On Friday 22 November 2024, and closing another fruitful graduation season, the University of Malta conferred two Honoris Causa Degrees, with the two recipients being Chairperson of the ALIVE Charity Foundation, Mr Nicky Camilleri and former Maltese President, Dr George Vella.

Mr Nicky Camilleri, who received a Master of Letters degree on this occasion, graduated in Graphic Design & Interior Design from the Art & Design Centre in 1998 and entered the design and communications industry. He was quick to scale the corporate ladder and be appointed to senior management, and this experience was instrumental in the operations of his current endeavours. After a number of loved ones succumbed to cancer, and while cycling with his friend who is now the co-founder of ALIVE, he decided to change the research landscape forever by creating the ALIVE Foundation in 2013. The yearly cycle challenges in aid of cancer research took cyclists from Paris to London through Brussels and many more countries around the world, and has since then raised about 1 million euros to strengthen research efforts at UM in the field of cancer research.

Dr George Vella, who received a Doctor of Law degree on this occasion, was born in 1942. War featured prominently in his early recollections as a child who was brought up in Żejtun. He is a proud alumnus of De La Salle College, and he studied medicine at the University of Malta, as a diligent student whose hunger for knowledge went beyond the medical tomes he mastered. As a beloved family doctor, politics was a natural career path as he joined the Labour Party in 1976, being then elected to Parliament for the first time at age 36. He represented his district almost intermittently for eight legislatures. He also worked hard to advance the importance of security and prosperity in the Mediterranean. His tenure as Foreign Minister between 2013 and 2017 and as President between 2019 and 2024 were ground-breaking in that he practised his belief in a just world order built on multilateralism. His accomplishments are reflected in the many decorations and honours with which he has been bestowed, including the recent Gran Croce decorato di Gran Cordone, the highest honour from the Italian State, in a show of friendship and collaboration between the two countries.

Orations were delivered by Prof. Richard Muscat from the Department of Physiology & Biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery for Mr Nicky Camilleri, and Prof. Stephen Calleya from the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC) for President Emeritus, Dr George Vella.

Prof. Muscat gave an overview of Mr Camilleri’s foray into philanthropy and cancer research, upon deciding that he had to do something to tackle the lack of funding for research in this domain. “Nicky and the ALIVE Foundation have enabled us to make significant inroads in this field and with that he is a most notable recipient of the award of Masters of Letters by this alma mater.”

Prof. Calleya spoke about Dr Vella as an international statesman coming from a family of humble means, but also as an enabler for social mobility and economic development. His lasting legacy as a parliamentarian, Foreign Minister, and President, “contribute to a more just and peaceful world”, but it’s his “legacy of integrity” that is the most noteworthy of all.

The ceremony was attended by the current President of Malta, H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Bernard Grech.

The Coro Bel Canto & Orchestra provided musical accompaniment to the key moments during the ceremony.

It was live-streamed through the University of Malta’s social media channels. You may relive the highlights online.