For the university institutions that maintain research and other collaborations with universities in Ukraine and Russia, there will certainly be repercussions due to the crisis and it will probably take some time for normality to return, the new President of the Synod of Rectors and Rector of the CUT, Prof.
In an interview with CNA and asked how much the war in Ukraine affects Cypriot Universities, he replied that "certainly the war in Ukraine affects Cypriot Universities since there are existing students who either come from the affected areas or have family there and need our support".
"Also, there are Cypriot students who are studying in Ukraine for whom solutions need to be found[/B] to continue their studies," he said.
Attracting new students, mobility and exchanges through Erasmus+ programmes are also affected, Zafiris continued.
"For those university institutions that maintain research and other collaborations with universities in Ukraine and Russia, there will certainly be an impact due to the crisis and it will probably take some time to get back to normal. These are very difficult times and we express our support to the academic and research community in Ukraine in the hope that normalcy and security conditions will soon return," he added.
Asked what the new Bureau of the Synod of Rectors will focus on in the next two years and what are the goals, challenges and vision of the new Bureau, Mr. Zafiris said that "over time, the vision that we are all working towards, not only the new Bureau of the Synod, is the transformation of Cyprus into a regional centre of academic education and research".
"It is commonly accepted that university education in Cyprus - private and public - has made significant progress, our universities enjoy international recognition, contribute to scientific progress and are distinguished for their research work," he said.
At the same time, he said. Zafiris, their international orientation is implemented through the attraction of foreign students and researchers, the offer of attractive curricula in cutting-edge subjects as well as through their participation in pan-European and international networks to strengthen cooperation and synergies at the academic, educational and research level.
"There are certainly challenges, the main one being the constant changes in the landscape of higher education due to the onslaught of the pandemic. The 2020-21 biennium has strongly highlighted the need for adaptability and flexibility of academic institutions to enable them to continue fulfilling their mission in the new circumstances."
As far as Cypriot universities are concerned, Mr. "From time to time, efforts are made to address individual legislative issues that arise, but I believe that a holistic approach to this issue is needed. In my opinion, the Ministry in coordination with the Universities of the country must take the necessary initiatives for the modernization of the legislation concerning University education", he added.
In response to a question on how the ongoing pandemic is affecting the Cypriot Universities and how it affects the planning for the completion of the current academic year, Mr. Zafiris said that university education and specifically the Cypriot universities have proven that they are resilient.
"From the beginning of the pandemic, the universities, in consultation with the Ministries of Education and Health and following the decrees and the current health protocols, took decisions based on the character and particular circumstances of each institution. In any case, in our planning we take into account the protocols and our main concern remains the continuation of providing quality academic teaching in safe and healthy conditions for all," he added.
Collaborations to promote the quality of research
Asked about the research activities of the University Institutions and what was decided at the level of the Rectors' Meeting, Mr. Zafiris said that one of the main purposes of the Synod of Rectors is to promote the quality of research.
"In this direction we are working closely with the actors of the research and innovation ecosystem in our country - the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, the Research and Innovation Foundation, businesses and so on to coordinate our efforts in this direction. I can briefly mention that we participate institutionally in the dialogue on issues related to raising research funding from external sources, exploitation of results and commercialization of research and as universities we support actions to raise awareness of the Cypriot society on research and innovation", he added.
Asked how the Universities participated in addressing and mitigating the consequences of the crisis in the Cypriot society, Mr. The contribution of the scientific community and the confidence shown by the State in the results of research and scientific opinion for decision making was decisive. With the contribution of academics and researchers, tools were developed to enhance decision-making by state bodies and to provide reliable and scientifically valid information on prevention and management issues", he added.
As he said, "in response to their social mission, all academic institutions in our country sought to strengthen the State's efforts to deal with the consequences of the pandemic".
"In this context, initiatives were developed by Faculties and Academic Departments whose scientific subject was critical and useful in these efforts e.g. Medical Faculties and Faculties of Health Sciences and programs of psychological support and empowerment of citizens, medical and paramedical staff were operated. Without exception, we all made available the services of qualified academic and research staff as well as students to support these efforts."
Source: CNA
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