Photo Credit: DOI - Jason Borg
Carmel Azzopardi, an alumnus and former member of staff at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Malta, recently received the Award for Academic Active Ageing at the Active Ageing Awards 2017, organised by the Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Mr Anthony Agius Decelis.
These awards are presented to senior citizens who contribute to the interest of the Community and the Society. During the event, Mr Agius Decelis thanked all the nominees as well as the persons who nominated them. This year there was a record in the number of applications, with 76 nominations and three new categories, among which the Award for Academic Active Ageing.
Carmel Azzopardi was selected out of the ten nominations participating in this category. Although now retired, through his skills and experiences in technology he collaborates in innovative projects on renewable energy and the development of clean transport; in fact Carmel assisted in the development of an innovative Smart Solar Catamaran that attracted the interest of both local and international environmentalists.
A former member of staff at the Faculty of Engineering, Carmel was Senior Lab Officer and later as Engineering Project Officer at the Department of Industrial Electrical Power Conversion (IEPC). He obtained an Engineering Diploma in Total Quality Management and is affiliated with a renowned Engineering institution as Eng.Tech. & MIET. In 2013 he was presented with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chambers of Engineers.
Carmel dedicated his last fifteen years, as senior lab Officer at the Faculty of Engineering. Although he retired at the age of sixty-one, he continued to collaborate with the IEPC Department for more than five years. During this period, he was appointed Engineering Project Officer to set up the required hardware for undergraduate and postgraduate students. He contributed to the design and manufacturing of various equipment for renewable Energy Projects, among others electrical boats with inboard and outboard drives, Smart Solar Catamaran, battery-operated vehicles, electrical motor bikes and bicycles, CHP generators, wave generator testing rig, innovation solar water heaters.
The Parliament Secretary, Agius Decelis praised all the initiatives for active aging as these are of benefit to elderly citizens as well as to Maltese society in general. By their contributions and activities, the elderly can assist others while also leading by example. He encouraged the elderly to be involved in activities and to reflect on their seniority in a positive manner.