Between the 25 and 29 March, the Faculty of Engineering participated, for the first time, in the Carousel Week alongside the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary), Häme University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and the University of Applied Sciences Nancy-Brabois (France). The Carousel Week is an international student exchange program aimed at providing first year electrical engineering students with experience in team work, practical engineering work, industrial visits as well as social and cultural events.
Ten Maltese students used this opportunity to travel to France, Hungary and Finland and received sponsorships to offset their travel costs. The remaining students participated from Malta together with six international students. In Malta, students attended a talk on creative thinking and entrepreneurship delivered by Dr Leonie Baldacchino from the Edward Debono Institute for the Design and Development of Thinking; participated in industrial visits to Medavia, ST Microelectroncis and Methode Electronics; carried out project work to create an Arduino-based 'Automatic Plant Irrigation System'. Students also participated in a walking tour of Valletta, a treasure hunt in Mdina and a visit to the Ħaġar Qim Temples.
The student project work was carried out under the guidance and supervision of Prof. Simon Fabri, Mr Andre Micallef, Dr Brian Zammit, Prof. Cyril Spiteri-Staines, Mr Donald Vella, Mr Steven Caruana and Mr Kevin Caruana-Montaldo. Social activities were organised by the University Engineering Students’ Association (UESA) while Dr Alexandra Bonnici coordinated the week’s events.
The Carousel Week was sponsored by Methode Electronics, ST Microelectronics, Medavia, Tektraco Ltd., TUA Engineering Ltd., and RS Electronics and the Conventions Malta. These sponsorships allowed the Faculty to offer travel grants to students and equip the laboratory with the materials necessary for the project work and arrange a varied social and cultural program for the students.
