Research
A Good Cause for Research
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Mario Cachia
hy should public, private, and non-profit entities invest in research? Several reasons exist. Firstly, research is key for our future. Research helps drive new knowledge that will improve the world. Society depends on research, across a wide range of disciplines, to strengthen our quality of life and sustain economic stability. By raising funds for University research the RIDT is surely not trying to reinvent the wheel. On the contrary, throughout Europe, the US and Asia RIDT CEO Wilfred Kenely (centre) receiving the €70,000 donation from Lifecycle chairman Alan Curry public universities are enhancing their (left), in the presence of Hon. Godfrey Farrugia, Minister for Health. Government funding through various initiatives to sustain important reSecondly, don’t you want to be part Research affects our day-to-day lives. search. Universities all across the globe of something bigger? You probably can- Though research discoveries take time appeal to public entities, private indi- not find the cure for cancer yourself, but and need constant investment to benviduals and NGOs to fund research everyone can contribute to make that a efit our society, we can come together and invest in our society’s future. possibility. As the University’s Research as a Maltese community by investing in Locally, we have just started scrap- Trust, we do not only want to attract big research for good causes. Ultimately, let ing the surface of fundraising for re- corporate companies or NGOs to do- us imagine a world where we have cured search. Recently, the RIDT received a nate money, but we also want you — the all major diseases, where we can move number of important donations which students, the alumni, the professionals, objects with our thoughts, and unravel shall serve to continue fostering local the workers, the parents, to realise that the mysteries of the universe.Imagine, research. In the first of its kind, we donating for research is a noble cause. A and let’s make it happen! received €55,000 from local NGO recent Christmas campaign at the Uni‘Action for Breast Cancer Foundation’ versity of Malta that was spearheaded RIDT is the University’s Research (ABCF), raised through the ALIVE by KSU, the UoM staff and the Chap- Trust aimed towards fostering awareCycling Challenge. They are being used laincy managed to raise €12,000 from ness and fundraising for high-calibre to launch a Ph.D. studentship in breast students, staff, and academics on cam- local research. We aim to achieve this cancer research. The Lifecycle Founda- pus. A third of these funds were donat- by raising funds for various research tion has also donated €70,000 towards ed to the RIDT, which were devolved projects undertaken at the Universikidney disease research. These NGOs to the Department of Anatomy. They ty of Malta. Please visit www.ridt.eu have followed a stream of public and will be invested in specialised research to donate and our Facebook page on private entities, as well as students, who projects focusing on specific strands of www.facebook.com/RIDTMalta for have been donating money for research cancer, such as leukaemias, sarcomas, more information about our latest events for the last three years. brain tumours, breast and colon cancer. and initiatives.
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