Whilst not being exhaustive, the following gives some idea as to the research being conducted by the Departments in various Faculties as well as by the Centres, Institutes and Programmes/Divisions at the University of Malta. Some of the research projects that different university entities are currently involved in are also indicated.
Faculties:
Architecture & Civil Engineering
Arts
Dental Surgery
Economics, Management & Accountancy
Education
Engineering
Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
Laws
Medicine & Surgery
Science
Theology
Centres:
Communication Technology
Communications and Instructional
Design
Library and Information Studies
Centre for Environmental Education and Research
Centre for Labour Studies
Centre for Literacy
European Documentation & Research Centre
Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research
European Centre of Gerontology
Gozo Centre
Institutes:
Agriculture
Anglo-Italian Studies
Baroque Studies
Edward de Bono Institute for the Design and Development
of Thinking
Energy Technology
Forensic Studies
Health Care
Linguistics
Maltese Studies
Masonry & Construction Research
Mediterranean Institute
Physical Education & Sport
Public Administration and Management
International Environment Institute
Islands and Small States Institute
Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics(ICoD)
Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies
FACULTIES
Faculty of Architecture & Civil Engineering
Architecture & Urban Design
Areas of Research: History
of Architecture; Conservation of Buildings; Environmental Performance of
Buildings.
Building & Civil Engineering
Areas of Research: Development
of new cements to be used as a bio-material; Re-utilization of building
waste in particular for the manufacture of reconstituted stone. Use of
glass cullet as a sand/cement replacement in concrete. Problems of Accessibility
in Buildings. Aspects of History of Architecture. Energy use in buildings.
Arabic & Near Eastern Studies
Areas of Research: Hebrew
Bible and Archaeology; Phoenician-Punic Inscriptions; Arabic; Comparative
Semitic Philology; Syriac.
Classics & Archaeology
Areas of Research: Classical
Literature; Roman Art and Archaeology; Maltese Archaeology (from prehistoric
to Medieval); Mediterranean Prehistory.
Research Projects: K.A.S.A.
(Koin* Archeologica Sapientiale Antichitą), a European project within Intereg
IIIA programme.
English
Areas of Research: Comparative
Literature; Romanticism; Modernism; Elizabethan Literature; Bilingualism;
Sociolinguistics; Postcolonialism; Contemporary Narrative; Poststructuralism;
Posthumanism.
Research Projects: ACUME
2 - a Europe-wide thematic network of universities that investigates diverse
inter-regional patterns and processes of cultural memory, as well as current
challenges within interdisciplinarity.
French
Areas of Research: French
Linguistics; Teaching French as a Foreign Language; Surrealist Literature;
Franco-Maltese cultural encounters; classical and post-classical French
Literature; intellectual and cultural life of French Knights in eighteenth-century
Malta; French Travel Literature of Malta.
History
Areas of Research: Early
Modern, Modern & Contemporary Maltese / Mediterranean History; Politics
& International Relations; Maltese / Mediterranean Economic and Social
History (Mediaeval: 1000-1500), (Modern (1800s-1930s); Oral History; Empire;
Europe and The Mediterranean; Venice; The Hospitaller Order of St. John
of Jerusalem; Mediaeval History of Malta in Europe; Slavery in Malta &
Europe.
History of Art
Areas of Research: Art
in Malta: Mediaeval to Modern; Artistic Patronage of the Knights of St.
John; South Italian Baroque; Christian Iconography; African Art.
Italian
Areas of Research: Italian
philology (esp. Medieval); Italian linguistics; The Romance element in
the Maltese language; Textual criticism; Modern and contemporary Italian
literature; Comparative literature; The European lyric tradition; Anglo-Italian
Comparative Literature; The teaching of Italian as L2; Language acquisition
through the media; The role of plays and music in language teaching.
Maltese
Areas of Research: Maltese
Linguistics and Grammar; Maltese Sign Language; History of the Maltese
Language; Language contact; Language planning; Maltese Literature; Literary
Criticism and Theory; Maltese Culture and Folklore.
Philosophy
Areas of Research: Philosophy
of Language; Philosophy of Action; Bioethics; Cultural Theory; Philosophy
of Religion.
Sociology
Areas of Research: Aging;
Education; Family; Gender; Work & Organisation.
Translation & Interpreting Studies
Areas of Research: Familiarise
students with specialised terminology of new subject areas for the purpose
of translation and interpreting; undertake the independent translation
of a range of institutional or technical texts to a professional standard;
undertake interpreting assignments of a liaison, consecutive and simultaneous
type; undertake revision and editing of translations.
Research Projects: Project
with European Commission - Translation Unit: To develop and strengthen
the capacity of Malta to meet its operational demands in the area of translation
arising from EU membership. The project will assist in the procurement
of the necessary software to set up a terminology centre for the training
of students, and in the establishment of glossary of Maltese terminology.
Dental Surgery
Areas of Research: Osseointegrated
Dental Implants; Root Canal Obturation; Periodontal Disease and Diabetes
Mellitus; Cystic Lesions of the Jaws; Oral Cancer in Malta; Genetics of
ectopic teeth and associated anomalies; Dental development of children;
Effects of trauma to anterior teeth.
Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy
Accountancy
Areas of Research: Consolidated
Financial Statements; International Accounting Regulation; History of Accounting.
Banking & Finance
Areas of Research: Offshore
Centres; European Monetary Union; Credit Risk Management in Banks; Hedging
of Exchange Rate Risk; International Portfolio Management.
Economics
Areas of Research: Agriculture
Economics; Competitiveness Strategies for Small States; Economic Modelling;
Economic Vulnerability; EMU and Accession Countries; European Union Studies;
Export Competitiveness; Globalization and Regional Economics; Public Sector
Issues; Small Island Developing States; Sustainable Development; The Maltese
Economy; Welfare Economics.
Research Projects: The
Development of a Resilience Index with a special focus on small states
in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
Management
Areas of Research: Internationalisation;
International Business Strategy; Competitiveness Issues; Knowledge Management;
Action Learning; Action Research; Entrepreneurship in Small Firms; Business
Networth; Supply Chain Process; Service Design; Heritage Tourism; Tourism
Development.
Research Projects: Euromed
Med Voices.
Marketing
Areas of Research: Psychographic
- Survey of Maltese Lifestyles; The Regulation of Markets; Consumerism
in Malta.
Public Policy
Areas of Research: History
of Governing Institutions; Public Policy issues relating to Gender; public
sector management; local councils; impact of EU membership on public service;
family issues and poverty issues.
Social Policy & Social Work
Areas of Research: Model
for Mental Health Community Care; Experience of Social Work Supervision;
Equal Opportunities in Social Work; Supported living as alternative to
residential services; Theories of WomenÕs psychological development;
Development of a model linking social work and counselling psychology.
Tourism Studies Programme
Areas of Research: Tourism
Strategy; Mediterranean Voices: Oral History and Cultural Practices in
Mediterranean Cities; MaltaÕs Gastronomic Heritage; Euromed Heritage
(DELTA) Project.
Arts & Languages in Education
Areas of Research: Methodology
of: Maltese; English; Italian; German; French; Spanish; History; Religion;
Music; Art and Social Studies. Related aspects of e-and m-learning. First/Second
Language Acquisition and Methodology.
Research Projects: FP6
UNITE Language learning via e- and m-learning; LINGUA: FEEL (Fun, Easy,
Effective way of learning Languages); LINGU@NET EUROPA; TOOL - On-Line
Language Learning Materials Design and Development; EUROPODIANS Language
learning via ipods; ELNPlus - Language learning via the Internet. EUMEDIS:
ODISEAME (Open Distance Inter-University Synergies between Europe, Africa
and Middle East). TNP3 (Thematic Network Project in the Area of Languages
III).
Education Studies
Areas of Research: Comparative
education focussing on the Mediterranean region, and on the EU; Vocational
Education and Training, and Lifelong Learning; Education in Prisons and
closed institutions; Ethnographies of school; Antonio Gramsci, Paulo Freire,
Lorenzo Milani; Workers« Education, Critical Pedagogy; Feminist philosophy,
theory and pedagogy; Narrative theory and research.
Research Projects: Career
guidance in education and the labour market across the EU; The Ôlearning
societyÕ in the EU and beyond; Curriculum Development in the Primary
Schooling; Skills Validation process for prisoners; Adult Education in
Malta and in S. Europe incl. GramsciÕs southern question and its
relevance for adult education in the Mediterranean; Multi-ethnic Research:
Educating for Open mindedness. A Primary school narrative; Partner in FP7:
Religious
education in a multicultural society: school and home in comparative context
(REMC)
submitted under SSH-2007-3.3.1 Cultural interactions and multiculturalism
in European societies.
Mathematics, Science & Technical Education
Areas of Research: Various
aspects of: Business Education; Computing Education; Environmental Education;
Geography Education; Mathematics Education; Nutrition, Family & Consumer
Studies; Physical Education; Resources & ICT Education; Science Education;
Technical Design & Technology Education; Educational assessment issues;
Evaluation of MATSEC examinations; Gender issues in education; NMC (National
Minimum Curriculum) implementation; Qualitative research methods; Quantitative
research methods; Vocational education & training.
Research Projects: FP6
project - Biology, health and environmental education for better citizenship;
FP6 project ? INCLUD-ED - The project addresses the question of how education
contributes to social cohesion in a knowledge based society; Socrates Project
- Aligning a European Higher Educational Structure In Sport Science (AEHESIS);
European Commission Project - Sport in the European Union; Council of Europe
(ECML) project - D1-BLOGS - This project focuses on the design of Web 2.0
technologies for constructivist pedagogies with particular application
to language education; Integrating environmental and social issues in the
teaching of Business Education.
Primary Education
Areas of Research: Innovative
pedagogies in the teaching of various subject areas; teachers, parents
and childrenÕs attitudes towards curricular changes, innovations
etc.; language and literacy development; bi-lingualism; Maths and Science
Education in the primary school context; drama, art and expressive arts
in education; policy development in early years; quality in early childhood
education & care; diversity, empowerment through programmes such as
Let Me Learn.
Psychology
Areas of Research: Inclusive
Education; Children with Autism; Down Syndrome and ADHD; Stress in families
of children with disabilities; forms of support.
Youth & Community Studies
Areas of Research: Youth
Policy issues; Criminal / Addictive Behaviour; Social Psychology issues
(eg. stigma); Youth Subcultures; Youth and Music; Youth and the Media;
Autoethnography; Career guidance for persons with disability; Non- / In-formal
education; Schools as community learning centres.
Research Projects: Risk
and Resiliency Research Project; National Action Plan - Youth and Social
Exclusion; The Complementarity Values of Non-formal education to the Formal;
National Youth Agency Project.
Electronic Systems Engineering
Areas of Research: Avionics;
Microelectronics; RF IC Design; Sensor Design; Electronic System Design;
Digital Integrated Circuits and FPGAs; Speech Processing & Hardware
Implementation.
Research Projects: EU
FP6 Integrated Project 'FLYSAFE' - aeronautics project concerning the reduction
of aircraft collisions; EU FP6 Integrated Project 'SENSATION' - project
concerning the development of a vision-based system for driver alertness
and body-area networks; EU FP6 Integrated Project 'e-CAB' - project concerning
multimedia services in aircraft passenger cabin; Internal research projects
in: (a) Development of an Unmanned Air Vehicle; (b) Low-Voltage IC Design.
Industrial Electrical Power Conversion
Areas of Research: Sensorless
Control of Electric Drives, Novel power electronic circuit design and control;
Industrial power converter design; Renewable Energy Systems (RES); Grid
Connection of RES; Power quality analysis; Power factor correction; Battery
technology; Electric motor control; dc and ac motor drives; Land and Marine
Electric Transportation.
Research Projects: Marie
Curie Fellowship on Electrical Energy Conversion and Conditioning Technology;
Electric Boat Project sponsored by Ministry of Rural Affairs & Environment,
MTA and MiddleSea Valletta Life Assurance; Solar Water Heating project
sponsored by Abertax Ltd.; Battery Technology Systems project sponsored
by Abertax Ltd.; Grid-connected power converter design sponsored by Carlo
Gavazzi; University internal grants on Control of Electric Drives, Matrix
Converters, Power Quality and Grid-connected Wind Turbines.
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Areas of Research: Design
for X; Computer Support for Engineering Design; Collaborative Design; Micromachining
of Biomedical devices; Robot grasping and manipulation; Safety and Control
in Manufacturing; ICT in Manufacturing; pedagogic methods including e-Learning
and m-Learning.
Research Projects: Mobile
learning through the use of mobile technologies (mi-learning); Emotional
Support Tool for Remote Early Product Design (ESTRED); EU-funded projects
- A Framework for Strengthening Asian Higher Education on Advanced Design
and Manufacture (FASTAHEAD); Co-ordination by Best Practice exchange and
Knowledge building by NMP-NCPs in an Enlarged European Research Society
(COOREERS).
In addition, the department works in close collaboration
with industry on applied research projects covering different aspects of
design and manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineering
Areas of Research: pressure
vessel design & structural integrity; Biomechanics; Heat Transfer;
Internal Combustion Engine Simulation; Electronic Engine Controls; Wind
Energy; Solar Energy; Environmental Engineering.
Research Projects: Biomechanical
feedback of spinal implant; Plastic collapse loads of pressure vessel components;
Shakedown analysis under thermo mechanical loads; Turocharging internal
combustion engines; Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition. EU Leonardo
da Vinci project Certification of competences for the Power and Pressure
Systems Industry in conjunction with University of Strathclyde, University
of Stuttgart, NAFEMS (UK), CETIM (France) & Polythecnic University
of Warsaw. Grundtvig 2 project on Virtual Museum as Innovative Tool for
Adult Education; MCST RDTI project on High Air Temperature Combustion;
Task 38 on Solar Cooling of the International Energy AgencyÕs Solar
Heating and Cooling Programme.The Department is participating in the Formula
SAE competition.
Metallurgy & Materials Engineering
Areas of Research: Development
of coatings and surface modification technologies, including nano-using
IBAD and magnetron sputtering facilities; Laser tool repair and rapid manufacturing;
Austempered Ductile Cast Iron (ADI); Modification of biomaterials using
plasma; thermochemical treatments.
Research Projects: Tribological
& Mechanical characteristics of Shot Peened and Surface Engineered
ADI gears ? a COST 532 project; LASTED ? Laser Technology Educational Network;
MinSE ? M.Sc. European MastersÕ in Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering
? a Socrates Programme; LATRE - Laser Tool Recovery; PROMET ? Corrosion
Protection of artefacts an FP6 Project; INNOV@TE - Development of innovative
teaching methods for Surface Engineering - a Leonardo Project; TREE ? Curriculum
development for European Engineers; Coating Development for Swarovski and
Co Ltd and Welldone - commissioned research; SUNDEST ? Solar Desalination.
Systems and Control Engineering
Areas of Research: Adaptive
control systems; Intelligent control systems; Neural network modelling
and control of complex systems; Robot control; Signal and Image Processing
and Computer Vision; Computational Intelligence; Biomedical applications
of control; Biomedical Signal & Image Processing.
Research Projects:
National RTDI 2004 '3D-Head' - computer vision project concerning the development
of a low-cost, portable 3D vision system; National RTDI 2004 grant on Computational
Intelligence Techniques for Control of Complex Systems; EU FP6 Network
of Excellence 'BIOPATTERN' - integrating and joint research activities
concerning bio-profiling mainly using brain signals; Internal research
projects in: (a) Brain Activity Source Localisation & Brain-Computer
Interfacing; (b) Nonlinear and Adaptive Control Systems (c) Sketched Hand-Drawing
Image Analysis and Interpretation System; (d) Visual Servoing.
Faculty of Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
Artificial Intelligence
Areas of Research:
Adaptive Hypertext; Human Language Technologies; Machine Learning; Search
Techniques; Semantic Web; eLearning; Bioinformatics; Simulation.
Research Projects:
LT4eL (FP6) Language Technology/Elearning; REWERSE (FP6) Semantic Web;
MLRS (RTDI) Human Language Technologies; COLLEGE (UoM) eLearning.
The Department hosts an Erasmus Mundus Master
Programme in Language and Communication Technologies.
Communications & Computer Engineering
Areas of Research: Wireless
Applications; Infrastructure-less wireless networks and cognitive radio;
Antennas for mobile communications; Computer Modelling and KiCAD Coding
and its applications; Security; Speech technology related to the Maltese
language; Multimedia broadband for virtual classroom; Signal processing
applications; Multimedia Indexing; Multimedia Communications; RTOS for
Microcontrollers.
Research Projects: FPGA
Implementation of a Speech Recognizer; TWISTER (Terrestrial Wireless Infrastructure
integrated with Satellite Telecommunications for E-Rural); START (STimulate
Aerospace Research and Technology in Associate Candidate Countries); Compact
Antenna Structures for dual-band wireless LAN applications; Content Based
Multimedia Retrieval with Ordered Relevance Feedback, e-CAB.
Computer Information Systems
Areas of Research: Object
Oriented Platforms, Languages and Techniques in distributed environments;
System methodologies including real-time and Petri nets; Data modelling
systems including spatial-temporal modelling; IT strategic management including
e-strategy, ERP and software lifecycle Management; Quality Assurance Frameworks
in IT; Genetic Algorithms and Bioinformatics.
Research Projects: EIE
Surveyor (Erasmus Project) in collaboration with University of Grenoble,
France.
Computer Science
Areas of Research: High
Performance Computing; Grid Technologies; Hardware Verification; Formal
Methods; e-Learning Systems; Software Engineering and Process Improvement.
Research Projects:Various
projects are in hand undertaken by the following research groups: Semantics
and Verification Research Group (SVRG); Software Engineering Process Improvement
(SEPI); Systems Software Research Group (SSRG).
The Department organises the Annual Computer Science Research Workshop
(CSAW). The proceedings may be viewed online at: http://www.cs.um.edu.mt/~csaw/
As of the academic year 2007/8, the workshop will be organised by the Faculty
of ICT as a faculty event.
Microelectronics & Nanoelectronics
Areas of Research:Analogue
low voltage / low power IC design; Hardware implementation of Neural networks;
High Speed data converters; Radio Frequency Circuits; MEMS devices; Quantum-well
structures; FPGA implementation of digital systems.
Research Projects:Design
of a low voltage low phase noise 1.6 GHz PLL in 130 nm CMOS technology
with quadrature output; Design of a camera interface system for mono and
stereo view applications (Part of FP6 Integrated Project SENSATION); Design
of a wireless sensor communication module for medical sensors (Part of
FP6 Integrated Project SENSATION).
Civil Law
Areas of Research: Traditional
and contemporary areas of Civil Law; civil procedure; European contract
law and the common core of European Civil Law values.
Commercial Law
Areas of Research:Company
Law; Consumer Protection Law.
European & Comparative Law
Areas of Research: EU
Law in general; EU Constitutional Law; Competition Law; Consumer Law; Intellectual
Property Law; Company Law; Financial Services Law; European Private International
Law.
Research Projects: Corporate
Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance, European Civil Society
Project in collaboration with the EDRC; Free movement of documents in the
EU with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, UK;
Private Law in Europe with Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, UK; Citizenship
issues in the new EU Member States with the Austrian Academy of Sciences,
Institute for European Integration Research, Vienna; Liability in Cases
of Damage Resulting from the Presence of GMOs in Non-GM Crops with Austrian
Academy of Sciences, European Centre of Tort and Insurance Law, Vienna;
Citizenship and Intercultural Dialogue, with the University of Padova,
Italy; Conflict of Law Rules in Europe with University of Seville, Spain;
Gender Equality Law.
International Law
Areas of Research: Sources
of International Law; International Environmental Law; International Maritime
Law; International Law of Human Rights.
Public Law
Areas of Research: Human
Rights and Public Law.
Anatomy
Areas of Research: Genetics
of Mental Retardation and Fragile X in Malta; screening of Maltese Medicinal
and Aromatic Plants for pharmacological activity; In-Vitro Testing of extracts
from local conifers and flowering plants (Lamiacae And Asteraceae) on human
cancer cell lines; effect of trauma on the Petrous Temporal Bone; Stem-cell
trans-differentiation and expansion; Dysmorphology of spontaneously miscarried
foetuses; Gene Regulation in differentiation and disease; office of medical
education and research (OMER); exploratory analysis of medical data using
GUHA method; Morphbank: an open web depository for biologic material.
Research Projects: Joint
project on the genetics of mental retardation with the Istituto di Genetica,
Universitą Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma funded by Grants from the Sixth
Italian Protocol and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM); Joint
project with the Institute of Agriculture, University of Malta on Maltese
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants funded by the National RTDI Programme.
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Areas of Research: Pharmacogenetics
of drugs used in respiratory disease; Pharmacogenetics of anti-epileptic
agents; Pharmacokinetics of anti-epileptic agents;Pharmacokinetics and
pharmacodynamics of chiral drugs; Pharmacology of glucocorticoid use in
asthma; Neuropharmacology.
Research Projects: FP6
EPICURE Functional genomics and neurobiology of epilepsy: a basis for new
therapeutic strategies; Grundtvig: Education for PAMs in Epilepsy; RTDI
project funding awarded by the MCST: Pharmacogenetics of novel therapeutic
targets in Asthma.
Family Medicine
Areas of Research: StudentsÕ
perception of Family Medicine and how they rate / compare it with other
specialties.
Medicine
Areas of Research: COPD;
Diabetes Mellitus: epidemiology & genetics, Cerebral Oedema in Ketoacidosis,
DiabCare Computer QNet in Europe; Basal metabolic rate & body composition
in healthy Maltese; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: epidemiology in Malta;
Asthma: sports, risk factors; epidemiology of melanoma; issues of compliance
in hypertension control; studies on medical undergraduate curriculum.
Research Projects: MEDINE:
Thematic Network for Medical Education in Europe; Tuning task force.
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Areas of Research: Reproductive
Medicine; Menopause; Infertility/Polycystic Ovaries; Perinatology.
Research Projects: Polycystic
Ovaries; Perinatal Medicine; Osteoporosis/Menopause; Cartilage(Menopause);
Dysmennorrhoea. The department has an active Postgraduate Training Programme
and Research department.
Paediatrics
Areas of Research: Investigation
of biopterin deficiency syndromes; Meningococcaemia in childhood; Genetics
of congenital nephrotic syndrome; Epidemiology of epilepsy in children;
Congenital heart disease; Incidence of a-Interferon receptor gene defect
in cord blood and in those with atypical infections; Amino acid electrophoresis
for PKU in cord blood.
Pathology
Areas of Research: Molecular
biology of inflammatory disease; Experimental haematology; Genetics of
osteoporosis; Mechanisms of tumourogenesis; Neuroscience and neuropathology;
Blood transfusion science.
Research Projects: Mechanisms
of tumourigenesis in collaboration with Erasmus Medical Centre, The Netherlands;
Targeting in cancer cells in collaboration with Erasmus Medical Centre
and University of Brussels; Estrogen receptors in breast cancer; Genetics
of osteoporosis; Neuropharmacology and neuropathology of Alzheimer dementia;
Hypoxic brain damage in collaboration with Max Planck Institute; George
Washington University, St. Louis.
Pharmacy
Areas of Research: pharmacist
interventions in patient care; validation methods; pharmacoeconomics; information
technology and pharmacy; bioeqiuvalence studies and computational chemistry.
Research Projects: Pharmaclick-
eTens; Intensive Programme Training Course-IP; Point-of-care testing; Chronopharmacology;
Computational Chemistry.
Physiology & Biochemistry
Areas of Research: Apoptosis
in yeast as a eukaryotic model; the role of mitochondria in apoptosis;
aspirin and apoptosis; superoxide dismutases and redox potential; neurodegenerative
disease; prions; mitochondrial and redox physiology; polyphenols; Cell
cycle regulatory proteins mainly p21, p53 and p27; transgenic animals;
Extracellular matrix; Integrin biochemistry; cell attachment; cell proliferation;
cell death; DNA applications including agriculture and forensics; stem
cells, biotechnology; genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Research Projects: Participation
in research project on integrin regulation of Clara cell cycle control;
Redox signaling by the cellular prion protein; neuroprotective mechanisms
of dietary polyphenols.
Psychiatry
Areas of Research: Epidemiology
of Mental Illness; Quality of Life in psychiatric patients; Bipolar Disorder
in Children; Cannabis and Psychosis; Perinatal Mood Disorders and the Teaching
of Comunication Skills.
Research Projects:
Epidemiology of Mental Disorder.
Public Health
Areas of Research: Public
Health, Research for planners in Health.
Surgery
Areas of Research: Non
acid dyspepsia; Sclerotherapy in treatment of haemorrhoids; Gastro-oesophageal
reflux in patients undergoing laparoscopy.
Research Projects: (in
collaboration with the Pharmacy Department): Introducing guidelines for
surgical antibiotic prophylaxis ? an impact assessment; Compiling a register/database
of hereditary colorectal cancer in Malta; Investigating pancreatic amylase
in gastric juice.
Biology
Areas of Research: Fisheries
Biology and Marine Aquaculture; Marine Pollution and Environmental quality;
Biology of Local Flora and Fauna; Marine and Terrestrial Ecology; Population
Genetics; Conservation Biology; Biological activity of Phytochemicals.
Research Projects: MonItaMal
(Interreg IIIA Italy-Malta): Sviluppo di un sistema di monitoraggio della
qualitą ambientale: valutazione dei livelli di contaminazione nelle diverse
matrici marine (acque, sedimenti, biota) e dei rischi per la biodiversitą
marina costiera; AReef (Artificial Reef research) Environmental Initiatives
in Partnership with MEPA (Malta Environment and Planning Authority); PORTAL
(PORT surveys in the Mediterranean Sea for ship-transported ALien organisms)
in collaboration with CIESM (International Commission for the Scientific
Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea); EMPAFISH (European Marine Protected
Areas as tools for FISHeries management and conservation) as part of 6th
Framework Programme of the Commission of the European Communities (EU);
BENSPEFISH (Benthic Secondary Production and Essential Fish Habitats in
the Malta FMZ) in collaboration with the Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences;
joint research projects on the palaeoenvironment and palaeoecology of the
Maltese Islands in collaboration with QUB.
Chemistry
Areas of Research: Chemical
Metrology; Trace metal analysis; Environmental chemistry; Photochemically-induced
electron transfer reactions in organic chemistry; Polymers; Colloids and
Interfaces; Molecular modelling; Materials modelling (auxetic and negative
thermal expansion materials); Transition metal and lanthanide complexes;
Homogeneous catalysis; Aspects of Science, Technology and society.
Research Projects: CHISMACOMB:
An FP6 project aimed at developing a new concept of cellular chiral material
having Negative PoissonÕs ratio with enhanced mechanical and dielectric
properties, able to include in its microstructure and sensor and actuators
to be implemented in innovative smart sandwich structures; COST (EU Project
D24/D40) Homogeneous catalysis: An EU funded cooperation project related
to transition metal chiral catalysis; Modelling of Negative Materials:
A nationally funded RTDI project aimed at modeling systems which exhibit
negative PoissonÕs ratios and/or negative thermal expansion; ResIST:
An FP6 STREP project led by University of Oxford aimed at Resisting Inequalities
created by Science and technology in todayÕs world. Other team members
include universities from the UK, South Africa, Portugal, Mozambique and
the USA; TAQC-WFD short courses- Short training courses in Europe for Euromed
participants in the new EC Water Framework Directive.
Mathematics
Areas of Research: Algebraic
Graph Theory; Error Correcting Codes; General Topology; Quantum Logics;
General Relativity; The Finite Element Method.
Research Projects: Participation
in Euratom, the EU's programme on Magnetically Confined Thermonuclear Fusion.
A group of Maltese academics will participate in research on nuclear fusion
under the auspices of Euratom.
Physics
Areas of Research: Earth
Science: Geophysics, Seismology and Atmospheric Physics; Solid State Devices
and Instrumentation: High Frequency (microwave to sub-millimetre) Solid
State Devices and Sub-systems; Alternative Energy Devices and Applications.
Research Projects: MaltaÕs
National Climate Change Project.
Statistics & Operations Research
Areas of Research: Stochastic
Integration; Stochastic Differential Equations; GLM's; Statistical Modeling;
Latent Class Models; Survival Analysis; Missing Data; Sampling; Diffusions;
Structural Equation Modeling; Bayesian Statistics; Stochastic Optimal Control;
Stochastic Processes in Fi nance and Acturial Studies; Empirical Processes.
Church History, Patrology & Palaeochristian
Archaeology
Areas of Research: Church
History General; Church History Modern; Church History Europe; Church History
Malta; Augustianian themes; General Methodology.
Research Projects: Guide
to the Ecclesiastical Archives of Europe with the Associazione Archivista
Ecclesiastica.
Fundamental & Dogmatic Theology, Ecumenism
Areas of Research: Interreligious
and Christian Dialogue; Sacramental Symbolism; Sacramental Orthopraxis;
Faith and Culture.
Research Projects: Involved
in the TRES initiative regarding interreligious dialogue and culture.
Moral Theology
Areas of Research: Human
Rights and Theology; Business Ethics; Fundamental Christian Ethics; Future
generations; inter-religious and intercultural dialogue; Professional ethics;
bioethics; Theology and Society, especially Politics and Culture; Ethics
of Public Life; the spiritualities of the different states of life.
Research Projects: Human
Rights; Future Generations, Inter-religious and Inter-cultural Dialogue.
Pastoral Theology, Liturgy & Canon Law
Areas of Research: Pastoral
Research and Planning; Liturgical Texts; School Curricula Development (Religious
Education); Psychology of Religious Vocation and Family Ministry.
Philosophy
Areas of Research: Philosophy
of Language; Philosophy of Action; Bioethics; Cultural Theory; Philosophy
of Religion.
Sacred Scripture, Hebrew & Greek
Areas of Research: Comparative
Study of Maltese Bible Translations; Bible Translation techniques and methodology;
Towards a New History of Bible Translation in Maltese; Applying Discourse
Analysis and Narratology to Narrative Texts in the Old Testament; Lectio
Divina as Contemporary Method of Prayer with the Bible?
Research Projects: Ongoing
revision of the Text of the Bible in Maltese; The Bible in Braille; Study
Bible in Maltese.
CENTRES
Centre for Communication Technology
Communications & Instructional
Design:
Areas of Research: Communications
Theory; Application of Media Technology; Broadcasting; Cultural Studies;
Maltese Journalism; Film Aesthetics; Instructional Design; Marketing Communications;
Evaluation.
Library and Information
Studies:
Areas of Research: Maltese
materials as information resources; Melitensia as national memory;
Preservation of digital resources; Internet issues and resources; Archival
practices; LIS education.
Centre for Environmental
Education & Research
Areas of Research: The
main themes and the specific research agenda of CEER revolve around the
development of curriculum material and the investigation into effective
methodologies on how to carry out effective educational programmes in the
formal education sector. CEER also extends its field of activity to include
work within the community, cooperation with governmental and civil society
organisations and networking with local and regional groups/individuals
to initiate joint projects. Owing to the spread of its field of activity,
the unit can safely maintain that it has become the main Environmental
Education agency in the country.
Centre for Labour Studies
Areas of Research: Labour
and Industrial Relations; Trade Unions; Sociology of Work; Cooperative
Studies; Worker Education; Worker Participation and Employee Involvement;
Gender Trends in the Labour Market.
Centre for Literacy
Areas of Research: The
Centre for Literacy is a research and development centre that focuses on
the area of literacy and other basic skills.It strives to improve practice
and inform policy through the generation of knowledge by creating a strong
research culture and by developing professional practice. It is committed
to the promotion of high quality research and its effective communication,
especially in areas related to childrenÕs literacy and to maintaining
strong partnerships with schools and the wider educational community. The
Centre has carried out two National Literacy surveys and a follow up Value
Added Study as well as a national baseline assessment of all Year 1 pupilsÕ
mathematical skills.
Research Projects: Modern
Foreign Languages Project: The Literacy
Unit is working towards improving and developing the methods of foreign
language learning in schools, through the use of new technologies and other
visual-aided material with specific reference to literacy. It is involved
in a number of European Union and Euro-Mediterranean funded projects aimed
at improving the teaching and learning of modern foreign languages through
emerging pedagogies and innovative media. Projects include the creation
of databases hosting language resources, bringing together foreign language
specialists from across Europe. These projects include: UNITE e-and m-learning
for effective teaching and learning scenarios (FP6), Lingua projects like
Lingu@net (a virtual language learning resource library); eEuroInclusion;
TOOL (on-line language teaching and learning); Europodians (Language Learning
via Ipods), ENLU; FEEL and so on. The large-scale EUMEDIS ODISEAME (Euro-Mediterranean
project for Open and Distance Learning of Literacy in Europe, North Africa
and the Middle East); TNP 2/3 Thematic Network Projects in Language and
Literacy, etc.
European Documentation
and Research Centre (Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence)
Areas of Research: Development
of the EU; External Relations of the EU; Euro-Med Relations; EU-Malta Relations;
European Integration Studies.
Research Projects: The
EDRC coordinates the following Jean Monnet Research Projects: The
Civil Society Project; The Role of Intercultural Dialogue for the Development
of a new (plural, democratic) citizenship; Malta European Studies Association
(MESA) Activities.
Euro-Mediterranean Centre
for Educational Research
Areas of Research: Having
established a baseline through comparative research and analysis of the
educational systems in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
EMCER is seeking to develop a Mediterranean base for collaboration with
other universities of repute in order to offer postgraduate research degrees
to service the educational development needs of the region. Research has
been carried out in several Mediterranean and Arab countries on behalf
of such organizations and entities as UNICEF, UNESCO, the European Union
and the OECD.
Research Projects: MEDSUI
- a Joint Actions Project (Socrates, Leonardo & Youths Programme);
CROSSLIFE - an EU Commission project on Vocational Education and Training.
European Centre of Gerontology
Areas of Research: Class analysis; Education for older persons; Gender differences; Social Policy issues; Retirement; Social change; Social networks.
Gozo Centre
Areas of Research: Constructing
Regional Economic Accounts for Gozo; Regional Government in Gozo; Atmospheric
Pollution; Special Needs of Small Islands.
INSTITUTES
Institute of Agriculture
Areas of Research: Aromatic
& Medicinal Plants; Micropropagation; Maltese Soils; Maltese Forage
Crops; Irrigation Systems; Animal Science; Water Resources Management.
Institute of
Anglo-Italian Studies
Areas of Research: British
Writers in the Mediterranean; Anglo-Italian Literary and Cultural Relations.
International Institute
for Baroque Studies
Areas of Research: Baroque
art and architecture; Conservation of the Baroque heritage.
The Edward de Bono
Institute for the Design & Development of Thinking
Areas of Research: Thinking
Skills; Creative Thinking; Lateral Thinking; Innovation; Human Resources
training in thinking skills; the direct teaching of thinking; Artificial
Intelligence; Philosophy of Mind.
Research Projects: The
Edward de Bono Institute is coordinator of an ERASMUS curriculum development
project which commenced in October 2006. This involves the design and piloting
of eInnForm - A European Masters Programme in Innovation and Foresight
- over a period of three years. The partner institutions involved in this
project are the University of Teesside, UK the University of Potsdam, Germany
and the University of Turku, Finland.
Institute for Energy Technology
Areas of Research: Energy
utilisation and conservation; renewable energies; solar thermal energy;
photovoltaic electricity generation; Wind monitoring and resource studies;
analysis of weather parameters; thermal response of buildings.
Institute of
Forensic Studies
Areas of Research: Corrections;
Policing; Domestic violence; Illegal Immigration; Rape; Stalking and Employability
after prison.
Research Projects: The
Institute of Forensic Studies is participating in two Daphne projects one
on Date Rape and another on Stalking. Together with the Corradino
Correctional Facilities the Institute is coordinating and participating
in a Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership on training offenders for employment.
Communication Therapy
Areas of Research: Developmental
speech and language acquisition and disorders in bilingual populations.
Research Projects: Communication
Disorders in the Maltese Population: Marie Curie Fellowship for Transfer
of Knowledge FP6-2002-Mobility-3-Under the European Community programme
Structuring the European Research Area. Fluency and Fluency Disorders Module:
Socrates Erasmus programme. Development of a European module that aims
at developing a joint postgraduate European specialisation module. Specialists
in fluency disorders from participating departments contribute their personal
expertise to develop this module. European research network for first-language
acquisition with emphasis on semantics/pragmatics and language impairment
(SLI). Cost Action A33: an intergovernmental framework for European cooperation
in the field of scientific and technical research. Multilingual glossary
project: Compilation and translation of terms related to speech language
pathology in various European Languages including Maltese. European Network
for Speech Language Therapy: 17 participating institutions.
Environmental Health
Areas of Research: Food
Quality and Safety.
Research Projects: Participation
in ISEKI FOOD 1(2002-2005) and ISEKI FOOD 2 (2006-2008). These are Socrates
Erasmus Networks that have dealt and deal with the Integration of Safety
and knowledge of food and the European sustainable development of such
knowledge. Curriculum development, e-learning and leaflet and book
publications are part of the remit of these networks. In this project
the Environmental Health Division, IHC, has had a book publication on Food
safety: Food Safety, A Practical And Case Study Approach McElhatton,
A. & Marshall, R. (eds.) (New York. Springer-Verlag, 2006).
Health Services Management
Areas of Research: European
health policy; Clinical Management; Health needs of vulnerable groups;
Leadership and team work in health care; Health Services utilisation; Quality
and patient safety.
Research Projects: Patient
Mobility in the European Union (recently completed FP6 project).
Medical Laboratory Science
Areas of Research: Genetics
of Osteoporosis.
Nursing / Midwifery
Research Projects: Relationships
between self esteem and stress in nursing and midwifery students; Demographic
differences in student nurses' perceptions of caring and nursing; Stress
and coping in patients with terminal illness receiving care from the Malta
Hospice Movement; Stress, coping and purpose in life of patients with HIV
and AIDS in Malta; Stress and coping of institutionalised Maltese elderly
in Maltese Elderly Homes in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, Malta and
Gozo (comparative study).
Nutrition and Dietetics
Areas of Research: Obesity.
Research Projects: Erasmus
Dietetics Framework Programme.
Occupational Therapy
Areas of Research: Perspectives
on Professional Qualification; Cardiac Rehabilitation; Occupational therapy
with preschool autistic children; Perspectives on Paediatric Practice;
Perspectives on Roles in Psychosocial Practice; Fieldwork Education; Sensory
Integration.
Research Projects: Interdisciplinary
Cooperation: The Division forms part of iBERG (Interdisciplinary Biomedical
Engineering Research Group) which is seeking to set up research projects
across professions within the Institute of Health Care and the Faculty
of Engineering.
Physiotherapy
Areas of Research: Domicillary
Physiotherapy in the Rehabilitation of the Stroke Patient; The Physiotherapy
Curriculum; Entry Qualifications vs. Final Classification; Core Exercises
in the Treatment of Low Back Pain.
Podiatry
Areas of Research: Diabetes.
Radiography
Areas of Research: Imaging
Procedures; Speciality Imaging including Ultrasound, CT, MRI and Nuclear
Medicine; Patient Care in Imaging; Education of Health Care Professionals.
Institute of Linguistics
Areas of Research: Academic
English; Maltese; Maltese Sign Language; Morphology; Syntax; Language theory;
Typology; Spoken communication, work and technology in the domain of air
traffic control; Language acquisition of Maltese children; Language Education;
Maltese Dialects; Sociolinguistics.
Research Projects: The
Maltese Language Resource Server project in collaboration with the Department
of Computer Science; The Maltese Sign Language (LSM) project in collaboration
with the Fondazzjoni Zvilupp Lingwa tas-Sinjali Maltija; The Maltese Dialects
project in collaboration with the Department of Maltese; Foreign research
work on Maltese in collaboration with the Department of Maltese.
Institute for Maltese
Studies
Areas of Research: As
an inter-faculty area of excellence, the main objectives of the Institute
of Maltese Studies are to promote the pursuit of interdisciplinary academic
studies and research on various aspects of Maltese culture and identity
in their widest manifestations, thereby serving as a focal point for scholars.
Institute of Masonry
and Construction Research
Areas of Research: Deterioration
and conservation of limestone, including repair and consolidation; Heritage
conservation, including archaeological sites; Mineral resource assessment;
Structural masonry, particularly arched and vaulted structures; Repair
and strengthening of structures; Numerical modelling of masonry structures;
Interaction of masonry with steel and concrete structures; Energy efficiency
of masonry buildings.
Mediterranean Institute
Areas of Research: Mediterranean
Maritime History Network - The Mediterranean
Maritime History Network (MMHN) was established in 2000 to act as a clearing
house for the exchange of information concerning research currently underway
relating to Mediterranean maritime history.
Research Projects: The
Mediterranean Institute coordinated an EU funded project, entitled La
Navigation du Savoir on maritime heritage with the Programme Mediterran*e,
UNESCO. The Institute is a partner in an Ionian University research project
entitled Greek Shipping History, 1700-1821. The latter forms part
of a larger project called Pythagoras which is financed by the European
Union through the Greek Ministry of Education.
APPRODI - dealing with the integration of migrant
communities into local communities.
Mediterranean Institute Theatre Programme
- EMA-PS: European Masters in Performer Studies is a three-year,
Socrates backed Curriculum Development Programme engaged in designing a
Joint European Master's taught course to be launched in October 2007. The
two-year, highly interdisciplinary course will be operated by a network
of universities whose coordinating base is the University of Malta. The
other universities in the network are Paris 13, Roma ÔLa Sapienza,Õ
De Montfort University, Leicester and Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan.
Bringing together disciplines including Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive
Psychology, Philosophy, Sport Sciences and Performer Studies, the course
will inquire into the potentiation of Memory Systems and Learning Processes
and the way this could empower Creativity in the most diverse fields of
human endeavour - Business, Economy, Management, Education, Culture, as
well as in issues which the EU has identified as its Transversal Policies,
including the struggle against social, economic and racial discrimination.
Website: http://www.EMA-PS.com
Email: info@ema-ps.com
Anthropology
Areas of Research: Economic
Anthropology of Small Enterprises; Political Anthropology of North Africa;
Anthropology of Law in Malta; Cultural Ecology of Maltese Farmers; Anthropology
of Child Education; Anthropology of Immigration; Ethnographic Film Research;
Maltese Football Culture; Maltese responses to bodily impairment; Mediterranean
Ethnomusicology; Mediterranean Urban Anthropology.
Research Projects: Immigration
Patterns and Management in collaboration with Berlin Institute of Comparative
Social Research; Maltese responses to bodily impairment in collaboration
with University College, London.
Contemporary Mediterranean Studies
Areas of Research: Topics
related to: Contemporary History; Geography; Anthropology and International
Relations of the Mediterranean.
Geography
Areas of Research: land
use; coastal management; the rural / urban fringe; coastal geomorphology;
scree slope processes; land degradation and rehabilitation; marine parks.
Research Projects: HERODOT
European Network for Geography in Higher Education. Coordination of Thematic
Pillar 2. Promotion of Geography in the 21st Century; Urban transport,
road pricing and sustainable mobility; Population Geography of Walled and
Fortified Towns.
Hispanic Studies
Areas of Research: Teaching
of Spanish as a Foreign Language.
Research Projects: Maltese
Connections with Spain through the Ages.
Music Studies
Areas of Research: Musicology:
Aesthetics; Editing of Maltese Classical Music; Palaeography; Ethnomusicology;
Musics of the World; Semiotics of Music; Contrapuntal Techniques.
Theatre Studies
Areas of Research: Practice
and Theory of Pedagogical and Dramaturgical Processes; Postdramatic Theatre;
Theatre and Pedagogy; Theatre Terminology; Critical and Cultural Theory;
Effects of Contemporary Performer Training on Cognition and Creativity;
Mediterranean Theatre; Theatre Ritual and Celebration; Theatre and Cultural
Foresight.
Research Projects: SUPA:
Summer University of Performing Arts.
Institute for Physical
Education & Sport
Areas of Research: The
field of Physical Education and Sport covers a wide spectrum of activities.
Thus, all the sport disciplines and the sciences are possible areas of
study. Within the sciences one may include medicine, psychology, sociology,
pedagogy and philosophy.
Institute of Public Administration
and Management
Areas of Research: Governance
in the Mediterranean basin; institutional design and institutional performance
in islands and small states.
International Environment
Institute
Areas of Research: Landscape
ecology; integrated coastal management; participation and stakeholder involvement;
ecological assessment; protected area management and protected landscapes.
Islands and Small
States Institute
Areas of Research: Small
Islands: Environmental Studies; Sustainability Indicators; International
Competitiveness; Banking and Finance; Economic Vulnerability & Resilience.
Euro-Mediterranean Centre
on Insular Coastal Dynamics (ICoD)
Areas of Research: Coastal
Area Management, within which field the Centre carries out research at
a Euro-Mediterranean level on interactive processes at the coast, with
special reference to insular environments and to develop a better understanding
of the interaction of the human/natural interface at the coast. In this
context, ICoD undertakes research on coastal risk management; island-specific
coastal issues; beach management; coastal ecotourism and recreational uses
of the coast.
Research Projects: Participation
in various EU-funded projects in partnership with other Euro-Mediterranean
Institutions.
Mediterranean Academy
of Diplomatic Studies
Areas of Research: Diplomacy;
International Relations; International History; International Law; International
Economics.
Last updated: 27 September, 2007