The rectors of the University of Cyprus, Tasos Christofides, and the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Panayiotis Zafeiris, emphasised the need for the immediate legislation for allowing public universities in Cyprus to offer English-language undergraduate programs.
In a joint statement, they highlighted that the long-standing issue of legislation to enable public universities to offer English-language undergraduate programmes has faced repeated delays, with indications that it may only be addressed in 2025 or later.
According to the rectors, objections to the proposal claim that offering such programs will undermine public schools, diminish Greek-language programs, and create competition with private universities. The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth has proposed various amendments to address these concerns.
“We want to clarify that offering English-language programs at public universities does not undermine public schools. Nor will the provision of a limited number of English-language programs in new cutting-edge disciplines diminish the availability of programs in Greek. Furthermore, there is no issue of competition with private universities. For us, offering academic programs is not a commercial activity; each university, based on its admission criteria, caters to different populations,” the rectors stated.
They described the Ministry’s proposal as balanced, with the necessary safeguards, and warned that suggestions for additional procedures would make it harder to offer the programs and eventually render them ineffective.
The rectors also expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, noting, “We are being overtaken by events.” They explained that European universities are rapidly offering joint programs in English through alliances, in which both the University of Cyprus and CUT participate. “Yet, in our country, we have been discussing for the past eight years what should be self-evident,” they said.
Read: UCY among top institutions in 8 subject fields for 2024
They stressed that if the goal is to have a robust public higher education system, legislators must support the developmental projects of public universities, which will not burden the state budget. They pointed out that European public universities have managed to seize opportunities for internationalization thanks to their flexibility and adaptability.
“Here, we have been debating for years, endlessly, about the basics—legislation crucial for the sustainability and development of public academic institutions,” they stated, urging lawmakers to move forward with the legislation for English-language undergraduate programs without delays or harmful amendments that could damage public universities.
Also read: CUT: €20k scholarships from the Sievert Larsson Foundation
Source: CNA
