BOV recognises engineering students excelling in their final projects

Christan Grech and Raisa Chetcuti are the first winners of the BOV award for engineering students. Set up last year as an integral part of the Bank’s collaborative partnership with the Chamber of Engineers, this award takes the form of a grant that is given to the engineering students, who in their final year projects, show excellence and innovation in their respective areas of studies.

In his brief introduction, Ing. Norman Zammit, president of the Chamber said that the engineer is the catalyst of change. He spoke about the Chamber’s position, which tallies with that of its European peers, vis-à-vis the clash between vocational and academic formation of engineers. Zammit emphasised that the formation of an engineer should be via an academic route, further substantiated by experience following graduation. He said that only in this manner will an engineer be prepared to solve tomorrow’s problems.

Joyce Tabone from PR & Marketing at Bank of Valletta expressed the Bank’s satisfaction at introducing this grant for promising students as part of the collaboration between the bank and the Chamber. “This relationship goes beyond the financial support received by the Chamber from the bank. It is about the synergies created, and the educational clinics that are organised for the Chamber members, in order to enable them to take more informed decisions about their financial future.” Tabone added that the introduction of the grant fits perfectly with the bank’s focus on education as part of its Corporate Responsibility. She ended her intervention by inviting the winning students to share their experience studying overseas and make their contributions as to how the bank’s relationship with the Chamber can be further enhanced for the benefit of the Chamber members.

Christian Grech is a graduate in electrical and electronics engineering, currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree, while actively participating in a collaboration between the Department of Microelectronics and Nanoelectronics and the Magnetic Measurement section at CERN. Grech is carrying out research on magnetic modelling, system identification and real-time magnetic measurements in synchrotrons. His project is focused on humanmachine interfaces, investigating how they could control a robotic arm manipulator to assist movement of individuals who have lost the use of a particular limb.

Raisa Chetcuti is the other winner. A mechanical engineering graduate, Chetcuti’s project looked at surface engineering of implant grade stainless steel to mitigate corrosion –wear damage to the surfaces of metallic hip implants, while increasing their longevity. She is currently pursuing her final year studies for a master of science in mechanical engineering and studying the tribocorrosion behaviour of coatings to be applied to the artificial hip joint in conditions which replicate more closely the human body environment.

Following the presentation to 2016 students, the shortlisted students for 2017 delivered a 10minute presentation of their project. The nominated students were:

Mechanical engineers:

Daniel Aquilina Marlon Attard, and Daniel Farrugia

Electrical Engineers:

Rachel Cauchi Jeanluc Mangion Geraldine Mifsud

ICT Engineers:

Nicholas Bonello Leander Grech, and John Napier

The winners for this year will be announced during the Annual Engineering Conference later on this month.