Four UM academics honoured with the Ordre des Palmes Académiques

Four academics from the University of Malta were honoured by the French Republic during a prestigious ceremony held on 20 May 2026 at the Résidence de France in Żebbuġ.

Her Excellency Madame Sandrine Lelong-Motta, Ambassador of France to Malta, presented the insignia of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques to Prof. Dominique Lanni, Dr Marilyn Mallia, Prof. Anne-Marie Bezzina Busuttil and Prof. Vicki Ann Cremona. Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808, the Ordre des Palmes Académiques is one of France’s oldest and most prestigious national honours. It is awarded to academics, educators and cultural figures who have rendered exceptional service to education, scholarship, and the dissemination of French language and culture both in France and internationally.

Prof. Dominique Lanni, Dr Marilyn Mallia and Prof. Anne-Marie Bezzina Busuttil, all from the Department of French within the Faculty of Arts, were appointed Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. In her address, the Ambassador commended Prof. Lanni for his erudition, his research on travel literature, and his numerous collaborations with the Embassy on academic conferences. She praised Dr Mallia for her dynamism as Head of the Department of French, her research on Anglo-French literary exchanges, and her promotion of the French language. The Ambassador paid tribute to Prof. Bezzina Busuttil’s contribution to teacher training, her research in linguistics, and her role as a key partner of the Embassy on major educational projects.

Prof. Vicki Ann Cremona, from the Department of Theatre Studies within the School of Performing Arts, was promoted to the grade of Officier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in recognition of her distinguished academic career and significant contribution to research in the field of Theatre Studies. The promotion to the rank of Officier reflects her longstanding engagement with French and international academic networks and her contribution to cultural scholarship.

The ceremony was attended by Monsieur Renaud Lallement, Conseiller de Coopération Culturelle et Scientifique at the Embassy of France in Malta, together with family members, colleagues, representatives of educational and cultural institutions, and other distinguished guests.

This recognition reflects the strong and longstanding academic and cultural ties between Malta and France, as well as the University’s continued commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and international collaboration.

The University of Malta congratulates Prof. Dominique Lanni, Dr Marilyn Mallia, Prof. Anne-Marie Bezzina Busuttil and Prof. Vicki Ann Cremona on this remarkable achievement and on the recognition of their contributions by the French Republic.