As revealed during the 2024 University of Malta Research Expo, which saw more than 200 original pieces of research being shared with the UM community, and following nominations by the Boards of Examiners for the Ph.D. theses submitted at UM in 2023/24, the University’s Doctoral School Board has, for the first time ever, selected and awarded two Outstanding Doctoral Theses.

This year’s awardees are Dr Ing. Ryan Bugeja (in the STEM category) and Dr Thérésia Penda Choppy (in the Humanities and Social Sciences category).

Dr Ing. Bugeja, who is a member of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, researched Wave Response Modelling and Innovative Cooling Technologies for Offshore Photovoltaics, under the supervision of Prof. Luciano Mule’ Stagno.

His thesis was found to be “original in conceptual thought, leading to two key innovations with industry applications in the field of offshore solar research, namely the development of a novel modelling software tool – Offshore Solar Irradiance Calculator (OSIC), and the production of a patented back cooling system for photovoltaic modules – IPCoSy concept. Funding was obtained for this research, and a patent was awarded for part of the work.

“I am grateful for this recognition, not just because it further validates my work in the field of sustainable energy, which will allow some to make better choices for our planet and future generations, but also because it gives me an extra push towards developing the thesis further and possibly pursuing licensing and commercialisation”, said Dr Ing. Bugeja.

As a member of the Islands and Small States Institute, Dr Choppy studied about  Creolization and Identity in Seychellois Creole Folktales under the supervision of Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, Prof. Ray Fabri and Prof. Dominique Lanni.

Whilst being elegant in prose and narrative, Dr Choppy’s thesis was found to be “engaging in so far as it seamlessly connected theory with practice.” Her thesis looked at oral folk tales from the Seychelles as insights into issues of interest to a wide audience, including multiculturality, colonialism and power relations, with their nuanced expressions of social class, religion, race and ethnicity. The work did not require corrections and produced several scholarly publications of note.

“Being part of ISSI and having such a solid support system at the University of Malta has been an absolute blessing. It has allowed me to explore my interests at length and depth, and this is just the beginning. Stay tuned because there’s more to come!”, Dr Choppy commented. 

Certificates together with a cash prize of €500 was presented to each of the awardees.

"I am pleased to see that outstanding doctoral theses are being singled out for a prize", remarked the Director of the UM's Doctoral School, Prof. Nicholas Vella.

On behalf of the entire University, the Doctoral School wishes to congratulate the two awardees for their excellent efforts!