On Wednesday 20 July 2016, Professor John A. Schembri, Head of the Department of Geography within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta, was conferred Doctor of Education honoris causa. He was awarded the honorary doctorate by Liverpool Hope University in recognition of his contribution to Geography. The conferment was held at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral Church of the Risen Christ.
Biography
John Schembri read for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Contemporary Mediterranean Studies and History taking also History of Mediterranean Civilizations and Archaeology as subsidiary subjects as an evening student at the University of Malta. This enabled him to enhance his knowledge of Mediterranean Studies and paved the way to read for a Master’s degree at Durham University in the Geography of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. He later obtained his Ph.D. through the Geography Department at Durham, registered on a part-time basis. Both postgraduate opportunities were made possible through the University of Malta’s Human Resources Management and Development programmes.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) and is also a Chartered Geographer and lectures mainly in Human Geography with particular reference to the Mediterranean. Professor Schembri is essentially a coastal geographer with interests in development in ports and harbours and historical heritage along urban coastal areas. The latter includes research on early 20th century Ordnance Survey cartography of the Maltese Islands and is a regular contributor to courses organised by the International Ocean Institute in Malta.
John is very grateful for this award which would not have been possible without the ongoing rapport with members of staff and students at the University of Malta.