The second edition of the Earth Systems Graduate Launchpad was organised by the Institute of Earth Systems on 1 July, highlighting recent research projects undertaken by students reading for the Institute’s B. Sc. (Hons) in Earth Systems. The event also included an award ceremony for the Award for Academic Excellence, which is presented annually to students who obtain outstanding results during the first two years of the course.
The Award for Academic Excellence is sponsored by the HSBC (Malta) Foundation, and was presented to Ms Mandy Balzan and Ms Michaela Borg by Prof. Joseph M. Cacciottolo, Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs, and Prof. Louis F Cassar, the Institute’s Director. In order to qualify for the award, these two students consistently obtained the highest grades, including a minimum of 80 ECTS at grade A or better, and 20 ECTS at grade B or better.
The award ceremony was followed by students’ presentations of their dissertation research, with ten of the highest-graded dissertations from the last two years being selected for inclusion in the event. In her introductory comments, Dr Belinda Gambin, Course Coordinator, underlined the interdisciplinary nature of the B.Sc. (Hons) in Earth Systems programme, which considers the various key components of the Earth’s systems and their interactions, in order to develop an integrated and holistic approach to the management and planning of activities at the human-nature interface.
As written in the event programme, research topics were wide-ranging and investigated issues of practical importance at both the local and regional level. In addition to the presentations, a poster session allowed for further questions and discussions between audience members and the student researchers. Furthermore, the event gave a platform to display a selection of photographs taken by students during a field trip to Tenerife earlier this year.
Over 150 students have graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Earth Systems since the programme’s inception in 2011 and a further 19 students are expected to graduate this December. For more information about this degree and other programmes offered by the Institute in October 2019, please consult our website.
