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Presidential frontrunners discuss prospects of new digital democracy for Cyprus

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Mavroyiannis stressed that Cyprus' potential is unlimited as long as it doesn't miss its opportunity to digitally transform its fortunes. photo/Cna

Linking the education system to the island’s labour needs and connecting local talent to well-paid tech jobs at Cyprus-based companies in an effort to curb the ongoing brain drain on the island, were among the main concerns for the three presidential candidates at the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2022 on Monday.

The presidential hopefuls also discussed Cyprus and the new digital democracy at the event held in Nicosia.

“We are living the fourth industrial revolution and still in our country the standard of a good student is the one who is good at essays, maths, chemistry and physics. Lately, we have been discussing the minimum wage, but we want our young people to work in tech companies and earn 4 or 5 thousand euros,” said Disy’s Averof Neophytou.

He added that in a sector where in Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos there are over 200 tech sector companies, there are very few Cypriots and even fewer women.

“We need to give the right orientation and career guidance for the professions of the future must be linked to the labour market. We are at a good stage in education, but not the desired stage. We want our education to be in step with the new era, to move away from the standard of knowledge, but to move to creativity, to skills. We want young people who have judgement and develop teamwork,” he said.

For his part, Andreas Mavroyiannis stressed that Cyprus’ potential is unlimited as long as it doesn’t miss its opportunity to digitally transform its fortunes, noting that young people today have a lot of skills, that if nurtured correctly, could benefit the island.

“Cyprus, if it manages not to miss the digital transformation train, will have unlimited potential. We are in a situation where we have hundreds of tech companies bringing in staff from abroad, and Cypriots are left unemployed. We need to connect our youth much more with the opportunities that exist in the country so that they can have a career and move up in companies,” Mavroyiannis said.

The independent presidential candidate also spoke of the poor salaries on offer for local talent, which in turn has led to a major brain drain of local talent who look abroad for better offers. “In our universities, we have scientists in the field of information technology, who get 600-700 euros, when what the country needs is to be able to open up the horizons so that people can succeed in their careers,” he added.

He also highlighted the need for a major overhaul of the island’s education system, which will entail full-day school to prepare students for the future.

Speaking on the same issue, Christodoulides said that it was imperative to link education to the economy and the island’s labour market and to do away with the notion that technical students are not as good as the rest of the students.

“We are a small economy that is heavily influenced by external factors and that is why in recent years a conscious choice was made by the government, which brought results and that was the expansion of the productive base of the economy. You cannot build an economy solely on services,” he said.

Christodoulides added that digital culture and encouraging students towards technology and STEM disciplines should be developed. “We have energy companies operating in the Cypriot EEZ that give scholarships to Cypriots pursuing energy-related studies,” he said.

In a follow-up on the same topic, Neophytou said that more guidance in schools was necessary. “We should bring in organisations that have experience with business to go into schools and educate young people,” he added, while Mavroyiannis noted that ways should be found for Cypriots to join companies in the IT sector. Meanwhile, Christodoulides warned that it was a huge mistake by the state to abolish the Higher Institute of Technology.

Meanwhile, on the digital transformation of the island, Christodoulides said he would build further on the two-tiered plan submitted by deputy minister for research, innovation and digital policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos. The plan envisions that smaller plans are finished faster, while bigger ones have a longer time frame, which he argued would allow for transformation to occur more quickly and with greater efficiency.

Christodoulides stressed the importance of digital transformation in light of its direct relationship with Cyprus’ competitiveness in the international environment and in the fight against corruption.

For his part, Mavroyiannis warned that within the EU, Cyprus lags behind and that authorities needs to act quickly to avoid losing any comparative advantages that the island currently has. “We believe in a series of concrete actions. Smart cities, a new approach to business, to reduce bureaucracy in order to allow all businesses and all citizens to have the amazing tool of technology,” he added.

Meanwhile, Neophytou said the goal is that by 2025 the state will be mobile. “This will help the country’s competitiveness, transparency, and the fight against bureaucracy and bribery. Cyprus can become the regional centre for the tech industry. It is no coincidence that in the war in Ukraine, thousands of workers and hundreds of companies from the tech sector chose Cyprus,” Neophytou added.

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