Prof. In摹. Bertram Mallia and Prof. In摹. Joseph Buhagiar, both academics within the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at the University of Malta visited the Universidad de los Andes in the last week of April 2022.
The visit was part of an existent collaboration and was made possible through Erasmus+ ICM staff teaching mobility programme. During the visit the academics met with the University Vice-President, Director of internationalisation, the international affairs office and with staff and students of both the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. They visited various state-of-the-art laboratories and had discussions with staff and postgraduate students about their research and fields of common interest.
The academics introduced Malta, the University of Malta and its rich history during lectures attended by both staff and students. A series of lectures delivered by Prof. Buhagiar and Prof. Mallia focused on the following research topics: Medical implant design; synthesis of biodegradable metals and photocatalytic surfaces; protection of cultural heritage and local globigerina limestone; and specialist material testing. The latter topic made a special mention to corrosion-wear investigations and the use of surface engineering to mitigate material loss in orthopaedic applications.
The visit has strengthened the bi-lateral relationship between the two Universities. It shall entice more international students to visit the University of Malta and foster research cooperation of mutual interest. A reciprocal exchange visit by Prof. Pablo Ortiz and Prof. Jairo Arturo Escobar Guti茅rrez is planned for the end of June 2022.
