Students
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Students awarded Research Prizes
Students Bradley Cachia and Karl Sciberras were awarded prizes in recognition of the research they conducted for their 2025 Bachelor’s degree dissertations. Bradley Cachia wrote on The Theatricality of Prose According to Its Adaptation for the Stage: The Case of Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri and was awarded the Oliver Friggieri Prize, while Karl Sciberras authored A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Five Groups of Phonetic–Orthographic Variants and received the 臓u偶è Aquilina Prize. The students’ research was supervised by Prof. Immanuel Mifsud and Prof. George Farrugia.
These prizes have been awarded since 2022, with the trophies designed by the renowned artist Austin Camilleri. In this fifth year, Prof. Immanuel Mifsud, Seminar Coordinator, presented the new trophy design by the same artist. The Oliver Friggieri Prize trophy bears the quotation “iss’inti l-ista摹un il-摹did” (“now you are the new season”) from the writings of the author, while the 臓u偶è Aquilina Prize trophy carries the phrase “l-imfieta魔 tal-fantasija huma f’idejk” (“the keys of imagination are in your hands”), taken from Aquilina’s writings.
The trophies were awarded on 13 February 2026 during the annual Dissertation Seminar organised by the Department of Maltese, which was attended by all lecturers and students of the Department. At the Seminar, two other graduates who achieved excellent results in their dissertations, Thea Pace and Kurt Theuma, also presented their research in the fields of oral culture and Maltese linguistics. Their dissertations were supervised by Ms Yanika Schembri Fava, Prof. Bernard Micallef, and Mr Dwayne Ellul.
During his presentation, Bradley Cachia provided an overview of his study in which he explored the theatricality of Oliver Friggieri’s Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri, comparing it with the stage adaptation presented shortly after the novel’s publication. Thea Pace discussed her research on popular religious prayers, their cultural value, and their role within Maltese religious traditions. Karl Sciberras presented the findings of his sociolinguistic study on phonetic and orthographic variants, such as “mostru” and “monstru”, considered in relation to the age and locality of the speakers he interviewed. Kurt Theuma spoke about his research on vocabulary related to the organisation of village feasts, particularly that used by enthusiasts and skilled workers in Ker膵em.
The Seminar concluded with a short address by Prof. Adrian Grima, Head of Department, who praised the innovative research of all students who completed the course in 2025. He also spoke about the research community formed by lecturers and students within the Department, and its responsibility, as part of a public university, to advance knowledge and share it with the national community. This responsibility is especially significant for the department that focuses on Maltese, the national language.
During the Seminar, all students were presented with copies of the latest issue of the academic journal Ri膵erkaturi, featuring studies by Bachelor’s students, as well as the first issue of Qabelxejn, a journal containing studies by postgraduate students.
[MT]
Studenti jing魔ataw Premju g魔ar-Ri膵erka
Bradley Cachia u Karl Sciberras ing魔ataw premju g魔ar-ri膵erka li g魔amlu fit-te偶ini tal-Ba膵ellerat tal-2025. Bradley Cachia kiteb fuq It-Teatralità fil-Pro偶a Skont l-Addattament Tag魔ha g魔at-Teatru: Il-Ka偶 ta’ “Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri” u ng魔ata l-Premju Oliver Friggieri, waqt li Karl Sciberras kiteb Anali偶i So膵jolingwistika ta’ 摩ames Gruppi ta’ Varjanti Foneti膵i-Ortografi膵i u ng魔ata l-Premju 臓u偶è Aquilina. Ir-ri膵erka ta’ dawn l-istudenti tmexxiet mill-Prof. Immanuel Mifsud u l-Prof. George Farrugia.
Dawn il-premjijiet bdew jing魔ataw fl-2022 u t-trofej 摹ew iddisinjati mill-artist mag魔ruf Austin Camilleri. F’din il-魔ames sena, il-Prof. Immanuel Mifsud, kordinatur tas-Seminar, ippre偶enta d-disinn il-摹did tat-trofej mill-istess artist. Fuq it-trofew tal-Premju Oliver Friggieri hemm is-silta “iss’inti l-ista摹un il-摹did” mill-kitba tal-awtur, u fuq it-trofew tal-Premju 臓u偶è Aquilina hemm il-fra偶i “l-imfieta魔 tal-fantasija huma f’idejk” me魔uda mill-kitba ta’ Aquilina.
Il-premjazzjoni saret fit-13 ta’ Frar 2026 waqt is-Seminar annwali tat-Te偶ini tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti g魔al-letturi u l-istudenti kollha tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti. Fis-Seminar, 偶ew摹 gradwati o魔rajn li marru tajjeb 魔afna fit-te偶ina tag魔hom, Thea Pace u Kurt Theuma, ippre偶entaw ir-ri膵erka li g魔amlu fil-qasam tal-kultura orali u l-lingwistika Maltija. Il-pro摹etti ta’ ri膵erka tag魔hom tmexxew mis-Sa Yanika Schembri Fava, il-Prof. Bernard Micallef, u s-Sur Dwayne Ellul.
Waqt il-pre偶entazzjoni tieg魔u fis-Seminar, Bradley Cachia ta tag魔rif dwar l-istudju li fih esplora t-teatralità ta’ Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri ta’ Oliver Friggieri li pparagunah mal-ver偶joni teatrali li kienet 摹iet ippre偶entata ftit wara li 魔are摹 ir-rumanz. Thea Pace ddiskutiet ir-ri膵erka tag魔ha dwar talbiet reli摹ju偶i popolari u l-valur kulturali u s-sehem li g魔andhom fit-tradizzjonijiet reli摹ju偶i Maltin. Karl Sciberras ippre偶enta r-ri偶ultati li 魔ar摹u mill-istudju so膵jolingwistiku tieg魔u dwar varjanti foneti膵i u ortografi膵i, b魔al “mostru” u “monstru,” fid-dawl tal-età u l-lokalità li fiha jg魔ixu l-kelliema li intervista. Kurt Theuma t魔addet fuq ir-ri膵erka tieg魔u dwar il-vokabolarju marbut mal-armar tal-festi, spe膵jalment dak tad-dilettanti u l-魔addiema tas-seng魔a ta’ Ker膵em.
Is-seminar intemm b’diskors tal-Professur Adrian Grima, il-Kap tad-Dipartiment, li fa魔魔ar ir-ri膵erka a摹摹ornata u innovattiva tal-istudenti kollha li temmew il-kors fl-2025. Tkellem ukoll fuq il-komunità ta’ ri膵erka mag魔mula mil-letturi u l-istudenti fi 魔dan id-Dipartiment u r-responsabbiltà ta’ din il-komunità b魔ala parti minn Università pubblika li g魔andha d-dmir li tkabbar l-g魔arfien u taqsmu mal-komunità nazzjonali. Dan jg魔odd b’mod spe膵jali g魔ad-Dipartiment tal-Malti, l-ilsien nazzjonali.
Waqt is-Seminar id-Dipartiment tal-Malti ppre偶enta lill-istudenti kollha kopji tal-a魔魔ar g魔add tar-rivista akkademika Ri膵erkaturi, bi studji tal-istudenti tal-Ba膵ellerat, u l-ewwel g魔add ta’ Qabelxejn, rivista bi studji miktubin mill-istudenti postgradwatorji.
Ir-ritratti ttie魔du minn James Moffett mill-Uffi膵膵ju tal-Marketing, il-Komunikazzjoni u l-Alumni.
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