University planned for Troodos villages

A not-for-profit university in Troodos is feasible and would rejuvenate the mountain communities, according to Platres’ community leader and head of the Troodos network Panayiotis Papadopoulos.

Plans for the university include faculty buildings across key Troodos villages: Platres, Moniatis, Pedoulas and Kyperounda.

The aim is to offer courses including tourism and hotel management (in lower Platres and Moniatis), an economics, finance and accounting school (Pedoulas), along with an agricultural business management, innovation and entrepreneurship (Pedoulas) and the humanities and Mediterranean studies department (Kyperounda).

He explained that a recent economic sustainability study into the proposed university has been handed over to the education ministry. Papadopoulos said he understands that the president views the proposal very positively and expects developments on the matter after the summer break.

The community leader said on Wednesday that the only assistance requested from the state is that existing building facilities belonging to the education department be repurposed to house university spaces.

“The goal is to officially announce the establishment of Troodos University within the autumn by the president himself, who views this development very positively,” Papadopoulos told the Cyprus News Agency.

As for the funding, Papadopoulos said that there has been a “very positive” reaction from European banking institutions towards funding the operation of the university. The operational expenses will be covered in part by foreign universities which will pay registration fees for their programmes that will also be offered as part of the Troodos University.

He said the university will have four main campus sections spread across Pedoulas, Galata, Kyperounda, upper and lower Platres and Moniatis.

This plan aligns with the national strategy for the development of Troodos’ mountain communities, he added.

Papadopoulos further stated that the Troodos University aims to meet the academic and professional needs of the youth in the area and beyond, explaining that the programmes on offer will be in synchronisation with the technical schools and the lyceums in the area.

Asked about universities abroad which have expressed interest, Papadopoulos said that the Education Organisation ‘Mesogios’ in cooperation with the Swiss schools of Gilon, Les Roches, and Swiss Hotel Management School are linked to the proposed hotel management and tourism department.

The community leader added that Greece’s University of Western Macedonia will oversee the school of economics accounting and finance, while the Catholic University Pope John II from Poland will manage the humanities and Mediterranean studies section.

The University of Life Sciences from Poland has expressed interest in running the school of applied sciences in agricultural development, while the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport from Egypt would run the school of agricultural business management, innovation and entrepreneurship. Lastly, the ECCC Foundation from Europe could operate the school of digital sciences and artificial intelligence.