Conscience and the University’s impact [University of Malta oration]

Abstract

Everything must be weaved in Context. Today I am addressing the millennials, the first clicker generation. I am addressing the generation who, when born, have access to vast knowledge caches but are compelled with the need to tweet simplicities, upload or exhibit one's wares to all and sundry in an increasingly connected world. In view of this, attempting to weave together society’s foundational themes and technology through a focus on the Alma Mater’s role in keeping this small island state’s sanity on the right track is a good place to start. Compare our society to another social organisation - the ant colony: an aggregate and structured machine that works in tune to an organised core. The same for the state and our University. We have much to be proud of, but we must prepare our students to think critically to make the jump and move from data to information to knowledge to organised action. And this is where conscience appears. L’Università ta’ Malta IS the state’s conscience and has an obligation to society to guide, nurture and promote social change. Are we being reactive as against proactive? We have had some major impacts in changing society, such as the push-pull factors in studies on dementia, strategies on crime prevention, active ageing, medicine, architecture, chemistry, information and technology. However, has it shied away from public discourse and criticism of the PREFET (Politics, Religion, Economy, Family, Education and Technology) structures in order to keep safe from being in turn criticised? Have we sat on our laurels and hence suffer society’s anger at having waited too long to guide society along? Has society’s conscience gone dormant?