New Cypriot college goals to go “all in” internationally

The newly-branded College of Limassol will see the present establishment – the Cyprus Worldwide Institute of Administration – change into built-in into UoL because the CIIM enterprise college.

The goal is to launch the brand new, greater college, additionally together with a tech and innovation college and an economics and finance college, with a extra “worldwide technique”.

“There are 11 universities right here in Cyprus, and with solely 1,000,000 folks – it’s a small market,” stated Theodore Panayotou, chatting with The PIE Information.

“In an effort to proceed to be aggressive at the moment, you must be worldwide and face that international competitors. That is the one area to play,” Panayotou continued.

The College of Limassol will goal to start its lessons in autumn in topics corresponding to enterprise administration, economics and finance, and knowledge expertise, with a minimum of a “quarter” of the coed physique being worldwide.

Then, Panayotou stated, the goal is to develop that quantity every year, with a 3rd being worldwide within the second 12 months and half by the third 12 months.

Later, faculties of regulation, social sciences and well being sciences can even change into out there.

Whereas the ambitions are very a lot worldwide, the brand new establishment can even look to make lasting ties with the local people.

Panayotou calls Limassol, within the south of Cyprus, fully totally different to the remainder of the nation, due to its worldwide flavour – vacationers flock to the nation yearly, and an increasing number of massive companies are establishing store within the metropolis.

“We undoubtedly need to be grounded out there right here as a result of there are lots of alternatives for internships for our college students, the place they’ll create good relationships with tech corporations, monetary corporations and delivery corporations, for instance,” Panayotou stated.

When it comes to worldwide recruitment, the college will begin primarily within the Center East and Southeastern Europe, and in addition look to the important thing market of China.

The Cyprus Worldwide Institute of Administration has already had quite a few Chinese language graduates, a few of which, Panayotou stated, have gone on to change into ambassadors and take senior positions in authorities ministries.

One setback that will come up regardless of the work alternatives out there throughout research – after six months, non-EU worldwide college students can work as much as 20 hours per week – is the shortage of post-study work alternatives.

“The large draw is the data, the contacts, and the relationships”

Non-EU college students will be unable to get post-study work visas resulting from Cyprus’ present guidelines; nonetheless, Panayotou insisted that this is not going to deter them from gaining benefits.

“The large draw [for opportunities] is the data, the contacts, and the relationships that they’ll make with corporations within the space – in fintech, in delivery, in tourism – there might not be a door that’s wide-open to the EU right here, however there’s a window to the remainder of the world.”

A brand new, principal campus is beneath development – resulting from be accomplished in 2026 – on the outskirts of Limassol, and in the intervening time the CIIM’s present campus can be in use for lessons. As much as 200 undergraduate college students and 150 graduate college students are anticipated within the first 12 months, along with the 250 graduate college students that can be transferred from the present CIIM packages.

An additional 50 graduate college students are additionally anticipated for the January consumption.

“We wish sustainable development that doesn’t hurt however enhances the coed expertise,” Panayotou famous.