Policy strategies laud volunteerism, but critics frown upon ‘voluntourism’, which is travelling to so-called developing countries for short-term voluntary work. University of Malta researcher Dominik Kalweit, who is also a director of the Maltese NGO Kopin, and researcher Dr Stefano Moncada, unpack this phenomenon.
Dr Jonathan Spiteri spent the last three years talking to businesses from across Europe about the circular economy. He found that better policy would help them embrace the idea of less wasteful production.
In Malta, protests against plans to remove a row of iconic trees drew unprecedented crowds, leading authorities to promise to plant new trees and replant those found in the way of planned infrastructure projects. Emma Clarke looks into the science of tree replantation to see how feasible this would be.
Residents are generally willing to put up with the inconveniences caused by tourism because of its financial and reputational benefits. But is there a tipping point when tourism and leisure become unbearable? Having focused on Valletta as an urban planner, activist, and researcher, Dr John Ebejer warns against the risks of overtourism.
Can the university lead the way in shedding a dependence on fossil fuels? Renewable sources cover just over 7% of Malta’s energy needs, which must nearly double by 2030 to implement the draft National Energy and Climate Plan. Daiva Repeckaite traces how photovoltaic modules were rolled out on the campus’s roofs — and finds that to be sustainable, the community should love their ACs a little less.
From feasts to body image issues, eating is more than just staying alive. It makes us feel good and holds communities together. Nutrition and health bloggerMarisabelle Bonnici interviews researcher Dr Analisse Cassar and delves into the science of our attachment to food.
With a teachers’ union slamming pervasive overtime and salary injustice, while some policymakers are contemplating recruitment of teachers from overseas, it’s about time we stop and reassess: what keeps teachers going? Lara Calleja asks experienced teachers about the sense of purpose in their work.
Parathletes challenge expectations and break boundaries. Some of them reach their peak performance relatively late in life. Strong-willed individuals also defy diagnoses and social norms, as members of Malta’s paralympic movement and para-sport experts tell Daiva Repeckaite and Shruti Sundaresan.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disability which manifests with aches all over the body and profound fatigue, including headaches, sleeping problems, and difficulty concentrating. Miriam Calleja talks to people who try to make the most of their lives while being held back by this condition.
What we see on TV, in film, adverts, and music videos frames the ways we think about romance, coupledom, and the world. Isabelle Cassar Fiott talks to Prof. Brenda Murphy about how non-mainstream couples find an unexpectedly welcoming space in sitcoms.
