Cupboard’s choice earlier this week greenlighting the modification of a legislation to permit international college branches to function in Cyprus may very well be a ‘recreation changer’ for the island’s tertiary schooling, officers informed the Cyprus Mail on Thursday.
In keeping with the Cyprus Company of High quality Assurance and Accreditation in Greater Schooling (Dipae), the legislative change will permit for international universities to open and set up totally operational establishments in Cyprus.
“That is radically completely different from the way in which different international tertiary schooling establishments presently function in Cyprus,” a Dipae spokesperson informed us.
“At present, establishments like UcLAN or the American College of Beirut (AUB) in Paphos supply levels that both share curricula with their ‘motherships’ or present twin diploma programmes. Nonetheless, all levels obtained from such establishments in Cyprus are Cypriot levels, launched by universities established on the island,” the spokesperson defined.
The proposed legislative change will permit international universities to determine a presence and function independently on the island, awarding levels from their international locations of origin.
“Let’s say, for instance, Imperial Faculty needs to open a department in Cyprus,” the spokesperson stated. “Supplied the legislation will cross within the Home, they are going to be allowed not solely to do this however to award totally British levels. It’s a recreation changer.”
A supply on the schooling ministry’s division of upper schooling additionally confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that international universities could be allowed to determine official branches on the island.
“In the meanwhile, all universities in Cyprus that share their curricula and even their title with international ones should not branches, however autonomous establishments.
“To offer an instance, the American College of Beirut (AUB) in Paphos is now a separate entity from the precise one in Beirut. The brand new laws will permit for international universities to determine official branches of their very own establishments,” the supply stated.
“British universities are significantly on this risk since, after Brexit, it grew to become more and more troublesome to determine a presence outdoors the UK,” the Dipae spokesperson added. “In fact, that can occur supplied the legislative change will cross within the Home. In the meanwhile, particulars are nonetheless being ironed out.”
Schooling Minister Athena Michaelidou pressured the advantages of the amended laws, saying they align with the federal government’s broader efforts to improve and enhance the standard of upper schooling in Cyprus.
“The modification modernises the laws, promotes the internationalisation of tertiary schooling, and enhances its high quality,” she stated.
Michaelidou defined that the method can be ruled by particular standards, oversight, and steady monitoring by Dipae, just like the procedures for establishing universities in Cyprus.
“This modification paves the way in which for additional competitiveness and high quality assurance in larger schooling.”
Concerning which international locations are enthusiastic about establishing universities in Cyprus, Michaelidou famous curiosity from particular universities in Greece and different international locations within the area, however didn’t present extra particulars.
“As soon as the legislative modification is handed by the Home, we may have concrete knowledge to debate,” she concluded.
From the minister’s remarks, it’s inferred that the international universities that would function branches right here contain establishments from each EU and non-EU international locations.
