There will be repercussions for Cyprus universities that maintain collaborations with universities in Ukraine with the situation certainly taking some time to return to normal, Rector of the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) Professor Panayiotis Zaphiris said on Saturday.

The war in Ukraine is affecting Cyprus universities as long as there are Ukrainian students at them or have origins from areas affected or family in the war-torn areas. These students, he added, need our support.

There are also Cypriot students studying in Ukraine and we must find ways for them to continue their studies, Zaphiris, who is also the president of the Rector’s Council, added.

He also said student mobility and exchanges through Erasmus+ are also affected.

These are very difficult times and we express our support to the academic and research community of Ukraine and hope that soon they will return to conditions of normality and security, Zaphiris said, referring to research carried out with universities in Ukraine and Russia.

Asked what are the goals of the new Rectors’ Council, he said that “over time the vision for which we are all working, not only the new Council, is the transformation of Cyprus into a regional centre of academic education and research.”

The international orientation, he added, is implemented by attracting foreign students and researchers, offering attractive programmes of study in cutting-edge subjects as well as through their participation in European and international networks to enhance collaborations and synergies at academic, educational and research level.

Certainly, he said, there are challenges with the continued changes due to the pandemic. During 2020-2021 we saw the need for adaptability and flexibility on the part of academic institutions to continue fulfilling their mission in new conditions.

Regarding Cypriot universities, he said the most fundamental challenge is the current legislative framework that needs to be updated the soonest.

Zaphiris also said that one of the main aims of the Council is to promote the quality of research.

“The situation has helped to highlight the crucial role of scientific research in offering practical solutions in resolving modern challenges, like in the case of the pandemic,” he said and praised universities in Cyprus for the contribution of their scientific community and the trust shown by the state in the results of the research and in the scientific opinion for decision-making.