Keynote Speaker
Prof. Jonathan Prag
Jonathan Prag is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford. His work ranges across ancient history, epigraphy and classical archaeology, with a strong emphasis on the use of digital methods, including AI. He has published on Cicero, Roman imperialism, the Hellenistic western Mediterranean and ancient Sicily, and much of his work focuses on the island of Sicily, where he also co-directs an archaeological excavation. He currently directs an ERC Advanced Grant (Crossreads) studying the epigraphic culture of ancient Sicily and building a comprehensive digital corpus of ancient Sicilian inscriptions, I.Sicily. He has recently collaborated with a larger team to develop AI models for the reconstruction and contextualisation of ancient Greek and Latin inscriptions.
Speakers
Samuel Azzopardi
Samuel Azzopardi read for a BA (Hons) in Classics at the University of Malta, and an MSc in Late Antiquity, Early Islamic and Byzantine Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He was formerly President of the Malta Classics Association and is currently the editor of the MCA's academic journal, the Melita Classica. Samuel works as Palaeographer within the National Archives of Malta and his main research interests revolve around Roman Law in antiquity and in reception.
Marc-Antoine Belair
Co-founder & CEO of Netizen
Marc is an innovator with over 15 years of experience designing smart city software, machine learning technologies, and gamification solutions for a wide range of applications. He currently leads the startup Netizen, which applies gamification science to engage the public, enrich community life, and help municipalities address key urban challenges.
In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Marc is an avid learner and educator. He has developed practical courses and continuing education programs for city managers, scientists, and professionals, helping them apply emerging technologies and innovative methods to real-world challenges.
Claire Bugeja
Claire Bugeja graduated from the University of Malta with a BA (Hons) in Classics in 2021 and an MA in Archives and Records Management in 2023. Having worked on different collections in various archives in Malta, she is currently working at the University of Malta. Her research interests include archives in Malta during the time of the Order of St John, as well as the link between translation studies and the teaching of classical languages.
Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet
Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet was born in Pietà, Malta, on the 14 February 1983, and obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the University of Malta, obtaining his Doctorate in Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, with a study on the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs during the pontificate of Benedict XV (1914-1922). He also holds a Diploma in Archivistics from the Vatican School. He is a Senior lecturer at the University of Malta, and lectures in Church History at the Faculty of Theology, in Palaeography, Diplomatics and Archivistics in the Department of Library information and Archive Sciences. He is also the Diocesan Archivist of the Archdiocese of Malta. His main research interest is in Vatican diplomacy in the contemporary period and has published a study on the pontificate of Benedict XV, namely A politics of peace. The Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs during the pontificate of Benedict XV (1914-1922), Rome, Edizioni Studium, 2019. With the same publisher he has also edited the proceedings of an international conference entitled The world in a sea: Catholics and the Mediterranean during the pontificate of Pius XII (2023). Fully committed to the promotion and conservation of Malta’s cultural and religious heritage, he has served as the chairperson of The Jesuits’ Church Foundation, and has published a number of studies in this field, including the book Francesco Zahra at Casa Manresa (2023) and edited the recently published volume Casa Manresa in Floriana. A house of formation (2025). He recently organised the international symposium Shaping Minds and Souls: Jesuit Missions and the Mediterranean World (Valletta, 2025), which brought together scholars from across Europe and North America to explore the Jesuits’ cultural, religious, and artistic legacy in the early modern Mediterranean
Dr Jurgen R. Gatt
Jurgen R. Gatt is a medical doctor and a classicist currently working at the University of Malta and at Junior College. He holds an M.D. from the University of Malta and a PhD in Classics from University College London. His research focuses on the scientific, philosophical, and rhetorical texts of the 5th-Century B.C.E., but is also interested in the history of medicine in the early modern period and the intellectual history of Malta. Recent and forthcoming publications include Medical Sciences in Early Modern Malta. Malta University Press (2024) and The Anatomy of Witnessing: The Epistemology of Testimony in the Age of the Sophists, Liverpool University Press (2027).
Dr Elena Pirino
Elena Pirino (Sassari, Italy, 1974) obtained her degree in Ancient History from the University of Sassari and a PhD in Ancient History (2005) from the same university, in joint supervision with the Université Michel de Montaigne – Bordeaux 3, with a dissertation devoted to the history and institutions of the Maltese islands through epigraphic documentation.
Since 2001 she has been teaching Italian literature, Latin, and Greek at the Classical, Music and Dance High School “D. A. Azuni” in Sassari.
In collaboration with Michel Christol of the Université Paris-Sorbonne, she has published studies on epigraphy, on the local elites of the island of Gozo, and on the municipal life of the Maltese archipelago in the Roman period, including Une famille de notables dans l'île de Gaulos (Gozo) (L’Africa Romana, XVI, 2006) and Inscriptions latines sur la vie municipale dans les îles de l’Archipel maltais (Sardinia, Corsica et Baleares antiquae, VIII, 2010). Among her studies is also Sulla possibile presenza di Cicerone a Malta durante la sua questura (VRBS. Studi sulla romanità antica e tardoantica, I, 2019).
From 2012 to 2025 she edited and updated the edition of the Latin and Greek inscriptions of Malta and Gozo in the Epigraphic Database Roma (EDR) of Sapienza University of Rome.
Sandro Sciberras
Sandro Sciberras is Head of the Department of History and a part-time lecturer at the Junior College. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and two Master’s degrees in Baroque Studies and Cultural Heritage Management. Some of his interests focus on the history and architecture of the parish church of Santa Marija in Birkirkara and on medical practices in early eighteenth-century Malta. He has served as a consultant for numerous conservation projects involving works of art and historic sites in Malta and abroad and as an academic, also acts as an external examiner for leading European institutions.
Joanna Zammit Falzon
Joanna Zammit Falzon graduated with a master’s degree in Classics in 2004 from the University of Malta. She currently teaches English to refugees for a local NGO. Furthermore, she has a discreet experience in preparing candidates for the intermediate level MATSEC Classical Studies exam. She was also one of the founding members of the Malta Classics Association and was the Secretary General for five years. Although both Greek and Latin are close to her heart, she believes that Latin is more relevant to the Maltese context since Malta has a huge treasure trove of heritage in that language.
Vincent Zammit
Vincent Zammit MA (Baroque Studies), BA (Mediterranean Studies) is a Visiting Lecturer at both the Institute of Tourism Studies (Malta) and the University of Malta. Active in the fields of Maltese culture, heritage, and tourism since 1978, he brings decades of experience and dedication to the subject. Vincent is the author of over 35 publications, including contributions to both local and international books and journals. He has also produced and presented numerous radio and television programmes focused on Maltese history and culture. A sought-after speaker, Vincent has delivered lectures on a wide range of cultural and historical topics to audiences in Malta and abroad. As a licensed tourist guide for more than three decades, Vincent has played a key role in the training and development of future guides in Malta for the past 34 years. He has participated in numerous international conferences, both as a presenter and as an organiser.
