Ten students currently reading for the degree of M.Sc. in Environmental Management and Sustainability participated in a field trip to various sites in Italy and Slovenia between 3 and 8 May 2024. The students were accompanied by academics of the Institute of Earth Systems.
Drawing on concepts and techniques covered during the earlier parts of the degree programme, this field trip provided the students with hands-on experience of the challenges faced by environmental management practitioners in the course of their work. It also allowed them to creatively explore ways in which these challenges can be addressed by interdisciplinary teams, and provided practice in working in unfamiliar contexts under time and resource pressures.
The field trip focused on the Trieste area of north-eastern Italy and the south-western part of the neighbouring country of Slovenia. Sites visited in Slovenia included the Postojna karst cave system, Triglav National Park, and Lake Bled, all of which are examples of protected areas facing the challenge of balancing the sometimes-conflicting needs of accommodating visitors and safeguarding sensitive habitats. Similar issues were observed by the students during fieldwork at Riserva Naturale della Val Rosandra, at Miramare Biosphere Reserve and at Biotopo Naturale delle Laghetti delle Nocere, all located in the Trieste area.
The students also carried out fieldwork in Mestre (on the outskirts of Venice) in collaboration with the regional environmental protection agency (ARPA), as well as at the Trieste Waste-to-Energy Plant, in addition to conducting pollution monitoring activities at air quality stations in the area.
The M.Sc. in Environmental Management and Sustainability is an intensive 3-semester dual-degree programme offered jointly by the University of Malta and James Madison University in Virginia, USA. Students spend the first semester of the programme (August – December) at James Madison University before moving to the University of Malta for the second semester (January – May). During the final semester, students work on an independent project at a location of their choosing. Applications for the next intake of the programme (2025/26) will open shortly; interested applicants are strongly advised to apply early in view of limited available places.
The Institute of Earth Systems also offers the 3-semester M.Sc. in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, as well as an M.Sc. by research in Rural and Environmental Sciences available on both a full-time and part-time basis. More information about these exciting postgraduate options is available on the Institute’s website.
