University of Malta’s 4th Research Expo hosts 225 research projects

Malta’s research community is going from strength to strength, with a remarkable 225 new research projects showcased during the 4th edition of the University of Malta’s Research Expo. 

UMRE, now a well-established annual highlight for the ever-growing number of researchers eager to present their impactful work through plenary sessions, parallel talks, the discussion panel, and poster presentations, took place on Wednesday 27 May 2026 at the University’s Valletta Campus.

It all kicked off with Prof. Alfred J. Vella’s last welcome address at the Expo as Rector, with the handover to Rector-elect, Prof. Frank Bezzina, taking place at the end of this month. 

"This celebration is, above all, a celebration of the University's second core mission: research, alongside our fundamental commitment to teaching", Prof. Vella said, before citing a number of figures from this past academic year, which has been "our strongest research year yet". 

"We proudly conferred 81 doctoral degrees in the last academic year", he said, with such figures representing discovery, innovation, collaboration, and the dedication of hundreds of researchers, academics, students, and professional staff.

Prof. Ing. Simon G. Fabri, Pro-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer, who chairs the organising committee of UMRE, introduced the first Plenary Sessions and thanked the researchers for their notable efforts, hoping their contributions would reverberate across our society and beyond.

Echoing the Rector’s remarks, Prof. Fabri highlighted the purpose of the event, noting that “the aim of this gathering is to shine a spotlight on the research taking place across our University.” He added that the level of engagement was particularly encouraging, with the conference attracting 10% more presentations than in the previous year: all clear evidence of the growing strength, diversity, and vibrancy of the University's research community.

The expo was livestreamed, extending access to the research discussions far beyond the venue itself and enabling a wider global audience to engage with the ideas being presented. If you wish to catch up with the proceedings by rewatching the stream, watch below:

Topics discussed included: creative leadership; social simulation and human perception; cancer research and personalised medicine; medical technologies; ecological conservation and coastal ecology; historical heritage; pedagogy and school environments; social welfare and justice; diverse identities; neurosciences; quantum sciences; and digital governance. 

Two stand-out themes this year were artificial intelligence and sustainability, with the latter forming the focus of a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Mario Aquilina. Both themes also correspond to research clusters within the University (AI@UM and DECC), bringing together multidisciplinary researchers to collaborate on a range of projects and to foster stronger partnerships between academia, government, and industry.

This year’s keynote address was by Dr Sally Hancock, Senior Lecturer in Education at the Department of Education, University of York. She talked about a matter that is on every researcher’s mind: as doctoral education expands globally and PhD graduates are increasingly positioned as key contributors to knowledge economies, what are their employment prospects outside academia? 

Two Doctoral Awards were presented on the day in recognition of research excellence; one to Dr Karyn Scerri from the University’s Institute for Climate Change & Sustainable Development, and one to Dr Kevin Abela from the Faculty of Science. Dr Scerri, whose strong interest lies in sustainable mobility, was an instrumental part of the team that collaborated with Malta Public Transport and the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure & Public Works, for the metaCCAZE project, which led to the first autonomous buses being tested in Malta. Dr Abela, a prolific mathematician, has been working to change people’s perception of mathematics as abstract and difficult to learn.

A number of information stands representing support services available to researchers and doctoral students were also set up throughout UMRE. 

THINK, the University’s Research Magazine, which is celebrating 15 years since its inception, was also present at UMRE, with a copy of the latest edition being handed out to all attendees. 

The UMRE 2026 programme, together with the abstracts from each piece of research presented, as well as other details about the UM Research Expo, can be found online. 

Following UMRE26, researchers and innovators gathered for the Post-Expo Support Offices Outreach Day: From Pitch to Project.

The event, held at the UM Library Periodicals, connected participants with University support offices and services, offering guidance on research funding, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, collaboration opportunities and project development.