in our mother

Perhaps that was the problem. All I had

is not affected, polarised, brainwashed

tongue on stage and how audiences

to do was read the daily papers or scroll

Ryan Cutajar as Ir-Rennie All photos by Andrew Rizzo

Politics with a small ' p'

Andrè Agius as Anon

Magdalena van Kuilenburg as Petra

and immediately all the disconnected

can be anyone... and no one at the same

troll infested comment board online. Or

loose ends clicked together.’

time. Who, by being there, is a blank

eavesdrop everywhere on conversations

canvas for us, upon which we project all

between usually sensible individuals

those layers of beliefs, self-perceptions,

parroting away ‘facts’ straight out of

subjective experiences of failure and

a politician (of choice)’s mouth. Or

success as a country, all the divergences

take a stroll anywhere and witness

of our multifaceted identity,’ Spiteri adds. That’s how Repubblika Immakulata

every last speck of green on this tiny rock being gobbled up. Or observe

came to be. But that is not where

everyone treat one other with some

the writing ends. Currently there is a

level of impatience, inconsideration,

new writing phase during which the

inhumanity. All I had to do was sit

actors imbue the script with their

somehow and watch this fast-paced,

own interpretations during rehearsals.

technologically disconnected world

Then, there is the final act of writing:

pass by... and try to make sense of it.’ Spiteri reports this time in her life as one fraught with frustration, anger, and

Simone Spiteri

‘Here was my pivot to this rapid,

the process of each audience member looking into the metaphoric mirror the theatre stage should always be.

cynicism. The raw material was there,

sometimes nausea-inducing, merry-

but moulding it into a play was proving

go-round. This character, who I didn’t

Note: Repubblika Immakulata will

a challenge. ‘I tried a few times, hated

want to define as anything but a voice,

be performed at Spazju Kreattiv,

the attempt, and threw it away,’ she

who speaks in the play, but you’re not

Valletta in March and April. For

admits. ‘Then, last summer, the central

sure is ever heard. Who speaks with

more information and tickets

character of Anon (portrayed by Andrè

authority one minute, but doubts that

visit: www.kreattivita.org/en/

Agius) somehow popped into my mind

very same veracity a moment later. Who

event/repubblika-immakulata/ FOCUS

Mark Mifsud as David

through the latest bully-xenophobic-

FEATURE

THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS When it comes to technology’s advances, it has always been said that creative tasks will remain out of their reach. Jasper Schellekens writes about one team’s efforts to build a game that proves that notion wrong. But the potential applications of AI in games

in video games; take Grim Fandango,

are far greater than merely making objects

L.A. Noire, and the epic Witcher

and characters move through the game world

III. But as fun as they are, they do

realistically. AI can also be used to create

have a downside to them—they

unique content—they can be creative.

don’t often offer much replayability. Once

While creating content this way is nothing

you find out the butler did it, there isn’t much

new, the focus on using AI has typically been

point in playing again. However, a team of

purely algorithmic, with content being generated

academics and game designers are joining forces

through computational procedures. No Man’s

to pair open data with computer generated

Sky, a space exploration game that took the

content to create a game that gives players a

world (and crowdfunding platforms) by storm in

new mystery to solve every time they play.

2015, generated a lot of hype around its use of

The University of Malta’s Dr Antonios

computational procedures to create varied and

Liapis and New York University’s Michael

different content for each player. The makers of

Cerny Green, Gabriella A. B. Barros, and Julian

No Man’s Sky promised their players galaxies to

Togelius want to break new ground by using

explore, but enthusiasm waned in part due to the

artificial intelligence (AI) for content creation.

monotonous game play. DATA Agent learnt from

They’re handing the design job over to an

this example. The game instead taps into existing

algorithm. The result is a game in which all

information available online from Wikipedia,

characters, places, and items are generated using

Wikimedia Commons, and Google Street View

open data, making every play session, every murder

and uses that to create a whole new experience.

mystery, unique. That game is DATA Agent.

DATA: THE ROBOT’S MUSE

GAMEPLAY VS TECHNICAL INNOVATION AI often only enters the conversation in the

A human designer draws on their experiences for inspiration. But what are experiences if not subjectively recorded data on the

form of expletives, when people play games

unreliable wetware that is the human brain?

such as FIFA and players on their virtual team

Similarly, a large quantity of freely available

don’t make the right turn, or when there is a

data can be used as a stand-in for human

glitch in a first-person shooter like Call of Duty.

experience to ‘inspire’ a game’s creation.

FEATURE

he murder mystery plot is a classic

According to a report by UK nonprofit Nesta, machines will struggle with creative tasks. But researchers in

the inevitable avalanche of legal battles. Rather than increase the algorithm’s

tasked with finding a time-traveling

complexity to identify all backstory

as well as humans can. However,

murderer now masquerading as

problems, the game instead makes

before we grab our pitchforks and

a historical figure. DATA Agent

the issues part of the narrative. In the

run AI out of town, it must be said

creates a murder victim based on

game’s universe, criminals travel back

that games using online data sources

a person’s name and builds the

in time to murder famous people. This

are often rather unplayable. Creating

victim’s character and story using

murder shatters the existing timeline,

content from unrefined data can lead

data from their Wikipedia article.

causing temporal inconsistencies: that’s

This makes the backstory a central

why Einstein and Attila the Hun can

situations. Angelina, a game-making

aspect to the game. It is carefully

exist simultaneously. An agent of DATA

AI created by Mike Cook at Falmouth

crafted to explain the context of the

is sent back in time to find the killer, but

University created A Rogue Dream.

links between the entities found by

time travel scrambles the information

This game uses Google Autocomplete

the algorithm. Firstly, it serves to

they receive, and they can only provide

functions to name the player’s abilities,

explain expected inconsistencies.

the player with the suspect’s details.

enemies, and healing items based on an

Some characters’ lives did not

The player then needs to gather intel

initial prompt by the player. Problems

historically overlap, but they are still

and clues from other non-player

occasionally arose as nationalities and

grouped together as characters in

characters, objects, and locations

gender became linked to racial slurs

the game. It also clarifies that the

to try and identify the culprit, now

and dangerous stereotypes. Apparently

murderer is not a real person but

masquerading as one of the suspects.

there are awful people influencing

rather a nefarious doppelganger.

The murderer, who, like the DATA

autocomplete results on the internet.

After all, it would be a bit absurd to

Agent, is from an alternate timeline, also

have Albert Einstein be a witness to

has incomplete information about the

mitigate problems arising from

Attila the Hun’s murder. Also, casting

person they are impersonating and will

absurd results. A revised user

a beloved figure as a killer could

need to improvise answers. If the player

interface also makes playing the

influence the game’s enjoyment and

catches the suspect in a lie, they can

game more intuitive and less like

start riots. Not to mention that some

identify the murderous, time-traveling

poring over musty old data sheets.

of the people on Wikipedia are still

doppelganger and solve the mystery!

DATA Agent uses backstory to

DATA Agent Seeds Screenshot from DATA Agent Feature

In DATA Agent, you are a detective

alive, and no university could afford

creative computing want AI to create

to absurd and offensive gameplay

SO WHAT IS IT REALLY?

DATA Agent Interface Screenshot from DATA Agent

This murder shatters the existing timeline, causing temporal inconsistencies: that’s why Einstein and Attila the Hun can exist simultaneously.

DE-MYSTIFYING THE MYSTERY The murder mystery starts where

THE CASE OF BRITNEY SPEARS This results in games like “The Case

surprise hit, becoming Broderbund's third best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987. It had tapped into an unanticipated market,

murder mysteries always do, with

of Britney Spears” with Aretha Franklin,

becoming an educational staple in

a murder. And that starts with

Diana Ross, and Taylor Hicks as the

many North American schools.

identifying the victim. The victim’s

suspects. In the case of Britney Spears,

name becomes the seed for the rest

the player could interact with NPCs

lustre since the rise of fake news,

of the characters, places, and items.

such as Whitney Houston, Jamie Lynn

but games like Where in the World

Suspects are chosen based on their

Spears, and Katy Perry. They could also

is Carmen Sandiego? are proof that

links to the victim and must always

travel from McComb in Mississippi

learning doesn’t have to be boring.

share a common characteristic. For

to New York City. As they work their

And this is where products such as

example, Britney Spears and Diana

way through the game, they would

DATA Agent could thrive. After all,

Ross are both classified as ‘singer’ in

uncover that the evil time-traveling

the game uses real data and actual

the data used. The algorithm searches

doppelganger had taken the place of the

facts about the victims and suspects.

for people with links to the victim

greatest diva of them all: Diana Ross.

The player’s main goal is to catch

and turns them into suspects.

OOPS, I LEARNED IT AGAIN

the doppelganger’s mistake in their

DATA Agent goes beyond refining

attention. The kind of attention you

But a good murder-mystery needs more than just suspects and a victim.

Facts may have lost some of their

recounting of facts, requiring careful

As Sherlock Holmes says, a good

the technical aspects of organising

may not have when reading a textbook.

investigation is ‘founded upon the

data and gameplay. In the age

This type of increased engagement

observation of trifles.’ So the story

where so much freely available

with material has been linked to

must also have locations to explore,

information is ignored because it

improving information retention.

objects to investigate for clues, and

is presented in an inaccessible or

In the end, when you’ve traveled

people to interrogate. These are the

boring format, data games could be

through the game’s various locations,

game’s ‘trifles’ and that’s why the

game-changing (pun intended).

found a number of items related to

In 1985, Broderbund released

the murder victim, and uncovered the

articles for each suspect. The related

their game Where in the World is

time-travelling murderer, you’ll hardy

articles about places are converted

Carmen Sandiego?, where the player

be aware that you’ve been taught.

into locations in the game, and the

tracked criminal henchmen and

Read more: Household

And those answers may well trigger a

a new phone manufactured under

Budgetary Survey 2015. National

ripple effect on our lives as a whole.

questionable ethical standards?

Statistics Office, 2018.

money towards a family weekend away? All this might sound minor, even

IDEA

A close look at the NSO’s report

START UP

D n r a e L eG t

Start Up

nts

e d u t s g n i r Students tuto

According to MATSEC, two in every three 18-year-old students don't make it from sixth form to university. Gail Sant speaks to the team behind LearnD to find out more about their take on student-centred education.

a bridge between students who can act as

You relax while watching Netflix,

mentors and students who need the help.’

and learn new skills on platforms like

LearnD does away with the one-size-fits-all

Skillshare and YouTube. Me? I adore

standard of teaching and offers students tailor-

the written word. Books, magazines,

made tutoring. Individuals are treated as such, their

blogs are all I need to live a happy life. People are

problems tackled through dedicated sessions. As

unique. And we all learn things in a unique way.

a student, you don’t need to sit through a whole

Different people require different teaching

syllabus of private lessons. The idea is to identify

methods to learn. But most classroom set-

your weak points and hone in on them in select

ups involve one teacher, one lesson, and

sessions. This is both time and money-efficient.

thirty-odd students. The lesson is interpreted

Xuereb believes ‘private lessons can make

in thirty different ways; a few absorb more

students lazy.’ They don’t need to evaluate their

than others, leaving some in need of extra

problems, or focus on where their issues lie. Not

help to ace their maths test. And how do

when they know they’ll just cover all the topics at

they do that? With private lessons.

various points during their weekly appointment

In Malta, private lessons are the go-to solution

with their second teacher on Tuesday night. LearnD

for students struggling with a subject. However,

focuses on dividing attention unequally. If you get

these sessions tend to be a carbon copy of

an easy A in physical chemistry but struggle to pass

school classes: one tutor, one lesson, multiple

organic chemistry, it only makes sense to give the

students. This problem was the seed that gave

latter some extra TLC. To get to this point, students

rise to the education-focused startup LearnD.

need to take a step back from their desks and

THE PHILOSOPHY

separate their strengths from their weaknesses.

LearnD is a tutoring app invented by

This is also a big plus for tutors who don’t want to (or can’t) commit to teaching a whole

Luke Collins, Jake Xuereb, and Dr Jean-

syllabus. They can simply prepare a lesson

Paul Ebejer (Centre for Molecular Medicine

for the requested topic and leave it at that,

and Biobanking, University of Malta). The

earning some extra money to accompany their

concept behind it is simple, Ebejer says; ‘it’s

stipend while gaining teaching experience.

Start Up

ou love films, videos, and photos.

The app comes with features such as the 'Location Filter' that are there to make your life easier.

START UP

The LearnD Team. From left to right; Jake Xuereb, Dr Jean Paul Ebejer and Luke Collins. Photo by James Moffett

‘Through LearnD you can find people who have been through the exact same thing and who can offer their best advice on anything from time management to de-stressing, and everything else.’

Xuereb and Collins spent over six

need to authorise any communication

academia. Some lecturers lose touch

months working on the app, learning

which goes on through the app.

with ‘the student life’, distancing their

about the tech behind app-making

relationship with students. Conversely,

and coming up with a business plan.

The team persisted through the struggles they encountered and

student-tutors know the struggles

They got their break when they

a peer would be going through and

won the Take-Off Seed Fund award

problems which crop up. Despite

can provide support. 'No one would

in 2018 and got the necessary funds

difficulties with time management,

have a better understanding of what

to make the app a reality. They

Collins and Xuereb, both undergraduate

a sixth former needs to do to get into

quickly got the ball rolling, hiring

students, expressed how this app

medicine than a medicine student,'

designers, app developers, and

allowed them to dive into the working

says Xuereb. ‘Through LearnD you can

marketing agents. The team grew; the

world. They gained entrepreneurial

find people who have been through

app was built. Then, during the KSU

maturity, understanding the importance

the exact same thing and who can

Freshers’ Week in 2018, the app was

of a reliable team which shares the same

offer their best advice on anything

partially launched, inviting potential

ideas and work ethic, as well as dividing

from time management to de-

tutors to apply. The app is now fully

funds for the project’s overall benefit.

stressing, and everything else.’

launched and available for students.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

TROUBLES

A LEARND FUTURE

The original concept was

As with all big projects, the team

continue to work hard to solve any

The LearnD story doesn’t stop here. ‘We want to renovate the

more related to finding a way for

ran into a few setbacks along the

education space,’ says Ebejer, adding

academically inclined 6th form

way. One prominent techy mishap

that they wish to take the next step

students to contribute productively to

didn’t allow them to launch the app

and make it internationally available.

society,’ says Xuereb. When he spoke

on the Apple Store, making it difficult

Malta’s size makes it the perfect

to Collins, a fellow University of Malta

to keep up with the launch date.

test bed, but they think that the app

student and Xuereb’s former maths

Since the app is used by underage

shouldn’t be limited to its home. According to MATSEC, in 2017

tutor, the idea went from ‘an online

students, there were also a lot

local network’ to ‘app’. At the time,

of safety features which needed

only 27% of 18-year-old students

there were no local tutoring apps.

inclusion. Tutors upload their police

acquired the necessary qualifications

conducts and ID cards. Also, to make

to get into university. Collins expressed

about the idea, they soon realised that

sure LearnD’s service is reliable,

that students ‘shouldn’t get lost’

they needed someone with business

the team not only analyses tutors’

because of a bad exam result or

experience, and that’s where Ebejer

qualifications, but they also try and

because of a mismatched student-

came in: the LearnD team was born!

test each applicant out themselves.

teacher scenario. Students deserve

And for accounts which belong to

to be treated as individuals, and

students under the age of 16, parents

LearnD can offer them that.

Despite both being passionate

The process that made this idea into reality was not a simple one.

START UP

But LearnD isn’t just about

lab to life

LAB TO LIFE

Maltese researchers are leading the way in developing new diagnostic tools for cancer. Dawn Gillies finds out more from Prof. Godfrey Grech and Dr Shawn Baldacchino.

In triple negative breast cancers, tests for

been improving steadily in recent

estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors,

years. In Malta, 86.9% of patients

and excess HER2 protein all result in negatives

currently survive, up 7% over the

and are associated with aggressive tumours.

last decade. Thanks to new targeted

To detect this new class of breast cancer, Grech’s

therapies, the outlook is increasingly bright. But

team have created a new test that uses molecular

precision therapies need precision testing.

substances we naturally produce in our body—

Breast cancer diagnosis has reached new

biomarkers. By pinpointing the right combination

heights and with current tests using tissue

of certain biomarkers, they can test for this new

biopsies, pathologists can classify patients for

class within the triple negative breast cancer cases.

specific treatment. Precision medicine goes

They initially used the test to look at biopsies

a step further. It provides more information,

from past patients. These exercises showed that

predicting the aggressiveness of the cancer

they could accurately detect the cases—even

and measuring the number of cells from the

in samples that were over a decade old! In fact,

tumour that spread into the bloodstream.

the test was so successful that the team is now

This does not mean that all requirements in precision therapy have been met.

working with biological testing industry giant Luminex to use it in hospitals worldwide. With a

At the time of writing, there is no simple

patent filed, research labs will get their hands on

method to test patients’ ongoing benefit from

it later this year with the hope that by 2021 it will

treatment or to measure different tumour areas

be used to directly help patients in hospitals.

from one sample. For this to be possible, we

However, there is more work ahead. Encouraged

need super-sensitive tests. This is where Prof.

by the results so far, the team wants to take the

Godfrey Grech and Dr Shawn Baldacchino

test and other current biomarker tests a step

at the University of Malta come in.

further. They want to use a simple blood sample

DETECTING THE UNDETECTABLE

which is less invasive, allowing patients to be

During his PhD, Baldacchino studied a new class of breast cancer representing most cases of the triple negative type, which affects 12% of breast cancer patients in Malta.

monitored during therapy.

PUSHING BOUNDARIES With the method Grech and his team have optimised, obtaining information on new classes

lab to life

reast cancer survival rates have

of patients that predict therapy use, detecting different tumour areas in one sample, and the use of blood to monitor the benefits of therapy have become a possible reality. With technologies from Luminex and Thermo Fisher, they can now read over 40 biomarkers in one test simultaneously. But with blood they need a new angle. And that is happening through another test using particles that originate from cells called exosomes. Exosomes are tiny messenger bubbles which cells release into the blood . 'We believe that when there is a tumour in the patient, there will be a signature in these exosomes circulating in the blood,' says Baldacchino. Finding these exosomes could mean detecting cancer at an earlier stage than is currently possible. The team believes they would be able to detect the exosomes that point to cancer long before a tumour shows up in scans and other regular tests— and so, they would be able to nip the cancer in the bud. But to do this, they need to be able to decode the messages the exosomes are carrying.

POSITIVES FOR PATIENTS It’s not only in the realm of breast cancer diagnosis and classification that the team can help patients— they might also be able to improve LAB TO LIFE

treatment. ‘Most targeted therapies

currently try to inhibit specific

Prof. Godfrey Grech, Dr Shawn Baldacchino and the team Photo by James Moffett

receptors and proteins to stop the uncontrolled

The project received funding both from public

growth of cancer cells,’ Grech says. But through

donations and the Malta Council for Science

their research, the team has found that targeting

and Technology. Baldacchino also found an

the low activity of specific complexes of proteins

ally in the charity foundation Alive with the

in tumour cells is key. Their research models

help of the Research Trust of the University

show that increasing the activity of these protein

of Malta (RIDT). He is the first recipient of

complexes is possible using specific drugs.

funding from them, and their first graduate.

This is true for triple negative breast cancer, where the amount of PP2A protein is extremely low. The PP2A protein enables the body to fight

PREDICTING THE FUTURE Thanks to projects like these, cancer research

the cancer, so increasing its activity would create

has a bright future in Malta. The team has their

a chain reaction in the body which could limit the

product launch to look forward to later this

growth and spread of that category of cancer cells.

year, which will see a drastic reduction to the

This approach to treatment has applications beyond triple negative breast cancer. Grech is hopeful that PP2A production could be amped

time and effort it takes researchers and doctors to determine the type of breast tumour. But a lot of challenges lie ahead. The biggest

up for different types of cancer too, and lead to

challenge will come in the move to early stage

positive results.

cancers. These cancers have low levels of

MANAGING THE UNMANAGEABLE

substances to detect, which means that any

When organising a project like this, it’s expected

test they develop will have to be extremely sensitive in order to be effective. Successfully

that things won’t go to plan. One of the biggest

identifying these cancers would signal a massive

challenges for Grech’s team has been establishing

breakthrough for the global medical community—

collaborations with other groups across the globe.

and, more importantly, for patients. Early

They need these connections to provide the

detection through basic blood tests would open

samples required to test their systems. With other

the door to early stage treatment and a higher

groups working on similar projects, time is a limited

rate of survival. Nothing could matter more.

in Leeds (UK), and Barcelona (Spain), allowing

Project 'Accurate Cancer Screening Tests'

the group access to the samples they need.

financed by the Malta Council for Science

What is certain is that support for this

& Technology through FUSION: The R&I

work has come in many shapes and forms.

Technology Development Programme 2016.

LAB TO LIFE

resource. Thankfully, the team found collaborators

RESEARCH

Taking s lar to sea In a world first, a small team of engineers at the University of Malta is attempting to prove that harnessing solar power in the open sea is theoretically possible and cost-effective. Laura Bonnici speaks to Prof. Luciano Mulѐ Stagno to learn more about the ground-breaking Solaqua 2.1 project.

land—an idea that has never progressed beyond

In Malta—an island that is said

the theoretical stage anywhere in the world.

to enjoy an average of 300 days

'There are many PV projects happening on

of sunshine per year—solar

fresh water everywhere, from China and the

power has become mainstream,

UK to France and USA. But none of them are

enabling the country to reach its goal of

working on open sea,' explains Mulѐ Stagno.

using 10% renewable energy by 2020.

'Their PV farms are installed in more sheltered,

But any advantage Malta has in terms

land-locked waters such as irrigation ponds or

of abundant sunshine, it loses through

lakes, believing that PV farms cannot survive

its lack of another vital resource: space.

sea conditions. The Solaqua project aims to

Measuring just 316 km², Malta’s limited

prove that they can survive, and do so at a

surface area means that, beyond the existing

comparable cost to land-based PV farms.'

photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on rooftops

When funding was secured from MCST

or disused quarries, any land left for larger

in 2012, the previous Solaqua 1.0 project

PV installations is rare and expensive.

set about achieving these ambitious aims.

Prof. Luciano Mulѐ Stagno at the University of

Testing various prototypes out at sea, it

Malta believes the answer to this problem lies not

confirmed that large, floating platforms were

on land, but at sea. Malta being surrounded by

viable, cheap to construct, and could produce

water, he has proposed that installing solar panels

more power than similar systems on land.

in open water, in offshore floating PV farms, could be as cost-effective and reliable as those on

The sea proved beneficial for many reasons. 'The offshore panels produced around 3%

RESEARCH

enewable energy is in the spotlight.

RESEARCH

'The ultimate aim of this research was always to launch a large farm in Maltese territorial water which would be followed by other systems worldwide. Above: Prof. Luciano Mulѐ Stagno Images on opposite page: 1. Solaqua prototyope 3 - a self-floating PV panel 2. Solaqua prototype 4 - testing concept of low cost structure 3. The launch of prototype 1 Photos by Prof. Luciano Mulѐ Stagno

more energy than similar land-

team builds and launches a full-scale

Malta’s Research Trust), invested

based modules simply by being

system, they have to conduct a series

€100,000 to cover the cost of

at sea, possibly due to the

of rigorous wave tank tests. Using

constructing the scale model, as well

cooler temperatures at sea and

a scale model while mimicking the

as testing, equipment, transport,

a less dusty environment.'

worst possible sea conditions that

and engineers. And now that the

the system may encounter, the team

project is commanding international

inspired a second. With this one,

will be able to refine the design and

interest, potential investors are

the modular raft was designed and

optimise power output by testing

being sought for the half a million

tested. 'Solaqua 2.0 was financed by

the effect of water motion, cooling,

euros needed to achieve a full-scale

Takeoff [The University of Malta’s

or even different types of panels.

floating solar farm in Maltese waters.

business incubator] in July 2017,

'Through Solaqua 2.1, we hope

‘This is a homegrown project, in

with a preliminary design for the

to reassure investors that the

which Malta could be an example

platform almost completed. Now

system is viable. Once completed,

to the world,’ explains Mulѐ Stagno.

discussions are underway about

we will be ready to launch a full-

‘We have already placed Malta at

possible patents for the design,' Mulѐ

scale system that could be used

the cutting edge of this research

Stagno elaborates. 'The ultimate aim

not only by islands such as Malta,

area by being the first to test small

is to launch a large farm in Maltese

but also in coastal cities around

systems in the open sea. Now we

territorial water which, if it meets the

the world which have insufficient

need to find an investor willing to

cost and power output targets, will be

land available for PV systems.'

take the plunge and help us create

followed by other systems worldwide.'

Investors are being invited to

the world’s first full-scale floating

join this project to push for global

solar farm. With Solaqua, Malta could

structural engineer Dr Federica

commercialisation. To reach this stage,

be at the forefront of a ground-

Strati, systems engineer Ing. Ryan

several local entities supported the

breaking new global industry—one

Bugeja, and engineer Martin Grech)

project. The Regulator for Energy

which has the potential to change

are now starting the next phase

and Water Services, with the help

the way solar power is collected

of the Solaqua project. Before the

of the RIDT (the University of

and used the world over.’

The Professor and his team (marine

RESEARCH

The success of the first project

Alumni

Winner of the National Book Council’s award for Best Novel Loranne Vella has enjoyed an eclectic career, spanning literature, teaching, translation, and theatre, then circling back to literature again. But as Teodor Reljić discovers, her journey across creative modes had its roots at the University of Malta.

Council prize directly coincided with a Barumbara

work of time-hopping speculative fiction. But

Collective project—the multi-disciplinary

that’s exactly what happened last December,

performance Verbi: mill-bieb ’il ġewwa.

when Loranne Vella won the award for her

And while Verbi certainly had a role to play in

novel Rokit (Merlin Publishers), which details the

refreshing Vella’s creative muscles in the here

journey of Petrel, a Croatian youth who travels

and now, it also channelled key elements of her

to Malta in search of his family roots, only to

past experience. The Barumbara Collective is

find an island ravaged by climate change.

only the latest iteration of Vella’s involvement

'With Rokit, Loranne Vella distinguished

in the performing arts. The still-active Aleateia

herself with another prize-winning novel

Theatre Group was her first and most significant

that crosses genre boundaries between

project, beginning as a student project in

adult and young adult fiction,' wrote National

1992 and resulting in a generous number of

Book Council Chairman Mark Camilleri.

experimental performances held at the Valletta

Such a dense and knotted work suggests

Campus Theatre throughout the nineties and

hard creative labour, which Vella confirms,

noughties. Vella performed, trained other

pointing out that the novel took five years to

actors, and documented the group’s progress.

put together. But one shouldn’t assume that The Waiting Room (Aleateia, 2014) Photo by Jochem Casier

As it happens, Vella being awarded the Book

dishes out its annual Best Novel Award to a

The Barumbara project brought more deep-

Rokit was all that commanded Vella’s attention

seated memories back to the fore. 'With Verbi, I

in those years, nor that writing is her only

wanted to involve university students from the

chosen pursuit. In fact, she says the process

Department of Digital Arts and the Department

left her hankering to return to performance.

of Theatre Studies, seeing how the project

'I was interested in merging my two artistic

was an interdisciplinary one where visual arts,

passions and experimenting with various

performance and literature come together in one

possibilities,' Vella says, explaining how

performative installation. I can truly say I was

this want led to the Barumbara Collective

amazed by the hard work done by the students

in 2017, 'which focuses on collaboration

who collaborated. Their enthusiasm reminded

with artists from different spheres.'

me of myself as a student back in the 90s.’ Alumni

t’s not every year that the National Book Council

Vella’s own student enthusiasm did not come as immediately as all that, however. While she is now secure in her three-pronged role as writer, performer, and translator (also acknowledging her former role as a lecturer), forging an early path as a student meant first squinting through the fog. 'It took me quite a while to figure out which were the right subjects for me,' Vella confesses. 'Before ‘91, I had spent a year struggling as a BCom student. This course was definitely not for me, contrary to what my teachers

and counselor advised me at the time. Before that, I had registered for the one-year-long Foundation Course at university, intended for students like me who couldn’t make up their mind… for a while I was even considering Law…' It was then that Vella learned about the Theatre Studies Programme, though a couple of years still had to pass for her to take the leap. 'I guess I finally decided to choose what I was interested in, rather than think too much about what my future profession or career should be.' The choices in question were Theatre Studies and English, subsequently opting to specialise in Theatre until she finished her MA in 2000. 'Everything about me, since then, revolves around these two disciplines: theatre and literature.' These pursuits became an active part of student life for Vella, who loves to turn her passions into more tangible projects. Vella collaborated with fellow Aleateia member Simon Bartolo in establishing Readers & Writers, a literary journal which featured original prose, Alumni

poetry, and literary criticism. Running

On opposite page: 1. La Signora Fogli (Drowning Lilies, Aleateia, 2005) Photo by Gilbert Guillaumier 2. Verbi Photo by Gilbert Guillaumier On this page: 3. National Book Prize 2018 Photo by National Book Council 3. Brocante (Barumbara Collective, Brussels, 2017) Photo by Kamini Daems

for five editions, the journal sowed the

from the opposite side, working with

seeds for Vella’s future literary output.

students while keeping in mind the

back then. It took me almost

much earlier. Right after graduating

again, this time in Maltese.'

with a BA Hons in Theatre Studies, Vella taught Drama and English

when Vella began writing the first

Literature at St Aloysius College.

chapters of what would eventually

‘Although I had not studied to

become Sqaq l-Infern, the first volume

become a teacher—it was the last

of the It-Triloġija tal-Fiddien, together

profession I had in mind—I had the

with Simon Bartolo. Like Rokit, the

right background to teach these

trilogy would be published by Merlin

two subjects. After a few years at

Publishers, and it managed to hit a

the college, I was teaching only the

fresh nerve in the local literary circuit.

literature part of the English courses,

Aimed at young readers, the

and I also became responsible for

trilogy proved to be a ‘Harry Potter

directing the annual school concerts,

moment’ for the Maltese literary scene.

which became bigger and more

Graced with eye-catching covers by

ambitious every year,' Vella says,

renowned illustrator Lisa Falzon, its

adding that her time as a teacher left

mix of local folklore and coming-of-

her with many 'proud moments'.

age yarn was met with excitement and

'The best of these was perhaps the

healthy sales. The trio was completed

mobilisation of almost the entire body

by the novels Wied Wirdien (2008)

of students to put up a large scale

and Il-Ġnien tad-Dmugħ (2009).

performance—with orchestra, choir,

'By the time the third volume came

side-acts, chorus, intermezzo, and all.'

out, Fiddien had a huge following,'

Vella is keen to credit her alma

Vella remembers, observing how

mater with the results of this varied

the trilogy also marked her first shift

career. She has no trouble stating

from theatre to literature. Another

that 'everything is connected, and

influence on this decision was her

there is a clear connecting line

move to Luxembourg to work as a

between my years at university and

translator at the European Parliament.

everything else I’ve done since.'

The next step in her literary output

Which begs the question: what

came in the form of MagnaTMMater,

advice would she give to current

a young adult work of dystopian

University of Malta students,

science fiction published in 2011.

especially those interested in

But there was yet another step in the interim to all this—Vella’s stint as

Vella had cut her pedagogical teeth

ten years to start writing stories The breakthrough came in 2004,

difficulties I had encountered myself.'

working in multiple disciplines? 'Be passionate about the courses you

a lecturer. For five years, she taught at

follow. Experiment, explore, be curious.

the University of Malta’s Department

Ask many questions and strive to find

of Theatre Studies. 'This gave me the

answers. Do not just study. Discover.

satisfaction of examining this reality

And make that discovery your own.' Alumni

'I was still writing in English

TO-DO LIST MUSIC

BOOK

Intimita’ by Brodu. A Maltese masterpiece to share with your loved ones.

Most of us know it as that song by The Beatles, but Norwegian Wood is also a bittersweet novel looking back at a person’s college life in Japan. Essential Haruki Murakami!

MOVIE

If the warm, 70s-inspired tones and cinematography in this film don’t warm your heart, 20th Century Women’s ending surely will. TV

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Whether it’s love, success, or human nature, The School of Life offers insight on topics we all relate to through the most charming animations.

PODCAST

To-do list

Investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, Serial tells one story—a true story—over the course of a season. If you liked Making a Murderer, check this one out.

Bandersnatch. You really can’t be too surprised about this one. Watch it with a friend and see what happens when your choices impact the narrative. Drop everything. Watch it now. Go.

INSTAGRAM

Award-winning wildlife photographer Scott Portelli brings out the David Attenborough in all of us.

With you wherever um.edu.mt/think

THINK I D E A S

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M A LTA

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R E S E A RC H

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P E O P L E

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U N I V E R S I TY