On Wednesday 23 May, the WIPSS seminar welcomes Dr Jean-Paul De Lucca of the Philosophy Department, University of Malta. He will be giving a paper entitled:
At loggerheads or in dovetails?
The individual and the state from the early modern jus gentium to contemporary international jurisprudence
– On the fourth centenary of Francisco Suárez's Tractatus de legibus.

Jean-Paul De Lucca writes:
'The Spanish philosopher and theologian Francisco Suárez (1548-1617) is often described as one of the founding fathers of modern international law. However, this contribution will suggest that such a depiction is only partially correct: while international law came to be seen as an exclusively inter-state law after the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), Suárez and other theorists of the early modern jus gentium emphasised its character as a law concerning both the relations between states and humanity as a whole. The state-centric conception of international law and politics started being reversed with the rise of international humanitarian and human rights law following World War II, a process which was accelerated by globalisation in the last decades. Together with the emergence of supra-state international and regional, political and legal institutions, these developments ushered in a new season of gradual recognition of individuals as true subjects of international law. The international legal personality of individuals is a concept which will continue to evolve in international jurisprudence. Taking its cue from a 'Separate Opinion' submitted by a judge during the proceedings of a recent case before the International Court of Justice – which makes reference to Suárez and other theorists of the jus gentium – this contribution will place the spotlight on the Spanish philosopher with a view of showing how a better appreciation of the philosophical underpinning of the pre-Westphalian concept of jus gentium may serve to debunk the dichotomy which in later centuries placed individuals and states at loggerheads. A dovetail approach which favours the strong complementary connection between individuals and states as holders of rights and bearers of obligations may be better suited to what the judge in question has described as "the conceptual universe of the jus gentium of our times".'

Wednesday 23 May, 1800hrs - 1900hrs followed by discussion. Mediterranean Institute Room 122, at the end of the glass corridor behind HSBC on campus. Entrance from Carpark 4. The public is cordially welcome.

The Department of Arts and Languages, Faculty of Education, in collaboration with the Società Dante Alighieri, is organising a lecture entitled:

Insegnare/imparare l’italiano? – È un gioco... di parole! ovvero, La ludolinguistica nella glottodidattica

The conference will be held by Professor Emeritus Anthony Mollica on Monday 21 May from 1500hrs to 1700hrs in the M.A. Vassalli Conference Centre - Gateway (GW) Hall E.

Anthony Mollica is Professor Emeritus of Education at Brock University, Canada, where he taught methodology courses in French, Italian and Spanish from 1984 until 2003. He is now a professor at the University of Toronto, where he teaches methodology and creative writing. He also delivers lectures during summer courses held for teachers in Italy and has been invited to hold seminars, talks and lectures at universities all over the world. He has also published more than 80 articles and 50 books. His most recent book, Ludolinguistica e Glottodidattica, the first of its kind to present applied recreational linguistics as an approach to teaching a second language, led Italy’s top language history professionals, last November, to unanimously proclaim him honorary member of the prestigious Association for the History of the Italian Language. Professor Mollica has made significant contributions to second / foreign language teaching and learning during his illustrious career. His introduction of the 'fun-element' and problem-solving activities in the second/foreign language curriculum have been defined as groundbreaking and his innovative contributions in language instruction have been widely recognised at international level. Professor Anthony Mollica has received prestigious awards both in Canada and in Italy.

Intrapriza Mata will be held at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC) Ta’ Qali on the following dates:
Friday 14 October from 1000hrs to 2200hrs
Saturday 15 October from 1000hrs to 2200hrs
Sunday 16 October from 1000hrs to 2000hrs

Study Entrepreneurship at the University of Malta!

The University of Malta offers a range of academic and training programs and courses for its students, among these are:        

The Edward de Bono Institute offers three courses related to Entrepreneurship:
Masters in Creativity and Innovation
M.Sc. in Strategic Innovation and Future Creation
Secondary Area of Studies in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship with B.Sc. (Hons) Computer Science

The Institute is also the local representative of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Events. For more information visit the website.

Within the Department of Management at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy (FEMA) there are a number of related study-units offered at MBA, B.Com. and Diploma level.
For more information visit the website.

The Entrepreneurship stream within DegreePlus is aimed at providing students with the opportunity to enrich their academic studies with extra skills and experiences that can add value to their knowledge base and inspire them to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations.  It is delivered by guest speakers from a wide variety of enterprising backgrounds.
For more information visit the website.

Innovative Collaboration between the University of Malta and SMEs

Conversion of wave energy in a DEXAWAVE scale model converter - Focusing on Mediterranean region and wave climate
Modelling of wave conditions around Malta and studying whether the DEXAWAVE wave energy converter can be adapted for Mediterranean conditions. Should feasibility be established investors are interested in setting up a wave energy farm in Malta.
A project by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University of Malta and the International Oceanography Institute – Malta Operations Centre in partnership with DEXAWAVE Energy Malta, with support from the Għarb Local Council.

Innovative Fibre Reinforced Composites Designed for Higher Structural Performance
Design and development of new composite materials through a combination of numerical analysis and material testing to produce structurally efficient and robust manhole covers.
A project by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta, in partnership with Composite Solutions Ltd.
Details about this project are available here.

Digital Gaming Clouds for Mobile Users
A project to develop a cloud infrastructure that can run graphics-intensive games on virtual servers and deliver them to mobile phone users.
This project is a collaboration between the Department of Communications and Computer Engineering within the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta and iMovo Ltd, an SME specialising in BI and CRM for businesses.
Read more about the collaboration between the University of Malta and iMovo Ltd ...

Molecular Characterisation of Maltese Honey
Evaluates the quality of Maltese honey by screening samples from different sources and pollinating seasons. Various physicochemical characteristics will be studied and the samples will be subjected to DNA analysis to determine the floral origin of the honey.
A project by the Institute of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, University of Malta in partnership with Golden Island Ltd.
More details on the Institute of Earth Systems website ...

Fabrication of Advanced Hybrid Composite Sandwich Panels – Testing and Simulation
Research and development of advanced hybrid composite sandwich panels for marine and boat building applications. Fibre reinforced materials are layered using a vacuum bagging process, yielding a weight saving, cost efficient, higher performance material combination.
A project by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta in collaboration with Buccaneer Boats Ltd. 



These projects are part financed through the National Research and Innovation Programme of the Malta Council for Science and Technology.