The University of Malta traces its origins to the founding of the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits in 1592. The College was raised to University status by Grand Master Manoel Pinto de Fonseca in 1769. Situated at Msida in Malta, it is the highest teaching institution of the State in Malta, by which it is mainly financed and is open to all those who have the requisite qualifications. Over the past few years, the University has reviewed its structures in order to be in line with the Bologna process. Conscious of its public role, the University strives to create courses which are relevant and timely in response to the national, regional and international needs. The supreme governing bodies of the University are the Council and the Senate. There are over 10,000 students including over 750 foreign/exchange students from nearly 80 different countries, following full-time or part-time degree and diploma courses. The University has been involved as coordinator and partner in numerous EU-funded projects under various Programmes including FP5/6/7, Lifelong Learning Programme, Culture 2000, Tempus and various other international and regional programmes and initiatives. The University is also represented in a number of European and international University networks and groups.
The University of Malta participation will be primarily from the Department of Construction and Property
Management, Materials Engineering group active in cement & concrete research and durability performance. In addition, the Department of Microelectronics and Nano-electronics of the Faculty of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) shall also be collaborating. The participants bring expertise in various technical aspects of the project including Cement Bound materials and durability performance; transport properties and degradation mechanisms and also sensor systems and technology. The various entities have carried out local and internationally funded research projects including collaborative inter-department projects.
The Department of Construction and Property Management is focused on the teaching and research on construction systems and civil engineering, materials engineering and life cycle engineering including life cycle costs. The department focuses also on asset management and resilience in the built environment. The main research area focuses on innovative materials in particular concrete, cement bound materials, the re-use and recycling of waste and industrial
by-products in concrete. The activity includes research in fibre reinforced concrete, self-compacting concrete, geopolymer concrete and self-healing of concrete. The department is active in durability assessment of concrete, assessment of transport properties and concrete degradation including assessment of chloride-ion penetration in cement bound materials. Activity also includes the assessment of structures, durability assessment and repair interventions using innovative and advanced materials and the monitoring of life time performance of materials in different environmental conditions and the use of sensor systems and networks for structural monitoring. These areas of activity contribute directly to the objectives of the project proposal. In addition the department is active in research on sustainable materials and resilience of the built environment, reflected also through national and international research projects.
The Department of Micro-electronics and Nano-electronics is responsible for the research and the lecturing in the following fields: Analogue and Mixed Mode ASIC Design, RF CMOS Circuits, Embedded Systems, Biotechnology Chips, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Quantum Nanostructures, System-in-Package (SiP), System-on-Chip (SoC).
The two Departments have been collaborating for a number of years, through research projects in Malta and also cosupervision of student research work in the development of sensors for concrete and in the assessment of durability performance through sensor systems.
University Campus, Tal-Qroqq
2080 - MSIDA
MALTA
Ruben Paul Borg
Senior lecturer Construction and Property Management Department
