Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/806571
44 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 APRIL 2017 @ maltatoday We are on Instagram Twenty pieces of local art and literature, brought together in an initiative undertaken by the Malta Airport Foundation, will be add- ing a dash of colour to passengers' journeys through Malta Interna- tional Airport (MIA). MIA is presently undergoing an ambitious reconfiguration pro- ject, with works being carried out in all four corners of the terminal. The project, which will extend into the next year, consists of several facility upgrades, includ- ing increased capacity at check-in and an enhanced security screen- ing area. All in all, the project is aimed at providing a better air- port experience for passengers upon completion. As works are in full swing, the airport has turned its construc- tion zones into a temporary art exhibition, featuring a delightful splash of creativity. Over the com- ing months, some of the hoarding being used to enclose certain ar- eas of the terminal will be show- casing the works of thirteen local artists; a combination of newcom- ers and more established ones. The works of these artists range from graphic design and photog- raphy to paintings and poetry, but all of the pieces celebrate the Maltese islands and sights that characterise them. Scenic Medi- terranean views and iconic spots around the capital, Valletta, make quite a few unsurprising appear- ances in the temporary exhibition, giving tourists an idea of where to venture for the best of Malta upon their arrival at the airport. The Malta Airport Foundation is committed to promoting local artists, and the aim of this ini- tiative is to provide some of them with a platform where to exhibit their work and reach wider and international audiences. If you happen to be passing through the airport in the coming days, do take a moment to appre- ciate local talent. But if you're not, you can still enjoy these works by following the airport's social me- dia platforms and looking out for the pick of the week from the tem- porary exhibition. Malta celebrates European Money Week This year's European Money Week, now in its third year, was officially launched this week by the Minister for Education and Employment, Evarist Bartolo, at St Nicholas College, Dingli Senior School. The European Money Week is a Europe-wide initiative of the European Banking Federation, aimed at promoting financial literacy and financial education amongst students and youths. A programme of events and activi- ties for this purpose was organ- ised by the Malta Bankers' As- sociation in collaboration with the Department of Curriculum Management's Home Econom- ics Seminar Centre, the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Central Bank of Malta, the Malta Stock Exchange and the Institute of Financial Services. Speaking during the inaugura- tion, Minister Bartolo said that "financial literacy education is an important tool to improve the financial capabilities of our stu- dents and communities in order to help develop a culture that shapes their habits and skills". In his address, the Secretary General of the Malta Bankers' As- sociation, James Bonello, said that it was essential to promote finan- cial education amongst students and youths from an early age, as the knowledge and skills acquired by them at that stage would serve them in good stead as they pro- gressed through life. Bonello said that two new initia- tives were included in this year's Money Week programme. The 'Financial Literacy Challenge' for Year 7 and Year 8 students aged 11 to 13 years saw participating school teams plan and implement an activity aimed at promoting awareness related to financial literacy, education and inclusion. Cash prizes awarded by the Malta Bankers' Association to the win- ning and second-placed partici- pating schools are to be used to fund initiatives related to finan- cial literacy. The other novel event focused on teacher professional develop- ment training. Home Economics teachers were invited to partici- pate in a seminar entitled 'Innova- tions in Financial Literacy Educa- tion'. This was aimed at equipping participants with knowledge, skills and competencies to address innovations in financial literacy- related topics within the Home Economics syllabus. Other activities forming part of the Money Week included an interactive 'Money Matters' pro- gramme for Year 6 students (age 10 to 11 years), and the 'Be Wise – Pay Smart' programme, which provides hands-on training on the use of ATMs and EPOS terminals for students undergoing the Core Curriculum Programme in Years 10 and 11 (age 14 to 16 years). Ar- rangements were also made for visits by Year 10 students to the Central Bank of Malta and the Malta Financial Services Centre. Bonello thanked the Department of Curriculum Management, the Malta Financial Services Author- ity, the Central Bank of Malta and the Institute of Financial Services for their valued support and coop- eration in organising these events. MIA construction zone turned into art gallery Kindred Group explores AI to detect problem gambling Kindred Group's (formerly Unibet Group) innovation arm, Kindred Futures, recently co- hosted a roundtable session in London to explore how ar- tificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can be used to help recognise patterns in player behaviour. Detecting signs of problem gambling at an early stage, greatly improves the ability to successfully prevent a contin- ued destructive gaming pat- tern. The discussions between leading academics, industry experts and Kindred's team of responsible gambling experts, focused on the value AI can have in modelling behaviours and changes in behaviour over time, to assess if a player is de- veloping a problem. Past research in responsible gambling has identified a num- ber of critical factors such as the amount a player stakes, the time s/he plays for, how they deposit money. However, each individual is different, indicat- ing that there is no universal solution to detecting problem gambling. AI and machine learning will potentially serve as a comple- ment to Kindred Group's award winning proprietary system PS-EDS (Player Safety Early Detection System), adding to the set of tools and systems used by the team of responsible gambling experts at Kindred. Thereby, Kindred hopes to fur- ther limit the small number of customers who see gambling as a challenge rather than a form of entertainment. Will Mace, Head of Kindred Futures said the discussion was "fascinating", bringing together experts from a number of dif- ferent fields. "The outcome was very en- couraging; we agreed there was significant potential for an AI capability to bring together and analyse many data sources to give a much improved abil- ity to detect signs of a develop- ing problem," he said. "We also agreed there was real value in doing this, both socially and commercially." The Secretary General of the Malta Bankers' Association, James Bonello, addressing the students and guests at the launch of the European Money Week.