University of Gibraltar Celebrate Official Opening of the Maritime Academy Simulation Centre
8 September 2026 | NEWS
The University of Gibraltar hosted the 3rd edition of the Research that Benefits Gibraltar Conference on 11th June. The event opened with a welcome address by our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Catherine Bachleda, who spoke about the research impact achieved by the University, highlighting that 85% of all published articles are in high-impact journals. Dr Darren Fa, Director of Academic Programmes and Research and Chair of the conference, reflected on the origins of the term research, derived from the French word recherche, meaning ‘to seek’, a fitting reminder of the spirit of academic inquiry.
Dr Fa then introduced the first session: the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Six of our early career researchers delivered concise, engaging presentations, each summarising their research in just three minutes. Topics included gaming and gambling addiction, marine science, and British identity. A panel of judges, comprising of Professor Catherine Bachleda, Dr Darren Fa, Professor John White, and Ms Julia Tibot (PhD student and last year’s 3MT winner), deliberated and announced Ms Evita Kypraki as the winner, for her research on the restoration of oysters in Gibraltar.
The main conference presentations were organised into four thematic blocks:
- Marine Science, featuring talks on marine organism health, the endangered marine limpet Patella ferruginea, and the restoration of the orange cup coral, Astroides Calycularis;
- Environmental Science, showcasing research on pallid swifts, land molluscs and their environment, and Gibraltar’s iconic Barbary macaques;
- Health Science, with presentations on risk behaviours in adolescence, screen time among adolescents, and a comparison of bariatric surgery versus medication costs in treating obesity;
- Business Research, covering green financing in the maritime industry and organisational change for sustainability.
The conference concluded with a Beacon Professor lecture by world-renowned historian Professor David Abulafia. His talk explored the enduring importance of the Strait of Gibraltar as a key maritime corridor, highlighting its strategic and economic significance across centuries of human history.
The complete book of abstracts and speakers’ bios can be found here .
For further details on RTBG 2025, please visit here .
We look forward to welcoming you for the next edition of Research That Benefits Gibraltar!
