An Enabling Legal Environment for a sustainable ocean economy in small island developing states
by Angelique Pouponneau

This research examines the role of law in enabling small island developing States to transition to sustainable ocean economies, using Belize, Fiji, and Seychelles as case studies. It investigates whether legal frameworks influence funding and investment decisions for ocean sustainability in SIDS, and identifies which laws and institutional arrangements support the balanced achievement of economic, social, and environmental objectives. By mapping legislation against the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals framework, the research directly links legal environments to the realization of international sustainability commitments. The findings offer practical recommendations for legal and institutional reform to unlock financial flows that support SIDS in sustainably managing their ocean resources for long-term prosperity and planetary health.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Simone Borg

The role of AI in addressing complex policy challenges: an exploration of the use of AI in tackling wicked problems in Public Policy
by Gian Paul Gauci

This research addresses the conflicting stakeholder perspectives inherent in sustainability-related 'wicked problems,' specifically Climate Change (SDG 13) and Sustainable Land Use (SDG 15). By constructing a simulated 'Artificial Society' populated by agentic AI, the study creates a virtual proxy of real-world social dynamics grounded in stakeholder norms, values, and beliefs. This framework allows for the risk-free testing of policy interventions to simulate long-term consequences and societal reactions before real-life implementation. The goal is to identify robust, well-vetted policy regimes that promote social Cohesion and environmental resilience in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Expected date of completion: 2029

Supervisor: Prof. Mario Thomas Vassallo
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Alexiei Dingli

Car Dependence and the Concept of Lazy. Understanding the Impact of Pedestrianisation on Car Dependency Reduction in a European Island
by Karyn Scerri

This thesis is related to sustainability as it encompasses environmental, social, and urban sustainability through transport choices, by examining how short trips can shift from car use to walking. The research touches upon the importance of active travel to improve public health, equity, and quality of life, while supporting more accessible “15–20 minute” urban environments. By integrating community participation into mobility planning, using Malta as a case study, the research advances sustainable urban development strategies that are resilient, inclusive, and context-sensitive.

Date of completion: 2025

Supervisor: Prof. Maria Attard

Dimensions Influencing Climate Resilience in Malta’s Prehospital Emergency Medical Service: A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Exposure, System Sensitivities, Vulnerability Factors, and Adaptive Strategies
by Brendon Busuttil

A multi-phase study seeking to analyse the dimensions that influence the climate resilience of Malta’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to enhance health security and sustainable adaptation in the face of climate change. The first phase reviews international evidence and extracts best practices from comparable Mediterranean systems. The second phase examines Malta’s EMS exposure and sensitivity to climate stressors by integrating climate, operational, and occupational data to assess workforce safety, service demand and continuity, and system preparedness. The final phase focuses on assessing adaptive capacity through stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, and the co-development of a practical assessment tool.

Expected date of completion: 2032

Supervisor: Dr Trevor Abela Fiorentino
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Josef Trapani

Fault Monitoring and Control for Sustainable Compressed Air Systems
by Massimo Borg

Compressed air systems are widely used in industry but suffer from significant inefficiencies, with faults such as leaks causing energy losses of around 30%. This research advances sustainability by developing reliable fault detection and diagnosis methods using cost-effective sensing solutions, enabling identification of the fault type, size and location. A complementary fault mitigating control strategy was also formulated to reduce unnecessary compressed air consumption while maintaining production output, achieving reductions in fault-related energy use and production output disparities by up to 100%. These outcomes directly support sustainable industrial development and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Paul Refalo
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Emmanuel Francalanza

A Novel and Seal-Less Active Mould Venting System for Sustainable Injection Moulding
by Sarah Mifsud

The research focuses on developing and experimentally validating a novel seal-less active vacuum venting system for injection moulding that removes trapped air during injection to improve part quality, reduce defects, shorten cycle times, and lower overall energy consumption.

1. Improves energy efficiency in manufacturing: By reducing cycle time, injection pressure and specific energy consumption, the system lowers the overall energy demand of injection moulding, contributing to reduced industrial emissions.
2. Reduces material waste: By minimising defects such as short shots, burn marks and weak weld lines, the research decreases scrap rates and unnecessary polymer waste, supporting more responsible and resource-efficient production.
3. Enhances industrial competitiveness through sustainable innovation: strengthens advanced manufacturing and integrates environmental performance into process optimisation, supporting Malta’s 2050 Vision for a high-value, innovation-driven and sustainable economy.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Arif Rochman
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Paul Refalo

Design by Analysis rules development for Nuclear Fusion Reactors
by Kevin Degiorgio

The aim of this study is to contribute to the development of computational structural  integrity assessment methodologies for fusion reactor components. The focus is on using the existing design by analysis rules of the RCC-MRx nuclear code. These rules have primarily been written for fission type of reactors so that the PhD work reviews and identifies challenges in using them for fusion reactors and develops methodologies that are more applicable to fusion reactor components.

Expected date of completion: 2027

Supervisor: Prof. Martin Muscat
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Pierluigi Mollicone

A User-Experience Based Design Support Framework to Develop Smart Sustainable Packaging
by Tamasine Camilleri

Due to the limited information available to designers in early design stages, this poses challenges for designers to make sustainably-conscious decisions. Smart take-away food packaging is adopted as a case study, since packaging loses its value once it is discarded after use, and with the short use-phase of take-away packaging, the resources required to develop the packaging are significantly larger than its use value. Furthermore, smart capabilities require a higher initial investment, in cost, material, and end-of-life processing. For these reasons, a design support framework will be developed to guide designers to strike a balance between various design aspects (such as sustainability) in early design stages.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Philip Farrugia    
Co-Supervisors: Prof. Paul Refalo / Prof. Marvin Bugeja

Development of Smart and Sustainable Inclusive Workstations for Workers of Different Abilities
by Amberlynn Bonello

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda advocates that no individual must be ‘left behind’ or siloed from employment. This is reflected in Sustainable Development Goals 4, 8, 10, 11 and 17 which focus on persons with disabilities. The European 2023 Human Rights Report, outlined how currently, employment of persons with disabilities in the EU stands at 51.3%, in contrast to 75.6% for persons without disabilities.
On the other hand, the novel Industry 5.0 manufacturing paradigm aims to bring the operator back in the loop, whilst simultaneously taking into account sustainability and resilience. This broadens the possibility for workers with disability to participate in employment pertaining to the manufacturing shopfloor. 

This PhD focuses on the design and the development of smart, sustainable and and inclusive workstations which help empower persons with disability and assist them when working on the manufacturing shopfloor. This multidisciplinary work brings together multiple stakeholders, from technical and engineering backgrounds, to persons with disabilities, in an iterative participatory approach. In light of this, this PhD taps into a variety of SDGs namely = 4,7,8,9,10,12 and 17.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Emmanuel Francalanza    
Co-supervisors: Prof. Inġ. Paul Refalo / Dr Maria Victoria Gauci

Empowering Learners with and without Disabilities through Open Educational Practices in Malta
by Munir Moosa Sadruddin

The study aims to identify the best OER practices in the EU. It further explores the academic and technological challenges faced by disabled and non-disabled persons in Malta. Additionally, the study proposes an OER course and examines its impact on empowering participants. This study aligns with the European Union's Open Education Policies and Frameworks in higher education, addresses the European Union’s Digital Decade policies, and contributes to Horizon Europe’s mission to raise real-time awareness among persons with disabilities. It further supports UNESCO’s mandate to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education by urging governments to create, adapt, and share free, open-licensed materials for all. It strongly supports SDGs 3, by enhancing students' confidence and collaboration; SDG 4, by offering quality education opportunities for inclusive learners, make educational materials accessible to diverse student groups, and enhance open pedagogy and collaboration; SDG 10, by reducing inequalities in offering accessible education; and SDG 17, by fostering a positive connection between governments and educational institutions to address pressing educational challenges. Additionally, the study supports the National Education Strategy 2024-2030 (Government of Malta, 2023). Malta's National Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020 particularly highlights the embrace of OER as one of the strategies to increase academic participation among persons with disabilities. It further encourages the use of OER to develop accessible courses and to facilitate connections and networking among learning communities in Malta and Gozo, and beyond (Ministry of Education and Employment, 2020).

Expected date of completion: 2028-2029

Supervisor: Prof. Colin Calleja
Co-Supervisors: Prof. Leonard Busuttil / Dr Leigh-Anne Perryman

Integrating Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Tools for Assistive Technology in Smart and Inclusive Manufacturing
by Nicole Vassallo

Industry 5.0 emphasises advanced technological innovation while prioritising sustainable, human centric and inclusive development, increasing the need for tools that enhance functional capacity and social participation for people with disabilities; hence assistive technologies are now beginning to be implemented in industry. Despite the rapid growth of assistive technologies, sustainability within this sector remains underexplored. This study develops a comprehensive Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework to evaluate the holistic sustainability of assistive technologies in smart and inclusive manufacturing. The framework is operationalised through a decision making tool and applied in a case study of an inclusive manufacturing workstation to identify sustainability hotspots, assess trade offs and synergies, and support the development of a holistically sustainable system.

Expected date of completion: 2028

Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Paul Refalo
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Emmanuel Francalanza

Intelligent Fault Monitoring and Optimisation for Smart and Sustainable Compressed Air Systems Under Faulty Conditions
by Jasmine Mallia

This thesis proposes an Intelligent Fault Monitoring and Optimisation framework for demand-side CASs. The framework integrates fault monitoring techniques with data-driven behavioural modelling and surrogate-based optimisation, deployed through an industrial-level smart architecture. A human-centric approach enables the implementation of optimised control strategies, ensuring practical applicability within real-world manufacturing environments. The framework aims to mitigate the adverse effects of faults by reducing the increase in air consumption while maintaining productivity, hence enhancing sustainable operation without requiring immediate maintenance intervention.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Inġ. Emmanuel Francalanza    
Co-Supervisors: Prof. Inġ. Paul Refalo, Dr Peter Albert Xuereb

Gender perspectives on resilient social capital: A comparison of Maltese and Syrian low-income households in Malta
by Nathalie Grima

"The Rio +20 United Nations conference on sustainable development in 2012, acknowledged that  resilience was a prominent issue in “a new wave of thinking around sustainability in an age of economic and political instability" (Brown, 2014, p. 107). Since then, research in the field of social resilience has contributed to shifting the objective from transforming ‘vulnerable’ people to understanding their own coping capacities and identifying their own needs for transformation.

Using the two theoretical frameworks consisting of the subjective social resilience paradigm and the theory of social capital, this thesis is a comparative case study that explores the social relations within two social groups - a sample of people who identify themselves as Sengleani and another who identify as Syrians. The qualitative and feminist critical methodological approach gives priority to the research participants’ own perception of risk, sense of positionality, and gendered power dynamics in a society where class, gender and ethnicity intersect where relative poverty is concerned.

Expected date of completion: 2027

Supervisor: Prof. JosAnn Cutajar
Co-Supervisor: Dr Boris Popivanov

Examining Nurse Career Aspirations within the Healthcare System in Malta
by Yorick Mintoff

This PhD examines factors associated with the career aspirations and intentions of nurses and final-year nursing students in Malta, with particular attention to the transition from student to registered nurse. Using a longitudinal mixed-methods design, it aims to describe how aspirations and intentions are shaped over time by individual, educational and workplace contexts, including supports, perceived barriers and opportunities. The findings are intended to inform workforce planning and retention efforts relevant to sustainable health service delivery and health system resilience. The work aligns primarily with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), with additional relevance to SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the education to practice transition.

Expected date of completion: 2030

Supervisors: Dr Anthony Scerri
Co-supervisors: Prof. Josef Trapani / Prof. Dhurata Ivziku / Prof. Anne Marie Thake

Regulating marine plastic pollution from land-based sources: Legal and policy solutions
by Jyothi Thomas

This research analyses the potential of International, European Union, and national legal frameworks in regulating marine plastic pollution from land-based single-use plastics and microplastics, identifies regulatory gaps, and recommends legal and policy measures to fill any shortcomings. While these laws and policies are often built on circularity principles, my work scrutinises the inherent tension between plastic’s chemical nature and the 'circular' aspiration of the law. By identifying regulatory gaps, the research highlights how current 'circular' strategies may inadvertently perpetuate downcycling rather than true sustainability. Ultimately, this study advocates for policy shifts that utilise environmental law principles such as the precautionary approach and preventive measures, to move beyond the limitations of recycling and also meet the fundamental waste reduction targets of SDG 12.4 and 12.5, alongside the marine pollution prevention targets of SDG 14.1.

Expected date of completion: 2026 

Supervisor: Prof. Simone Borg
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Alan Deidun

Daring to take off the Hat. Reinventing Higher Education Pedagogies for the Teaching of Spanish Literature
by Alessia Cilia Portelli

Drawing on feminist new materialism, this thesis conceptualises canon formation as a dynamic institutional process informed by pedagogical practices, interpretative norms and material conditions of knowledge production. It examines the exclusion of women writers from the Spanish literary canon and analyses how higher education curricula reproduce gendered forms of epistemic authority through what is selected, taught and assessed. In doing so, it engages directly with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by advancing critically reflexive pedagogical engagements attentive to the material and institutional conditions of knowledge production, thereby challenging structural inequalities in the production, validation and circulation of aesthetic and cultural values.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Prof. Simone Galea
Co-Supervisor: Prof. María Isabel Navas Ocaña

Aerodynamically Designed Passive Vegetation Barriers For Localised Pollutant Control At Pedestrian Level
by Jeremy Sacco

This research aims to investigate the efficacy of road-side barriers in controlling pollutant concentration such that better air quality zones are created in the pedestrian zones. The investigation involves numerical fluid simulations and wind tunnel testing focusing on NOx emissions, to determine the ideal design and material of the barriers to optimise such air quality conditions. As such pedestrian air quality is safeguarded regardless of the adoption trajectory of electric vehicles.

Expected date of completion: 2027

Supervisor: Prof. Daniel Micallef
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Simon Paul Borg

Addressing environmental and material identity-based conflicts through sustainability communication: an intergenerational study from the Maltese Islands
by Clinton Cassar

The research explores the potential of sustainability communication in addressing environmental and material identity-based conflicts by focusing on individual and intergenerational propensity to engage in pro-environmental behaviour.

Expected date of completion: 2028

Supervisor: Dr Ċensu Caruana
Co-supervisor: Dr Chris Jones

Promoting Individual and Community-Based Grow-Your-Own Food Programmes through Education for Sustainable Development
by Cynthia Caruana

This research addresses the critical intersection of food security and environmental stewardship by exploring how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can promote degrees of self-sufficiency in a sustainable manner. It examines the socio-economic, cultural and ecological drivers of "Grow-Your-Own" initiatives, aiming to transform individual actions into resilient, community-led sustainability movements. By identifying strategies to overcome barriers to local food production, the study promotes sustainable consumption patterns and the preservation of soil and local ecosystems.

Expected date of completion: 2026

Supervisor: Dr Ċensu Caruana
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Paolo Rosazza Prin