Reading Reaction #3: Mediterranean Food

As an American, I have a romantic view of the Mediterranean as a place of “sun kissed rurality” (Billiar). With the ICEX team’s flight to Malta quickly approaching, I am becoming more and more excited for the month we will be spending there. I am looking forward to the entire trip, but am most excited for the food as this is always the best part of international travel. With my stereotype of the Mediterranean, I thought I would be enjoying various pastas and soups filled with sundried tomatoes and flavorful herbs. Unfortunately, as is the case with Malta, stereotypes do not hold true for every member they are applied to. While Malta’s cuisine has significant traces and influences from traditional Mediterranean cuisines, it also has influences from many other cultures. This unique mixing of cuisines is due to Malta’s strategic geographic location. Malta’s location is a transition between Europe, western Asia, and Northern Africa. This has led it to be influenced by many different countries and cultures through interactions and colonization (this includes the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Sicilians, Knights of St. John, and British). Upon learning that Malta’s cuisine was influenced by so many cultures, I became even more excited because I believed that they would just take the best parts of each culture’s cuisines and combine them into many amazing dishes that I have never tasted before. Loving food as much as I do, I naturally chose to read the recommended texts relating to Malta’s food culture. Unfortunately, these readings relate the current state of Malta’s cuisine. In When tradition becomes trendy: social distinction in Maltese food culture Elise Billiar states that “Malta’s young republic is … reproducing the Western romantic notion of the Mediterranean in its search for its own roots”. As a nation confused about its past, Malta is trying to become what is projected onto them by Western Nations. This is sad, because Malta has a diverse past and could be embracing all of the different cultures that have affected it over the years. By doing this, Malta would also be closer to finding its roots.

On a different note, the stereotype situation is quite interesting. At first I had a stereotype of what the food would be like, but I learned about Malta’s past and thought that it could be much more. With more research, I discovered that Malta is trying to adopt the stereotype that I originally had. It is important to note that although they are trying to adopt traditional Mediterranean cuisine, they still have influences from nations that have ruled the island. Also, I will describe some of the steps Malta has taken that are leading to more traditional Mediterranean cuisine. 100,000 olive trees were planted to produce olive oil when Malta has never had olive trees or olive oil. While this is done in part for money (Malta has a climate suitable for olive trees), it depicts Malta’s trend towards becoming the vision that we have of the surrounding region.

Malta's Sense of Self

It is quite remarkable to see how large of an influence and impact religion has on the tiny island of Malta, especially in more recent history. A 90% Christian population is not a statistic to be overlooked, and is one that falls in the top 20 countries that have high Christian percentages. As such an overwhelmingly large percentage of the people are Christian, it has become a defining factor of being Maltan since the times of St. Paul. The (relatively) recent sense of independence that Malta has experienced has produced a constitution that allows for “freedom” of religion, but at the same time declares Christianity (Roman Catholicism) as a state religion. For me at least, these seem nearly contradictory. Having a state religion established means that the government, in a way, expects the Maltese to be Christian. This leads to political decisions being aimed towards what may be religiously “correct” (i.e. ones that may promote religious ideals rather than ones that may progress the country as a whole: realize these two are not always correlated). I realize that this is simply the norm in Malta, and is likely generally regarded as a perfectly acceptable and reasonable method of making decisions. It is simply difficult for me, a member of another country which is in many respects different from this religious extreme, to understand how it has become the social norm.

In a bit of irony, the other largest defining aspect of being Maltese, based on a few of the readings, is the Maltese language itself. An extremely small number of people speak it in the world, making it unique and its speakers identifiable. The irony comes from its origins: the Arab invasion in 870 CE. This left an Islamic influence on the Maltese culture during that time which has propagated and can be seen in various aspects even today including the naming of some towns and villages. The fact that these influences are Arab in nature, conflicts with the extreme part of the culture that is now Christian. If being Maltese means pulling from conflicting ideals, it is interesting that it persists (a bit of what Dr. Gambin spoke about) throughout the culture.

Furthermore, this strong sense of belonging and the specific identifiers that the Maltese use in present day are quite different to Malta historically. Malta, being a pit-stop along trade routes and a country that has simply been ruled by the current world power (which has switched many times), has had a difficult time establishing traits that set it apart from other areas of Europe. It has simply been mainly an extension of other cultures. But since gaining its independence, it has developed a sense of self. It uses the traits discussed above, and has very recently (2004) joined the EU as its own nation. These steps of independence mark important milestones in Malta’s development. To quote Dr. Gambin again, Malta is in a state of adolescence as a country, and is still “finding itself,” which I find extremely interesting.

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http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127324.htm

http://www.guidetomalta.net/malta-culture/maltese-culture-religion/

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080726/opinion/true-maltese-identity

http://www.maltabulb.com/maltese_culture.html

Abstract: Current Challenges

As a country recently admitted to the EU (March 8, 2003), Malta is currently facing many challenges and opportunities. Since its admission to the EU, Malta has been working to meet the standards that the EU requires of all of its members, including a minimum of twenty percent RES by 2020. Also, with its strategic geographic location in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta plays an important role in terrorism prevention. This set of circumstances provides Malta with room for a surprising amount of political power for such a small nation. What is Malta doing to create RES, what have they done to prevent terrorism, and how has their recent situation affected their power in global politics since their admission to the EU.

Tourism shapes industry - Abstract

The development of a country is often measured through the success or lack thereof of the industrial sector. Through continued dependence on foreign support Malta failed to develop in industry and technology until after its independence in 1964. In addition, industrial growth has been limited by the lack of natural resources available on the island - water and energy are limited. By considering the natural resources available, the history of industry on the island, and analysis of its current economic status, the impact of tourism on the country can be assessed. In Malta, tourism is an important economic contributor and has shaped the more recent industrial development. Tourism is important to the island of Malta given how industry has been formed around it, however, this has been a detriment to the islands technological development. These detriments can be seen through the struggle with natural resources of water and oil, the absence of manufacturing prior to 1959, and the absence of a unique industrial field.

How Minority Groups in Malta are Kept Oppressed and Potential Solutions through Education

Abstract

Women have had an extremely difficult time gaining equality in many scenarios in Malta, especially those in STEM fields. Likewise, various minorities have also struggled to gain equal rights and opporunities. Physical abuse or simple lack of education are a couple of the many factors that keep these minority groups where they are in the social ladder. In addition to exploring further causes to how and why these groups are kept as lower class citizens than the working white male, I hope to uncover potential progress in more contemporary scenarios, as well as possible solutions. While I am a fan of further and complete education to solve problems including these, other methods are brought up and discussed through various sources, so I anticipate a wide variety of options.

Annotated Bibliography

Attard, G. (2010, June 16). Maternity, paternity leave – the other side of the coin. Retrieved February 6, 2011, from National Council of Women of Malta: http://www.ncwmalta.com/maternitypaternityleave

This article, written by president of the National Council of Women of Malta, stresses the importance of equality for women with dependent children in the workplace. Even recently, there is an overwhelming gap between employment rates of men compared to that of women (over 25%). In the article, Attard stresses the importance of keeping women in the labor market: mainly due to the fact that when women are forced to leave jobs due to pregnancy, they often do no return. This article in particular will be useful in my research because it is a prime example of how women are far from equal to men (in the workplace in particular). It also provides slight suggestions to go about possibly remedying this problem in the Maltese society. Unfortunately, it is only one of the many problem areas that women face, but, according to Attard, is one on the forefront of being remedied. I believe that the solution will be a stepping stone to fixing various other problems as well, so I understand Attard's focus and commitment.

Attard, G. (2008, July 25). Sending a strong message against violence – More action for less violence. Retrieved February 6, 2011, from National Council of Women of Malta: http://www.ncwmalta.com/councilviews?id=6

Another large problem women face is one of domestic violence. Statistics show that "one in three women will be victims of violence during their lifetime" and that "more women die from the consequences of violence than from cancer." This is a horrible problem that women face in not just Malta but Europe as a whole. It is also a problem that creates fundamental problems of equality between women and men: one that cannot be overcome without significant outside influence. It is a problem that perpetuates the dominant image of the male. This is an extremely important point in my research and gives one fundamental cause (or continuation) of this drastic inequality. I think the method of solving this problem provided by Attard is an important: one that is the responsibility of all society to combat, which I believe will play a large role in my research.

Caruana-Dingli, M. (2005). Integrating ICT and multicultural aspects within a classroom: the SAIL project. Intercultural Education , 16 (4), 395-404.

This article focuses on using Information and Communication Technology in the classroom to more effectively teach, but more importantly, stress the involvement and education of minority groups. There is an important overlap here between minority groups and technology, although maybe not the traditional one (in the workforce). This article brings education into the picture, which I would also like to focus on somewhat for my research project. Fundamentally, I believe with better, or maybe more appropriate, education, many problems that exist can begin to be dissolved. Notably, when the education of minority groups is becoming more effective, which is where the SAIL (Specialized Animated Interactive Learning) program becomes important.

Fenech, D. (1999). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 457-463.

Fenech, D. (2000). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 458-461.

Fenech, D. (2001). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 361-364.

Fenech, D. (2002). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1033-1036.

Fenech, D. (2003). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1026-1028.

Fenech, D. (2004). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1078-1083.

Fenech, D. (2005). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1119-1123.

Fenech, D. (2006). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1198-1200.

Fenech, D. (2007). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1038-1040.

Fenech, D. (2008). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1071-1073.

Fenech, D. (2009). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1047-1051.

Fenech, D. (2010). Malta. European Journal of Political Research , 1089-1094.

The above twelve articles are going to used essentially as a single reference. They are mostly short articles of statistics about demographics within Malta over various years. These statistics include significant amounts of data about elections and political proceedings throughout their respective years. What I found interesting, and hope to use to my advantage, are the statistics about the political offices held during each year. Also provided (and arguably the most important part to me and my research project), is the gender of the office holder. I think it will be interesting and insightful to compare all of the years provided to one another to see if female prevalence in political offices increases at all over the 12 years I have. Also noted in the last 6, are prevalent issues in national policies throughout the year: these may touch on issues both about women and people of color, which would aid towards my project.

Knepper, P. (2009). The 'White Slave Trade and the Music Hall Affair in 1930 Malta. Journal of Contemporary History , 44 (2), 205-220.

This article focuses on the 1930s in Malta which aroused allegations of prostitution of English women who were present due to jobs at the Music Hall. These happened to be false, but spawned an investigation of these types of practices which aimed at foreigners. This article is especially interesting because the military forces from Britain that came in to deal with the problem shifted focus to the “immoral character of women” rather than the problem at hand. This is a point which has many implications and will hopefully contribute to my research project with some useful points. This Music Hall Affair did not end up directly affecting human rights for immigrants coming to Malta, but showed the fears of foreigners in the face of a “limited world view” as shown by those in the military.

Primary and Secondary Education in Malta

Abstract:
The Maltese compulsory education system has many differences from the American system, one of the most noticeable being the multiple levels of secondary education. In order to facilitate the transition of students from primary school to secondary school traditionally educators use standardized examinations, known as the Junior Lyceum examination in the case of public schools, and Common Entrance examination in the case of private and church run schools. Since there are separate levels of education in Malta, entrance examinations can affect a student's course of education, as well as their eligibility for higher education. These exams also affect a slightly higher number of men than women since girls' schools run by the church are mostly continuous from primary to secondary school. Such examinations are fairly controversial, and 2010 has even seen the demise of the Common Entrance examination. The exams have been relied upon less and less since their creation, with the eventual goal of complete abolition of these tools in the transition of primary students into secondary education.
Bibliography
"Assessment of Learning - Extracts from the Junior Lyceum Entrance Examination Reports."CMeLD Website. Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .
The Maltese government has provided past Junior Lyceum examinations as well as reports on the findings and statistics from these examinations. Such information could be useful, especially if any relevant connections to race and gender can be made.
Bonello, Gerard, and Charles Mallia. Times of Malta 1 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
Bonello and Mallia write about the removal of the Common Entrance Examination (CE), used in placing students into private and religious secondary schools. The article will be used for its information on the historical development of the CE and its role in the transition between primary and secondary education.
Malta. Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. Department of Information, Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
This source is a report put out by the Maltese government on the transition between primary and secondary schools. It contains comparisons of Maltese standardized tests to those in other countries, as well as comparisons between different Maltese schools.
"STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MALTA." STUDY IN EUROPE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ARTS, BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, ENGINEERING, MBA, SCIENCE. World Higher Education Database (WHED). Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .
This source contains basic information on the structure and flow of the Maltese education system. It is a little sparse, but contains some information that the other sources do not, such as progress to the University level.
Welcome to the Ministry of Education - Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
More general information about the Education system of Malta, some of which is not contained in other sources. This includes details on education for low achievers, teachers in Malta, and adult education.

The History of Malta

Abstract

The long and unsteady history of Malta has shaped its culture into a unique blend of mainland European and Mediterranean influences. These influences have reached deep into what Malta is today and is evident in Malta’s economic, political, educational and religious values. As Malta has progressed throughout histories many twists and turns, it has been molded by many other civilizations and each contributing in its own way to the culture we see today. Keeping this in mind, it is quintessential to look at a broad spectrum of Malta’s history to fully apprehend this unique culture while playing close attention to how Malta was shaped by events that changed the world. In addition, this research based project of Malta’s history will be critical to the ICEX program and will allow the group to gain a wider scope of what it means to be a global engineer before ever setting foot in Malta.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Attard, Sonia, Peter Prictoe, Joseph Vella, and Alexander Borg. "HISTORY [aboutmalta.com]." AboutMalta.com – All about Malta and the Maltese Islands. Ed. Martin Debattista. 28 Aug. 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. .

The website aboutmalta.com is an incredible resource ranging from women's rights to history in the middle ages. Many of the sub-articles written on this website are by technical writers, like Alexander Borg, who work for government agencies, increasing the website's credibility. However, some of the posts are based on one person's opinion but these articles are easy to spot and offer a good perspective on the way the people of Malta view their own country. What I am finding most useful is the related topics section ranging from: Art, folklore, government and politics, language, literature, religion and tourism. These articles offer a contemporary look at Malta's recent history and by looking at each of these related topics I will be able to piece together a more modern look of what it means to be Maltese. I think it is very useful when studying history to deconstruct how the people live now in order to see where it may have stemmed from in the past. This website will be vital to my connection between Malta's deep history and how that history has influenced the Maltese people today.

2. Grove, Dr Eric. "The Siege of Malta in World War Two." BBC - History - World Wars: The Siege of Malta in World War Two. BBC. 08 Sept. 2010. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. .

The BBC, or The British Broadcasting Corporation, is the largest broadcasting network in the world. This alone builds on its credibility as I doubt a large news network would intentionally alter historical facts. This article is a crucial component in understanding Malta's involvement in World War II. What really makes this article unique is that it is written from a British perspective. The Siege of Malta paints a picture of a tiny island struggling to stay afloat. Malta played a key role in the "Mediterranean campaign". If either the Axis or Allies controlled Malta, it was a huge leverage on trade routes in the Mediterranean and thus supplies to the ground troops on both sides. This article shows a dominant image of Maltese history because if the Allies did not succeed in defending this tiny nation, Malta would have been captured by the Axis powers, forever altering the course of Malta politically, militarily, and economically among many others.

3. Hardman, William. A History of Malta during the Period of the French and British Occupations. Ed. J. H. Rose. London, New York, Bombay, and Calcutta: Longmans, Green, and, 1909. Google Books. Longmans, Green, and CO. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

This book of history in Malta is very specific to the years between 1798-1815. As many of my other sources have covered the beginnings of Malta up to the 19th and 20th centuries, I think it is vital to include this narrow timeline of dates due to the intense history changing events that took place between these years. This article focuses on the period of the French and British occupations in Malta and these occupations directly influence the culture of Malta (among many other things). These specific years signify a great change in Maltese history by becoming occupied by the French and then immediately followed by the British occupation until the 1960's until they gained full independence. What I found interesting about this book, and most useful to my project, was the brief discussion on Napoleon in regards to Malta becoming prosperous as a result of Napoleon's conquests. Considering this book was written within 30 years of Napoleon's conquest and by a Maltese citizen, I think this would be a great addition to my resources and a unique view on Malta's history.

4. Olson, James Stuart, and Robert Shadle. Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism. New York: Greenwood, 1991. Google Books. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

The Historical dictionary of European imperialism gives a good overview of the main events in Maltese history. This source does not go into a deep explanation of each event but would be considered a timeline. This book is very helpful because it clearly defines the major events of Maltese history and moreover it shows which time periods were pivotal in the economic, political and military developments. In particular, and what I find most helpful about this timeline is the emphasis on 19th and 20th century history in Malta. This is far more relevant to our trip to Malta as these more recent historical events will probably hold more weight in shaping the countries outlook on subjects like politics, economics, education, morality and ethics. Although I am not directly researching these topics, an important aspect of these topics, and a question I can potentially help answer is, what aspects of Malta's history has shaped the way these topics have developed? Overall, this book will be very useful as a guide in which aspects of Maltese history play a prevalent role in Malta as we know it today.

5. Order of the Knights of Malta. 2005. Google Video, 16 Mar. 2007. Web. 8 Feb. 2011. .

The Order of the Knights of Malta radically shaped Malta in the 16th century CE. The Knights of Malta brought a new emphasis on religion and highly contribute to the Catholic dominated islands comprising the country of Malta. The almost 300 year influence by the Knights of Malta is surely worth exploring into further detail. This documentary not only highlights the Knights of Malta but also to the very beginning of when the organization was formed. Many of the defensive structures seen on the islands of Malta, specifically the Fort St. Elmo, in Valletta, the capital of Malta, were constructed as a result of the Knights of Malta. Aside from the increased fortifications, the Knights of Malta heavily influenced the styles of art to early Baroque as evident from the documentary. This documentary adds an enormous database of facts, pictures and depictions while incorporating the history of both before and after settling in Malta. I think this documentary adds a great deal to my research project because we will be dealing with many of the cisterns and structures in Malta and it is imperative that we understand the deep history of these structures and how they may have been introduced by these early settlers.

HMS Russell - British battleship to Maltese shipwreck

Abstract

Malta’s unique location in the Mediterranean has made it a strategic and coveted spot for many years. Because of this, military endeavors have played a big part in shaping its history. In addition, because of its nature as a small island nation, Maltese culture and industries have a strong connection to the sea. Due to both of these facts, it is important to have an understanding of some of the naval history related to the island of Malta. There are a number of shipwrecks off the coast, which provide a good starting place for this. The HMS Russell – which is the ship the ICEX team will help investigate – was a British battleship built in 1901 and served it WWI before hitting a mine in 1916 and sinking off the coast of Malta. Because of the deep resting place of the HMS Russell today, no dives to it were attempted until 2003. The ship lies upside down and the stern section is missing, but there is still a lot of history intact on the wreck and presumably much more to discover.

Annotated Bibliography

1. "Duncan Class Battleship." World War 1 Naval History. 1998-2011. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. .

This article gave a good overview of the 5 Duncan class ships and gives dates, figures and specifications on these and how they differed from other ships of that time period. It also gives a brief overview of the service that each of the ships performed in WWI, which is less detailed than some other sources, but provides a good comparison. Given there are a number of other resources which cover some of the specific events in more detail, I thought this source was still helpful at giving that broader perspective.

2. Grech, Herman. "Throwback to WWI: Diving Team to Try and Locate HMS Russell." The Times21 Aug. 2001: 44. Web. 05 Feb. 2011. .

This is a newspaper article from 2001 about the proposed dive that the Starfish Enterprise did to the HMS Russell. I thought it was interesting to hear the story before the dive and what kinds of things they already knew about the wreck and be able to compare that to the information after the dive. One of the other resources I found documented the dive that they talked about in this article, so it provides a good connection. I think this is also a good source to use because the facts are much more likely to be confirmed and accurate (compared to most of the other information on this topic, which is just from various websites). It also shows that this shipwreck was of importance to Britain still to make it into their newspaper.

3. "HMS Russell." Shipwreck Films. 2006. Web. 05 Feb. 2011. .

This source gives a brief background history or the HMS Russell and then goes into much more detail about the first dive (by the Starfish Enterprise team) to capture video and identify the ship. This is very helpful as we will be doing something similar (only with robots instead of divers) so we can compare their methods and results and have an idea of what to expect. There were also helpful details related to this including the visibility in the water at various depths, which is essential to know given our AUV can't dive all the way to where the wreck lies on the bottom. In addition to the written description and some pictures, there are also two videos from their dives to the HMS Russell, which I feel would be good to show to the other ICEX participants (again to get an idea of what to expect and see what almost 100 years underwater has done to such a magnificent battleship).

4. "MaritimeQuest - HMS Russell Message Board." MaritimeQuest. 2009. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. .

This source is actually a message board from the MaritimeQuest – a website dedicated to naval and shipping history. I would normally be skeptical of using such a source since anyone can post whatever they want, true or not. However, one of the members posted several scanned newspaper clippings from the London Times as well as telegrams from the year of the shipwreck which talk about the incident. I think those would be very valuable sources to include as they give a historical perspective and a firsthand look at what people thought about the incident during that time.

5. Rickard J. "HMS Russell." Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. 5 Nov. 2007. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. .

This source is very helpful in giving a more detailed history of the HMS Russell’s service during WWI before being sunk 1916. It also gives a nice, quick overview of the ship and it’s specifications in a table laid out at the end of the article. However, it is missing much in the way of history from when it was first built in 1901 and when it served in 1914. It also doesn’t say much about the actual wreck or what happened that made it sink near Malta. Given most of that information is readily available in other sources though, I think that is a valuable resource to include to get the WWI time period (prior to the sinking of it) covered.

Archeological Knowledge of Cisterns and Water Management in Malta

Abstract
Water is a vital resource for life to survive in all environments. The Maltese have been struggling with the lack of water as far back as 3000 BC. My research analyzes how the Island of Malta has handled the water crisis throughout many centuries and continues to handle it today. Through analysis of research in books by Garry Hogg, Quentin Hughes, and a few others, I have found that Malta designed its water management system around the uses of cisterns throughout local communities and large temples. These cisterns primarily were designed as water tanks to become the primary source of fresh water during the dry summer months and were replenished with fresh water during the rainy season. Malta’s terrain is very rocky and largely composed of limestone. This prevents the absorption of rainfall leading to the majority of this water escaping as run-off to the Mediterranean Sea. With the construction of the Wignacourt Aqueduct during the 16th century which transported fresh water from Mdina to Valleta, the new capital city of Malta, water resources became more accessible allowing for agriculture to advance beyond what it was previously capable of. The cisterns were used for many centuries as the main source of storage of fresh water. Even today, thousand year old cisterns are still used for irrigation and plumbing (usually not drinking due to bacteria). As technology advanced in the 19th century, the Maltese now use desalination methods to support the countries need for fresh water. Desalination methods account for about 50% of the fresh water in Malta. This project dives deeper into the analysis of how the water crisis in Malta has impact the culture and the development of water storage methods from 3000 BC till now.

Abstract and Biblio: Science and Engineering in Malta

Brig Bagley

ES 410

Abstract and Annotated Bibliography

10 Feb. 2011

Abstract

Education in Malta for science and engineering has only recently developed into the state we see it today. With most of today’s scientists and engineers in Malta under the age of 35, we see that Malta has made many important changes in its approach to technology. The Malta Council for Science and Technology oversees the scientific advancements of the state, not quite dictating, but certainly directing what areas researchers and educational institutions. Historically, Malta has had many early engineering feats, primarily within the areas of architecture and defense (being a small country geographically located in a prime position in the Mediterranean). But only until recently has the country made a more radical shift in producing more scientists and engineers. Although technology is becoming a more popular profession, it still remains a minority, with business, law, humanities, art, and education remaining the dominant professions. Due to its resources, location, and history, Malta focuses on professions that can easily compete in the global economy (such as business and law) and uphold it as a valuable contributor to the world’s needs.

Annotated Bibliography

Mayo, Peter, Pace, Paul, and Zammit, Edward. (2008). “Adult education in small states: the case of Malta.” Comparative Education Vol. 44, No. 2., pp. 229-246. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group.

This paper discusses how the small-scale dimensions of the state of Malta affect the types of education available for adults, as well as the methods of education used in the state. In order to best utilize its resources, Maltese educators often serve in multiple educational positions, covering many topics. Also an important part of the system is the focus on enabling public participation and global community. This information might be useful in determining how the education of scientists and engineers is affected. However, since this is education in general, there will likely not be much evidence supporting the proposed thesis.

UNESCO International Science, Technology, & Environmental. (2003) “Malta Council for Science and Technology.” Education Newsletter Vol. 28, Issue 3/4, pp 18-19.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology is a part of the Maltese government that oversees the science and technologies within the state. This short description describes the purposes and goals of the council. This will be very useful in pin pointing the state of education in science and engineering in Malta because it is likely that this council influences governmental decisions that affect the education system in these areas. The council probably encourages schools to focus on certain technologies and likely proposes funding for these particular areas. Unfortunately, this article is very short. There will only be a small amount of information to support my thesis.

“BP teams up with chemical and food giants on biofuels facility.” Professional Engineering. p 12. 28 June 2006.

Although this article is very short and does not address very much about Maltese education, there is one fact mentioned that I find particularly interesting and useful: “Malta has the youngest population of all, with more than half of its scientists and engineers aged 25 to 34.” This means that Malta has only recently started pushing for more scientists and engineers. With this information, I can now use some history of Malta to try to determine why this push happened, and why it was only recently.

Connect: UNESCO International Science, Technology & Environmental. (2000). “THE STATE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN MALTA.” Education Newsletter.Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p15. EBESCOhost.

Another short article, UNESCO describes some of the direct influence of the Malta Council for Science and Technology on education for science and engineering. This will tie to the previously mentioned source that describes more in general the purpose of the council. The research project described in this synopsis is exactly the type of information I need to help me formulate reasons for the current state of education in Malta for science and engineering. Hopefully I will be able to track down references and sources that are related to this project.

Pollard, Justin. (2009). “The Eccentric Engineer.” Engineering and Technology. p. 18. 6-19 June 2009.

The author of this article explains that the earliest discovered evidence of engineering are in Malta. Because of this evidence, it is likely that the history of Malta’s science and engineering has taken a very different path from that of other countries around the world. Perhaps the recent jump to modern science and engineering was related to the country’s hesitance to deviate from traditional and long used methods of science and engineering. I would need to find evidence to support this claim, which might mean that this article doesn’t really help draw any conclusions.

Griffin, Joe, PhD., Ryan, Kevin. (2010). “Broadening the Education of Software Engineers – some lessons and pointers.” University of Limerick. IEEE.

Griffin and Ryan explain a method of collaboration between computer science students in a few different countries, including Malta. The methodologies correspond well with Global Engineering, as far as working with different cultures and understanding science and engineering from a more global perspective. Although the discussion of this article is relevant to the class and is lightly connected to Malta, it will probably not serve very well as a source in determining the state of Maltese education in the sciences and in engineering.

Progress Report #1: Malta – Becoming a Scientist/Engineer in Malta

Progress Report #1

Brig Bagley

Malta – Becoming a Scientist/Engineer in Malta, Historical and contemporary pattern, roles and status

Malta is a small country in the Mediterranean that has actually had quite an interesting and unique history—despite the little to no attention US history and education gives it. Although it is one of the smallest countries in the world, it is one of the most densely populated countries… about four hundred thousand in 121 square miles. Because Malta is such a compact country, as well as it being in a strategic location in the Mediterranean, architecture and defense are two early-developed and mastered scientific or engineering areas.

First as a colony of Great Britain, then eventually as an independent republic, there are many similarities and differences between engineering in Britain.

The education system follows that of Great Britain, with primary and secondary schools. The primary level has an examination that determines religious or state schools. After secondary school, the students have the option to opt out of further work or to take the O-level exam and continue into a system similar to a Junior College. Following this, students take a matriculation exam (A-level exam) to determine if the student can enter into an undergraduate program at the University of Malta. Because Malta is similar to Britain in education, there is less pressure and more difficulty to enter into higher level education into areas such as science and engineering. However, Malta does not share the craftsmanship and apprenticeship history that Britain does, and therefore did not view science and engineering as a lesser profession like Britain did.

Malta has a long history of architecture, dating back into the BC era with primitive Neolithic temples. There is also a lot of influence by the Romans, and most recently, Britain. There is history with engineers in the mid 1500s at Fort St. Michael and Mdina during the Siege of Malta, where engineers were part of construction and destruction of architecture as a result of the siege. One of the most well-know engineers at about that time was Francesco Laparelli de Carotona, who designed the original City Gate, known as Prota San Giorgio. It was later replaced by the Maltese engineer Tommaso Dingli. When Britain was in control of Malta, another group of engineers built a new gate.

The basis of my project will focus on how the history of Malta has greatly affected its state, recognition, and use of engineering and science. The outside world has had a large influence on Malta and its current relationship with engineering. Although Britain has shaped its structure and educational path, other countries and necessity has encouraged growth and respect of many other areas of engineering, such as the military and architecture. In order to protect the state and compensate for the limited land and resources available, engineers had to conquer scientific battles. I will do more research in these areas to pin point what it is that has really formed the patterns, roles, and status of engineers.

“Siege of Malta. ” Wikipedia. . 27 January 2011.

“Malta.” Wikipedia. . 27 January 2011.

“Valletta.” Wikipedia. . 27 January 2011.

Research Project: History of Malta

Edit: 01/31/2010 Pictures added

History of Malta -- interactions with other countries and cultures;

defining national moments; Mediterranean? European?; role of Catholic
church; architecture; etc. plus current population demographics

Maltese Demographics:

The country of Malta consists of the three inhabited islands

of Malta, Gozo and Comino although it should be noted that there are quite a few more

islands that are significantly smaller and uninhabited. The islands are formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and Northern Africa.

Population: ~400,000 (extremely high population density at only 121 square miles)

Capital: Valletta (~half the population of Malta)

Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic 91-98%

Primary Ethnic Groups: Maltese with th

e seco

nd most population being British

Currency: The Euro (~1.36 USD: 1 Euro)

Current Maltese Flag:

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

The Maltese flag (1) was adopted September 21, 1964, the same day as Malta’s independence from Great Britain (2). The vertical white and red colors have their origins from the badge of the Knights of St. John (3)

When researching the Maltese flag, picture (4) came up on many occasions and you will notice the 4 white

arrows pointing to the center, a clear reference to the badge of the Knights of St. John(3).

Architecture:

http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=FA3UPqX-b14

After watching the aerial fly-through of Vall

etta, the capital city of Malta, it is clear that some type of limestone dominates the architectural layout of the buildings. The buildings here are very monochromatic and demonstrate the Baroque style found in Rome, Italy. The Baroque styl

e is characteristic of high ceilings, minute details and the most common shape of choice is the oval. To demonstrate these styles please note the pictures below of St. Johns Co-Cathedral located in Valletta, Malta. This cathedral exemplifies the Baroque style and was built in the late 16^th century following the establishment of the Knights of Malta.

The Roman Catholic Church took to this style

of architecture due to its larger than life feel, creating an awe-inspiring display of craftsmanship commitment to the smallest of details.

With the peaceful takeover by the British at the onset of the 19^th century, the style of architecture shifted away from the High Baroque style to a more “modern” style of neoclassical. Simply put, the lavish and dramatic architectural style of the Baroque era gave way to a more symmetrical, simple (by comparison), and calm architectural appearance of the neoclassical era brought from the British. One thing to note here is the differences are far more profound on the inside of the building as opposed to the façade or outside of the

building. To the untrained eye, these styles look similar but once you enter the building the architectural differences should become clear and distinct. A neoclassical example is provided below using the Rotunda of St. Marija Assunta (also referred to as “The Mosta Dome”) (5). This style is clearly an imitation of the world famous Pantheon of Rome, Italy (6).

(5) (6)

Sources:

Demographics

http://www.fact-index.com/d/de/demographics_of_malta.html

Flag Information

http://www.worldflags101.com/m/malta-flag.aspx

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/europe/malta.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Malta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venerable_Order_of_Saint_John

Architecture

http://www.airmalta.com/baroque_malta?l=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3UPqX-b14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Co-Cathedral

http://www.victorborg.com/html/architecture_malta___gozo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotunda_of_Mosta

http://www.mmdtkw.org/RT04-Pantheon.html

http://www.crystalinks.com/romepantheon.html

Progress Report #1: Education in Malta

My research will focus on primary and secondary education in Malta. I initially thought this would be a difficult area to do research on, but a quick Google search has shown that not to be the case. I was even able to find a report on the transition from primary schools to secondary schools, which also had some information on the structure of the primary and secondary education systems in Malta.

Some preliminary information: There are three sectors of compulsory education in Malta. The first, and largest, is the state school system. Primary schools (ages 5-10) are co-ed while the secondary (ages 11-16) schools are strictly single-sex. While schools that continue on from primary to secondary education, called “continuous schools”, exist in Malta, none of the state schools are continuous. Like many European countries, Malta has more than one level of secondary education. The highest is the Junior Lyceum to which admittance is granted based on an entrance examination. Those who do not pass the Junior Lyceum entrance examination are admitted to the more general secondary school known as a Area Secondary school. For students whose “levels of attainment” are still considered very low after primary education are sent to special schools.

The second largest sector is the Church sector. Education provided by the Church sector is free. Unlike State schools, primary schools are mostly single-sex, with some co-ed exceptions. All secondary schools are single-sex with most girls' schools being continuous and boys' schools being non-continuous. Admittance into non-continuous secondary schools is based on a Common Entrance (CE) exam and available vacancies.

The last sector is the Independent. These are private schools that charge a fee. The private sector offers both co-ed and single-sex as well as continuous and non-continuous schools. The non-continuous schools in the Independent sector are all primary schools and students must take examinations to enroll in either a State school or a Church school when they are ready to transition from their primary school. Since the Independent schools are fee-based, their admissions are not competitive.

Some of the subjects that are tested in secondary entrance examinations are Maltese, English, Mathematics, and Social Studies. Students are also tested on Religious Knowledge if their parents do not object.

The preliminary search for information on Maltese education has gone well but there is plenty more I would like to learn. For instance, there was a mention of “catchment areas” in regards to the Junior Lyceums without any explanation as to what they are or how they affect the rest of a student's education. Also, since students are educated in both Maltese and English, it would be nice to find a sample or preparatory exam as an example of what students are required to learn and study before entering secondary school.

Grima, Grace. Transition from Primary to Secondary Schools in Malta: A Review. 2008.

Malta?! A Guide to Education and Vocational Training. 2008. Ministry of Education, Malta.

Progress Report #1 - Malta's industry, technology, and natural resources

The focus of my report will be on the historical and current emphases of industrialization, natural resource use, and development in technology in Malta. I am curious to see how the changes in the city through industrialization lead to improvements in technology, and vice versa.

The natural resources available to the people of Malta are limestone, salt, and arable land. Thus, mining and agriculture are important parts of industry. However, one of the most socially and culturally important industries provides an almost negligible economic contribution; the Maltese fishing industry has been a significant part of the Maltese industry and culture. The beautiful weather found on the island of Malta is also a resource. Through the expansion of tourism, and Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, tourism has blossomed. This relates to the fishing industry, as local fresh seafood is a pride to local restaurants targeted towards tourists.

I believe the expanding tourist site has additionally affected both industrialization and technology. Tourism brings big changes to countries, especially small ones like Malta. There have been many cultural changes, as well as social “improvements,” better defined as changes. The mentality of a country changes with the tourism industry.

Malta first encountered statistical machines in 1950, when it purchased punched-card machines. This was the first time the government was able to take accurate statistics on the sectors of Malta's economy. This sparked an attention to improving technology, and upgrading of machines. More recently, Malta has been taking part in world wide telecommunications, establishing a large source of employment and revenue. The technology boom has been prevelent there, and “Malta is growing in the areas of customer service, support, IT development and sales and marketing” (Knights, 2008). This industry is popular as an export for other countries, because though it is more expensive than outsourcing to Africa, it is still much cheaper than paying people from other countries in Europe.

These are just snippets of information I have found about Malta's technological history, and industrialization expansion. However, I am struggling to draw the line between industrialization and historical facts, as well as technological improvements and industrialization. The lines have blurred with these subjects, providing me with an abundance of insightful facts.

Progress Report #1: Contemporary Controversies in Malta

As a member of the ICEX team my project will focus on Malta. I choose to research contemporary challenges and opportunities specifically related to the environment, power production, social/political controversies, role in European Nations (EU), role in counter-terrorism, and Malta’s vision of itself today.

Preliminary research has yielded some information that should make this project very interesting. While I have found many interesting facts and articles relating to my topic, most of them only scratch the surface of the issues and do not go into the depth of detail that I would like to see. Finding detailed information on the topics introduced above is proving to be quite a difficult task for a small country like Malta.

It is commonly said that Malta’s only natural resources are people and the sun. The people are the one and a half million tourists that travel to Malta each year, and the sun because it is sunny most of the year. I find this very odd because with sun as one of your only natural resources one would think that Malta would have an interest in renewable energy (such as solar power). However, Malta only produces 0.2 percent of its energy with renewable resources while the rest is produced with fossil fuels. Additionally, as part of the EU Malta is required to produce ten percent of its energy with renewable resources by the year 2020 - they do not seem to be making much progress. With limited natural resources, Malta should use what it has to its advantage and harness the power of the sun.

On a separate note, Malta became the smallest member of the EU in May 2004 which was a major partisan controversy at the time as the Nationalist party was in complete support while the Malta Labour Party opposed it. Since its admission to the EU, Malta has been enthusiastically involved with the EU and its decisions (except maybe renewable energy). In addition they have been quite involved in counter terrorism. With its strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is a desired operating location for terrorists and counter terrorists alike. But, in 2005 Malta and the United States committed over six million dollars to secure Malta’s borders and general security. Malta also allowed the United States use its land and harbors to repair equipment and for use in emergency situations. This increased the United States effectiveness in fighting the terrorists because they had repair facilities and headquarters close to the action.

Above was a quick overview of what I have found interesting so far. As I move forward with my research I would like to learn more about what actions Malta is taking to create green energy sources to comply with the EU, and hopefully find some interesting current economic and political controversies.

Following is a list of facts that I found interesting and related to my topic (United States demographic statistic in parenthesis): Malta has the densest population in Europe with about 3400 people per square mile (55), is 98 percent Roman Catholic (22%), has two official languages, growth rate of .42 percent (.87%), 94 percent living in urban areas (82%), and an immigration rate of 2.03 migrants per 1000 citizens (2.92). I do not know how these demographics affect the politics, policies, and other aspects of society in Malta, but I feel that they may be an important key to understanding the internal and international affairs and controversies of Malta.

Research Progress Report #1: Jennifer Batryn - Shipwrecks & Maritime Malta

I will be focusing my research on shipwrecks in Malta, and more specifically the archeological significance of the shipwreck site we will be investigating on the ICEX trip. I want to understand the history behind the ship and the events leading up to its demise. What does it say about Maltese relations with other countries and the technology of the time? I also want to get an understanding of how it ties in with present day Maltese culture and the significance of it today.

So far, I have not been very successful with my research. I know from talking with Chris Clark that the shipwreck we will be investigating is at a depth of approximately 100m, which is too deep for the Iver2 to go, but given the clear water and general good visibility, we are hoping that we can still get a good look at it from above. In addition, we will have ROVs that we can potentially use to aid in the investigation. When looking up shipwrecks in Malta online, the only thing that really comes up is information about the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck on Malta from biblical times. It is believed that he ended up near Malta and there seems to be a lot of meteorological and historical data that supports Luke’s narrative. That could be an interesting component to investigate further, but it is also not really the focus of what we will be looking at in Malta in relation to the ICEX project.

I also investigated WWII shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, but that returned a rather broad set of data (not may actually being directly associated with Malta) and most of the ships had very little information about them. In addition, I tried looking up information about shipwrecks that you can dive to. These were more related to Malta, but there was only very limited information available about the ships themselves (and more about the associated dives).

I am still waiting to get the exact name of the ship we will be investigating. I think that once I have the name, it will be easier to locate some relevant information. I also plan to try expanding my search in terms of where I am looking for information. I would like to try getting a hold of our archeological contact whom we will be working with there and seeing if I can some more information from him about the shipwreck. If those approaches are still not sufficient in obtaining relevant information, I think it might be helpful to expand my area of research to also include more about shipping in general in Malta and the importance and relation of the shipping industry with other countries.

References

White, Jefferson. "The Apostle Paul's Shipwreck on Malta." Evidence and Paul's Journeys - History, Missionary Journeys, and Life of the Apostle Paul. 2004. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. .

Malta Research Progress Report #1 - Billy McVicker: Malta's Cisterns & Water Management

Since I am an ICEX student, my country-based research project is focused on Malta and more specifically focused on the Archaeological Knowledge about Cisterns and Water Management. My research started out online reading through papers that I found on Google Scholar about water management and irrigation techniques in Malta. Most of these papers were about current events in the last 100 years and only a very brief sentence or two about the history of the water crisis. A reference in one of the papers led to me to library to skim through the book The Building of Malta 1530-1795 by Quentin Hughes. This book covers the architecture of Malta and the history of how the country was built. It also contains some history about cisterns. There were other books that I stumbled across that contained more information about the cisterns and other means of water management in Malta during the early development of the country. (Refer to the references of the names and authors of these books). I would definitely recommend my ICEX peers to check these books out due to the extensive knowledge in all areas about Malta. It was however difficult to find extensive research on cisterns and the development of them. Most of the books and essays that I read just mentioned that they were used and also mentioned the popular ones that were discovered.

A little history on Malta’s water crisis starts as far back as history records human activity on the island. This is estimated to be around 3,000 BC. I found that recordings state that Malta had a higher percentage of fresh water during this time, but about this time is when the supply of fresh water began to disintegrate due to the habitation of humans. Basically, humans began to remove vegetation in order to build communities. This change in terrain slowly caused the movement of soil during the rainy season, which is from August till March, creating a rockier landscape. With a rockier terrain, water was not easily absorbed by the earth and resulted in run-offs into the ocean versus absorption of the fresh water in the earth to fill up springs and natural underwater wells. It was about this time that the Maltese began to collect water through cisterns or tanks.

One of the popular discoveries of water supplies was the Misqa Tanks. These tanks were found to be about 200 meters inland from the Mnajdra temples. In the book The Building of Malta 1530-1795 by Quentin Hughes, it states that these tanks are a system of dug out water cisterns used to capture rainwater and transport it underground to the Mnajdra temples by solely using gravity. It is unknown when these cisterns were built because their construction is unlike other cisterns that fall in the categories Bronze Age, Roman, medieval, or modern. These tanks were designed to fill quickly by surface run-off during the raining season (Trump 1972).

Other cisterns have been found on the island of Malta and are described to be bell-shaped. Specifically, a series of cisterns in Luqu village were found and measured up to 3.4 meters in diameter and 4 meters deep. Two of the series of cisterns found contained Bronze Age pottery and Malta’s prehistoric vegetation (Trump 1972). Another example of how cisterns were used to manage the water crisis was a discovery of tanks that were found in the basement of houses. Each of these houses had a special channel that directed water from the roof to an underground cistern (Hughes 1956).

References

D. H. Trump (1972). Malta: An Archaeological Guide (Archaeological Guides).
     London: Faber and Faber
Hughes J. Quentin (1956). The building of Malta during the period of the
     knights of St. John of Jerusalem 1530-1795. London: Alec Tiranti Ltd.