University of Nicosia – One Year Later

issue no. 21 December 2008
The University of Nicosia / Intercollege Staff and Faculty Newsletter
In this issue of in-brief:
- Editorial
- Personal Achievements
- Briefs in Brief
- Academically Affiliated Institutions
- Research and Other Project News
- Intercollege News
- Business Links
- Footprints in Society
University of Nicosia – One Year Later
Editors:
Taking Stock and Looking to the Future
John C. Mavris
[email protected]
The University of Nicosia, now more than one
year old, assesses itself and looks forward
to the future. UNic, as it is often called, now
has 24 undergraduate and 4 postgraduate
programmes. Several others remain temporarily
with Intercollege, waiting in line for entry to the
University.
Christina McRoy
[email protected]
Elisa Bosio
[email protected]
Julia Nicolaides
[email protected]
It must be noted that Intercollege, now 28 years
old, and the mother who gave birth to UNic,
has not disappeared. It remains operational in
Limassol and Larnaca and, to a smaller extent, in
Nicosia, with several accredited 2-year, and some
4-year, degree programmes.
Submissions:
[email protected]
Layout Design:
Babak Farzadkish
EDITORIAL
Evangelia Korkokiou
[email protected]
Continuing the proud tradition of Intercollege,
the University of Nicosia faces the future with
a sense of responsibility and strategic activism.
Top among its priorities is the continuous pursuit
of quality in programmes, faculty, students and
infrastructure, as well as the introduction to
the University of additional undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes (including those
currently being implemented by Intercollege).
Among others, these include undergraduate
degrees in Biology, Social Work and Sports
Science.
UNic’s programme portfolio indicates (a) a strong
position in traditional programmes such as
Business Administration (including Accounting,
Management, Marketing, MIS and several
other concentrations); Computer Science and
Computer/Electronics Engineering; Nursing and
Education (Pre-Elementary, Elementary and Postgraduate); (b) a unique position in Architecture
(and related areas), Communications, Law,
Psychology, International Relations and European
Studies, Music and Dance; and (c) a future focus
on Graduate Programmes, Life and Health
Sciences, Sports, Art and the Performing Arts.
As the Greek word “Παν-επιστήμιο” suggests, a
university should address all sciences. It should
also be an active participant and vital player in
society, not only providing quality education,
which is a public good, but also expanding
the horizons of knowledge through research,
while also providing a variety of services to
the community at the local, national and
international level. Some activities along these
lines, pursued by UNic, are: the Citizens’ Free
University, a lecture series open to the public
focusing on issues of general interest; a number
of other public lectures and seminars, distance
and life-long learning initiatives, a range of
artistic and cultural events, including concerts,
art exhibitions and book launches; and services
for the handicapped or marginalized persons.
With students and faculty members hailing
from around the world, UNic prides itself on its
global and multicultural character, encouraging
tolerance and respect for diversity in all areas of
its activity.
This final message acquires even more
significance at this time of year, which gives
me the opportunity to wish you all a happy
holiday, with a further wish for a prosperous and
productive New Year 2009.
Dr. Andreas Polemitis
Senior Vice Rector
v
New Book by Dr Werner Gronau:
“Passenger Intermodality – Current Frameworks, Trends and Perspectives”
Following earlier publications in the field of sustainable transport, Werner Gronau’s latest publication,
entitled Passenger Intermodality – Current Frameworks, Trends and Perspectives, contains a state of the
art overview on the conditions for Passenger Intermodality within the European Union. The discussed approach of an enhanced intermodality in passenger transport is one key to a more efficient and integrated
transport system which improves the ease of travelling while at the same time minimizes environmental
impacts. The effective work-share of several transport modes, as it is also promoted by the EU, may ensure
a more sustainable European Transport System for the future.
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The publication consists of twelve articles authored by highly respected academics in the field, based in
seven different European countries, which really gives this contribution a European perspective. Following the publication of the book, an international conference on the topic also took place in Nicosia on
13-14 November 2008.
Poster Exhibition: “27 Graphists for Europe”
Evripides Zantides, Associate Professor of Graphic Communication in the Design and Multimedia
department, was invited by Philippe Apeloig, pioneer graphic designer and curator, to be part of a
project themed 27 Graphists for Europe. The project, in the form of a poster exhibition, took place in
the airports of Paris during the European Cultural Season in France to celebrate the occasion of the
French presidency of the European Union Council (1 July – 31 December 2008).
Considering the constraints in both production and installation of the posters in the airports, the
design representatives from each European country were additionally given the subject of ‘Walking’
and instructed to use only the two colours of the European flag and/or one more personal colour
selection.
Paris Airport Presents:
“27 Graphists for Europe”
The project was funded by Culturesfrance – the agency responsible for international cultural exchanges on behalf of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and Communications. Nearly 5000
professionals, authors and artists, are supported through these initiatives each year in over 160 countries. More than 20 million people worldwide take part in, or directly attend, operations supported
by Culturesfrance annually. At the heart of these exchanges and dialogues, Culturesfrance strives to
develop links between the world’s cultures. It works on a daily basis in collaboration with other French
and foreign partners in the private and public sector, and at city or regional level in France or Europe.
The posters were exhibited in the airports of Paris (ADP) on large fabric panels.
v
New Book by Prof
Demetris Vrontis:
“Strategic Marketing and
Retail Thought”
Prof. Demetris Vrontis, Professor of Marketing
and Dean of the School of Business, has recently
published (October 2008) his 9th book entitled
“Strategic Marketing and Retail Thought”. The
book is published by Accent Publishing Company and it is co-authored with Professor Tihomir
Vranesevic and Professor Claudio Vignali. It looks
into the theory and practical application of Strategic Marketing Planning and Retail Marketing.
The book incorporates all necessary tools and
concepts that are necessary for professionals,
academics and students who wish to develop
a successful marketing plan in today’s competitive arena. It covers and considers in detail the
following topics: Situation Analysis, Objectives,
Strategy, Tactics, Consumer Behaviour, Branding,
Destination Marketing, Marketing Communications, Services Marketing, Market Research, Fashion Marketing and Retail Marketing.
AlterVision (AV):
White Tower Project
v
NEW LEARNER ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(LAMS) SERVER AT UNIC!
A new LAMS server has been set up at the University of Nicosia on http://lams.unic.ac.cy:8080/
lams/index.do.
Dr Klimis Mastoridis, Head of the Department of
Design & Multimedia, is founder and Chairman
of AlterVision Typography & Visual Communication Ltd, Greece.
AlterVision (AV) is an award winning, internationally recognised design company that works
for large corporate and institutional clients and
combines its market focus with state-of-theart academic research in the fields of typography, design and visual communication. Clients
include ANT1, Alpha TV, Sigma TV, Vivartia, the
Greek Ministry of Development, Emporiki Bank
and many others. Design work by AV is housed
in the permanent collection of the Museum of
Modern Art in Hamburg, Germany.
The latest large scale project completed by AV is
the “White Tower City Museum of Thessaloniki”.
The six floors of the well known landmark of the
second largest city of Greece, have accepted
the most contemporary graphic, information
and multimedia design applications but with
the utmost respect for the monument itself. The
Museum was inaugurated in September 2008
and is considered to be one of the most exciting
design applications of its kind. For more information, please visit: www.lpth.org.
BRIEFS IN BRIEF
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
WHAT IS LAMS?
LAMS software creates a visual ‘drag-anddrop’ authoring platform in which the formation, supervision, distribution, storing,
sharing and remixing/repurposing of a
wide range of online educational activities is possible. The LAMS’ administration
capability provides teachers with a ‘roundthe-clock’ point of access to student online contributions. LAMS, which is used
worldwide, is developed and managed by
LAMS Foundation Ltd, LAMS International
Pty Ltd and Macquarie E-learning Centre
Of Excellence (MELCOE), Macquarie University (Australia).
The LAMS community teacher and developer website, which boasts 3,200 members in 80
countries, encourages the sharing and adapting of freely available digital lesson plans and
the exchange of experiences using them.
IN A NUTSHELL WHY COULD LAMS BE USEFUL?
LAMS is a management system and can be used by all lecturers
It can be used in class or from any location (a computer or mobile device) globally at
any time
It can also be used as a face-to-face option with Independent Study Students
It provides a responsive modern e-learning environment that emphasises collaborating
with ‘context’ and not just negotiating ‘content’
It is continuously being updated: a video conferencing function is among its latest features
Strategic security: a move towards a more e-learning centric mode of delivery for UNic
Anyone interested in finding out more about LAMS should contact Chris Alexander
([email protected]) who will be more than willing to arrange a presentation at a convenient time.
Applied Multimedia
Programme:
Its history and new
beginning
The multimedia programme was founded
in 2001 with the introduction of a 2-year diploma. Due to significant demand a 4-year
degree was also introduced the following
year, and in 2003 the 2-year programme was
accredited by SEKAP.
In the period that followed a great effort was
made to extend the number of faculty by
seeking to appoint lecturers in the relatively
new field of multimedia where experienced
lecturers are difficult to find.
By 2007, a strong team of lecturers had been
established, and soon after the initiation of the
University of Nicosia, an application was made
to the ECPU for the multimedia programme
to be admitted to the University as a newly
registered programme. The ECPU visit took
place in spring 2008 and with the persistent
endeavours and methodical work undertaken
by all the faculty members of the programme,
the challenge of a most demanding group of
experts was dealt with positively.
This resulted in the acceptance of the programme to the University of Nicosia, hence
making applied multimedia the first and only
accredited multimedia programme offered
among the private universities on the island.
DISCLAIMER:
While every effort is made to include all
contributions received, limited space
does not always permit this option. Unpublished contributions may, however,
be considered for future issues but final
editorial decisions rest with the Editors.
University of Nicosia Hosts Royal Commonwealth
Society’s NKABOM Youth Leadership Programme
BRIEFS IN BRIEF
In the week-long programme, the young delegates participated in various peace-building projects, including a tour of the
Green Line, a visit to the UN Protected Area, as well as presentations by local Greek and Turkish Cypriot youth initiatives
and NGOs.
In September 2008, 27 young people, from over
21 countries, travelled to Cyprus to partake in the
annual NKABOM Youth Leadership Programme,
organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society.
NKABOM, which means “unity” in the Ghanaian
language of “Twi”, aims to bring together youth
from across the Commonwealth to engage in a
series of workshops, activities and discussions
in order to further youth development and empower the leaders of tomorrow. Previously held in
Malaysia, Ghana and the UK, this year’s NKABOM
programme was held in Cyprus, an ideal location
given the year’s theme ‘Conflict and Beyond’.
The University of Nicosia hosted several workshops and activities, which took place between 14-18 September. Participants,
aged 19 to 26 years old, were encouraged to think about the
programme’s theme by sharing experiences of conflict and
conflict resolution from their own countries. The participants,
who hailed from: Australia, Canada, Singapore, Nigeria, Mauritius and Cyprus (to name a few!), were able to offer youthful
and global perspectives on the issues discussed.
Towards the end of the programme the delegates participated in a 2-day workshop, “A Moment’s Peace”, facilitated by
the British Council in Cyprus and led by DigiTales, a UK-based
company. Each participant created a one-minute digital clip
using personal photos and press clippings, combined with an
audio recording of personal scripts developed for the workshop. This would not have been possible without the valuable
contribution of the University’s Computer Centre and Mediazone. The completed clips were screened at UNESCO amphitheatre on Friday 18 September.
Sea of Words: Encouraging the Cypriot Novelists of Tomorrow
The Anna Lindh Foundation and the Department
of Languages and Literature, with the exceptional help of Ms Eleni Skarparis and Anthos Shekeris, came together to organize a creative writing
workshop entitled Sea of Words: Portraits, Places
and Fictions: Writing Dialogues in Cyprus, on 26
and 27 September.
the noted prose artists Nora Nadjarian and Aydin Mehmet Ali,
who, alongside a more academic contribution from Dr Paul
Stewart, provided the inspiration and focus for the two days
of workshops, run by Dr Skip Thompson. The photography of
Nicos Philippou added further elements to a creative brew
which encouraged the participants to re-examine such issues
as place and portraiture in their writing.
The participants were drawn from both north
and south Cyprus and represented some of the
most promising young fiction writers currently
working on the island. Plenary speakers included
The results of the workshops will be gathered together for
publication on the Anna Lindh web-site and, hopefully, will
form the backbone of a book devoted to the best in new Cypriot short story writing.
Discourse
in Art & Design
The Department of Design and Multimedia is organising a series of presentations
entitled: “Discourse in Art & Design 20082009”.
This annual event aims to encourage a
dialogue between practicing artists and
designers with students, academics as
well as the general public. A select list of
accomplished professionals from diverse
backgrounds will take part in the first “discourse”, sharing their experiences in working on a number of different disciplines
such as painting, graphic communication,
jewellery and three dimensional designs.
This initiative reflects the Department’s
aim to develop an on-going dialogue with
the public, through the organisation of
seminars, lectures, workshops and exhibitions that promote the arts and provide
information on topics related to culture.
Painting Concert
The first event within the framework of
“Discourse in Art and Design 2008-2009”
took place on Saturday, 1 November. Rhea
Bailey conducted her ‘painting concert’ ,
during which she created a triptych and,
at the end, discussed her work with the
audience. A silent but vivid dialogue was
experienced between both creator and
audience as the creation of the paintings
developed.
The work remained on display at the
premises of the University of Nicosia until
mid-November. During that time, people
were invited to title the creation according to the feelings it generated. The work
was finally named by the artist herself
before it travelled to Athens, as part of an
exhibition.
For a full programme of this year’s participants and further information, please
contact the Department of Design & Multimedia.
New Member of Faculty
We are happy to announce that Dr Polina
Mackay has recently joined the Department of Languages and Literature as a fulltime member of faculty.
Dr Mackay, who gained her PhD in English
Literature at Birckbeck College, University
of London, is a specialist in Modern and
Contemporary American Prose and Poetry,
and as such, she adds further area expertise to the BA in English Language and Literature.
Dr Mackay is the author of two edited collections, some eight chapters in books,
three refereed journal articles as well as a
host of literary reviews, while her monograph Women and the Aesthetic Legacy
of the Beat Generation is currently under
review with Southern Illinois University
Press.
Academically Affiliated Institutions
CARDET Wins
3 RPF Projects
The research centre CARDET, in partnership
with universities and small medium enterprises, has recently won 3 projects funded by
the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation,
under the National Framework Programme
for Research and Technological Development
2008-2010. These projects are:
1. A framework for the design and evaluation
of blended learning environments, under
Pillar ΙΙ: Development of Human Resources
in Research.
2. eLearning Analytics Tool, under Pillar ΙΙΙ:
Development of Industrial Research and
Innovation Activities.
3. Development of a model for online
learning for educating educators, under
Pillar Ι: Strategic and Multithematic
Research.
Through these projects CARDET aims to enhance and develop its knowledge and expertise around the area of e-learning and innovative tools in education and training.
In addition, these projects will contribute towards the advancement of the Research and
Development work in the ICT and education
sectors, conducted in Cyprus.
For further information, please visit the
Centre’s website at: http://www.cardet.org
: RPF Success
The Cyprus Academic Research Institute (CARI)
was established in order to facilitate researchers
with their funded research. It is academically affiliated to the University of Nicosia and, above all, is
a non-for-profit institution, specifically designed
through its constitution to accommodate and
support researcher needs vis-à-vis funding.
In particular, the main aim of the institution is to
support researchers in their bid to obtain funded
research, either at the local or EU level. It, therefore, provides specialist advice and assistance for
obtaining external funding and assists researchers
through the expertise of its personnel. CARI also
offers specific support services for the pre-application process leading up to proposal preparation
and submission. The success of each proposal is
followed up by CARI, which has also established
mechanisms for post-award administration –
involving financial and legal support.
Following the local Call for Proposals 2008 by the
Research Promotion Foundation (RPF), researchers are involved in thirteen projects. CARI is a host
organization in six of these, and is involved as a
partner institution in the other seven. The total
budget of the funded projects is €1,563,388. Researchers of CARI are involved in projects within
the fields of: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Life and Health
Sciences, Psychology and Social Sciences, Education, and English.
CART Projects
The following projects, submitted to the Research Promotion Foundation by the Centre of Applied
Research and Technology (CART), have been proposed for funding. The total amount of the proposed
funding for the 5 projects is €1.167,770.
Programme: TECHNOLOGY
1. Title: Use of ectroscopic and calorimetric methodologies to study viublastine and vincustine
interactions with lipid bilayers.
2. Title: Bionergetic mechanisms of dioxygen and nitric oxide: A theoretical vibrational spectroscopic
approach.
Programme: TECHNOLOGY OF INFORMATICS
1. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of brain white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis subjects
Programme: UPGRADING OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Title: Installation and upgrading of a 300WBNMR spectrometer. Drug design through
conformational analysis studies and prognosis of diseases through magnetic resonance imaging
2. Title: Development of the infrastructure for the Creation of an Environmental Biochemistry
Laboratory.
Celebrates Five
Book Launches During
the Past Academic Year
The Mass Media and Communication Institute
(IMME) announces that it has either published,
or contributed to the research and publication
of five books during the academic year 2007-08.
The titles are:
1. Theodoulos Ph. Constantinides: Educator,
Journalist, Writer, Nicosia, April 2007.
2. Georgios I. Kepiades: Lawyer, Scholar, Writer,
Nicosia, January 2008.
3. Thalis Papadopoulos: The Man and
Journalist, Nicosia, April 2008.
4. Sports Journalism: Theory and Practice,
Nicosia, Spring 2008.
5. The Cypriot Mass Media, Nicosia,
Spring 2008.
IMME would like to thank its director and writer,
or editor of the books, Professor Andreas Cl.
Sophocleous, plus its two Research Fellows, Dr.
Kyriakos Djambazis and Damian Lambidonitis, for completing the massive work above. It
consolidates the steady dedication of the Mass
Media Institute towards research in the fields of
Cypriot journalism and the mass media, as well
as its publication course.
Cooperation Continues on Leonardo Da Vinci Programme: Bristol University’s CDS - UNic – Cyprus Federation of the Deaf
Deaf people in the workplace are hampered by poor communication – yet they are equally intelligent,
effective workers.
RESEARCH AND OTHER PROJECT NEWS
Since 2005, Bristol University’s Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) has offered an online resource to employers
and those who work with Deaf people: www.signstation.org. CDS has developed a user friendly virtual
learning environment for teaching sign language and providing information to people that want to acquire more knowledge of Deaf behaviour and experiences. These tools can be shared with partners who
will be able to provide sign language materials for the workplace appropriate to their own language and
culture.
As well as qualifying the hearing employers and workmates, the initiative will create a direct effect for
Deaf employees who will benefit from better communication at work. The outcome will be an online
training programme, with assessment and parity across Europe. It will support the existing infrastructure
of Deaf teaching of sign language and promote its use as a second language in society.
The products are to be exploited for up to ten years and incorporated into the business plans of partners.
There will also be the secondary benefit of offering, for the first time, online courses in ‘foreign’ sign languages, which can be taken by Deaf and hearing people alike.
How Can Teenagers be Motivated to Read Literature?
ALCUIN (Active Literacy: Competence and Understanding, Internally Naturalised – from decoding
to understanding) is a project that aims to find
ways to motivate teenagers to read literature. This
project was a response to the decline in the reading skills of upper secondary school students in
many European countries.
The University of Nicosia / Intercollege Training
and Development Unit acts as one of the project’s
10 participants. The overall aim is to develop efficient methods for teachers to use in both mother-tongue and English upper secondary classes,
general and vocational education, to extend and
progress their reading practices, to make them
competent and confident readers with an eagerness and hunger to deal with advanced literature.
In order to develop the teachers’ professionalism,
new pedagogical methods are designed, by making use of the collective resource of the partnership as a whole. Students are interviewed, teachers write reports on the work in progress and the
researchers at the universities analyse the results,
which decide the development of new up-dated
and effective pedagogical methods tested in the
classroom.
The whole project will result in a, ready to use in
the classroom, teachers’ guide, translated into all
partners’ mother-tongues and a CD-ROM, offering the practitioner new perspectives on teaching. A public forum is accessible for everyone interested in the project (http://www.alcuine.se/
blog/?page_id=2). For more information please
contact the Academic Coordinator, Dr Salomi Papadima, Languages Department, at: papadima.s@
unic.ac.cy or the European Project Manager Costa
Constanti at: [email protected].
The partners of the programme include: University of Bristol, Centre for Deaf Studies, UK; Trinity College,
Centre for Deaf Studies, Dublin, Ireland; Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; University of Nicosia,
Cyprus; Deaf Association of Wales, UK; and Systema, a technology SME in Greece.
A steering group in each State will include representatives of Deaf organisations and employers. All content will be created by and with Deaf members of the respective communities, while employers will be
invited to test it. Trials with hearing learners will be monitored and there will also be a permanent presence of online course materials and assessment.
Pedagogical Materials in sign language
Examples of the existing range of transferable teaching materials can be seen at:
http://www.signstation.org/scenarios.php
http://www.deafstation.org/vogs/dc/vogs.html
http://www.signstation.org/learn.shtml
Anyone interested in participating can contact Steve Price, Associate Lecturer of Psychology, at:
[email protected]
Research Output of the Hospitality & Tourism Department Multiplies
The chosen path, towards sharpening the research profile of the department by increasing academic
publications, attracting research funds and upgrading faculty qualifications, is yielding fruit. Within the
last three years a noticeable increase in funding, regarding received funding and funding applied for,
can be recorded. Also the publication intensity has seen a significant increase; the number of articles in
refereed journal articles has increased six fold, while conference proceedings papers have doubled. The
positive trend seems to be continuing in 2008, which will most probably lead to a further clear increase.
The table provides a summary:
Funding received
Funding applied for
Books
Chapters in books
Refereed journals
Conference proceedings
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
20,000
30,000
0
0
2
5
30,000
60,000
1
1
10
7
60,000
200,000
2
2
12
10
Furthermore the academic development of the faculty of the department is manifested by the five registered PhD-candidates within the Department, including another Doctorate awarded in 2006. All those
efforts will, without a doubt contribute strongly to the overall academic performance of the University
of Nicosia. For further information feel free to contact the Research Coordinator of the Tourism and Hospitality Department: Dr. Werner Gronau, E-Mail: [email protected]
University of Nicosia Partnerships in Socrates Programmes
The University of Nicosia is a partner in the following projects. The
main project investigators for all three are Dr Philippos Pouyioutas
and Mr Emilios Solomou, while Dr Christina Ioannou and Mr Anthos
Shekeris provide invaluable support to the projects.
RESEARCH AND OTHER PROJECT NEWS
SOCRATES PROGRAMME
LETHE – LEarning THrough Emotions
n° 129937-CP-1-2006-1-IT-COMENIUS-C21
Dr Philippos Pouyioutas and Mr Emilios Solomou presented the
findings of a study carried out in Cyprus with regard to the integration of Emotional Intelligence (EI) into the educational curriculum
of schools of secondary education. The research was undertaken
via interviews and questionnaires sent to five private schools in Cyprus. The main conclusions of this research are:
► EI is a new “subject” in Cyprus
► There is lack of information regarding EI in
Cyprus
► EI has not been introduced into the School
Curriculum
► EI has to be introduced into the School
Curriculum
The aforementioned presentation was delivered during a meeting
of the European project LETHE that took place in Ayia Napa, Cyprus
on 9 May 2008. This project aims at creating, developing and promoting a new pedagogical and teaching approach, based on emotional intelligence. Details of this project can be found at: http://
www.montesca.it/lethe/site/index.asp.
SOCRATES PROGRAMME
Bridging Insula Europae
134214-LLL-1-2007-IT-COMENIUS-CMP
In Tampere, Finland, Dr Philippos Pouyioutas and Mr Emilios Solomou presented the research findings of a study carried out in Cyprus with regards to the use of Information Communication Technologies in schools of secondary education on Cyprus.
The research was undertaken through literature review, interviews
with teachers, interviews with university professors, questionnaires
sent to schools, and finally interviews with experts.
The main conclusion of this research shows that ICT is adequately
used both in state and private schools for teaching and learning
purposes as well as for providing administrative support and online educational services. Barriers, however, such as cost, training
needs, lack of skills, resistance to change, time constraints, change
of philosophy in teaching and learning do exist but the will is there
to overcome all the barriers, since all stakeholders involved realise
the importance and need for the full utilisation of ICT in Education.
Our suggestion and recommendation is to invest heavily in ICT
since learning to live in our global Digital Society starts in the early
stages of primary and secondary Education.
The
aforementioned presentation was delivered
during a meeting
of the European
project Bridging
Insula Europae.
This project aims
at utilising Web
2.0 tools in switching the teacherstudent role and
building a student-centred learning environment that will allow students to experiment through on-line tools with topics pertaining to the European Union and the European Integration. Details of this project
can be found at: http://www.edu-projects.eu/BridgingIe/news.
asp.
SOCRATES PROGRAMME
EUCLIDES – Enhancing the Use of Cooperative Learning to Increase Development of Science Studies
134246-LLL-1-2007-IT-COMENIUS-CMP
In August 2008 the findings of a study carried out in Cyprus on
problem-based learning in the Educational System of Cyprus were
presented in Istanbul by Mr Emilios Solomou and Dr Philippos
Pouyioutas. The main conclusion is that problem-based learning
has not been introduced and integrated formally and systematically into the Educational System of Cyprus. It is, however, used at
all levels of Education (from primary to secondary and to higher
education) mainly by science teachers/professors. Based on the re-
search, the following suggestions were made:
1. Problem-Based Learning should be integrated into the curriculum of primary and pre-primary education University programmes
by introducing a dedicated course on this method/technique.
2. All teachers of state and private schools of primary and secondary education should be trained annually on problem-based
learning.
3. Professors at the universities should also be trained on problembased learning.
4. Teachers/professors should annually report the teaching/learning activities in which they used problem-based learning.
5. Teachers/professors should be annually “checked” and “inspected” for the use of problem-based learning in their classes, by the
institutional/government quality assurance bodies.
6. Comparison analysis studies should be carried out to report on
the differences of using and not using problem-based learning.
7. The Ministry of Education and Culture should encourage and/
or commission experts to produce material on problem-based
learning. This could subsequently be made available not only to
educators at all levels and cover the theoretical framework but also
to specific subject areas.
The
aforementioned presentation was delivered
during a meeting
of the European
project EUCLIDES.
This project aims at
elaborating on an
innovative training
methodology, inspired by the Constructivist
approach, focusing
on Problem-based Learning (PBL) and making science studies more
attractive by utilising e-learning tools. Details of this project can be
found at: http://www.edu-projects.eu/euclides/index.asp.
Centre For Life Long Learning
A Storyteller Among Us
Distance Learning programmes have been supported for almost 15 years, originally
through Intercollege and now through the University of Nicosia.
1. Supporting Distance Learning Academic Programmes (Certificates, Diplomas,
Bachelors, Masters, Doctorates)
2. Coordinating Citizens’ Free University - Ελεύθερο Πανεπιστήμιο των Πολιτών
3. Study Centre Support:
- Career Advising
- Guidance with programme selection
- Application and Administrative Assistance
4. Official Testing Centre for MAT and TOEFL
5. Preparatory classes for TOEFL
Research Success – Congratulations!
Following the Call for Proposals by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation for 2008, Ms
Victoria Kalogerou successfully gained funding under the young researchers programme
for registered doctorate level students.
Ms Kalogerou has been working at our institution for the past eight years and recently registered for her PhD at the Institute of Education, University of London. The grant will enable
Ms Kalogerou to study and finalise her PhD uninterrupted, coupled with the fact that it is a
great financial injection - in essence, over 2/3 of the cost will be covered by the grant.
Ms Kalogerou’s research will focus on European language policies and their implementation in Higher Education in Cyprus. Ms Kalogerou will be supported by her supervisor in
the UK and Dr Christine Savvidou of University of Nicosia (UNic).
UNic and the University of Nicosia Research Foundation (UNRF) would like to extend their
best wishes to Ms Kalogerou. For further information, please contact Ms Kalogeorou at:
[email protected].
Lito Efstathiou, the librarian from Larnaca
Campus, has so far published two children
books, and two more are expected to be
published in Greek very soon.
INTERCOLLEGE NEWS
RESEARCH AND OTHER PROJECT NEWS
The main functions of the Centre for Life Long Learning are the following:
Software for Ultrasound Imaging”
Authors: Christos P. Loizou (Intercollege, Cyprus)
The Centre for Life Long Learning was established to offer accessible University study to
adults across Cyprus and Internationally. The Centre specialises in the provision of study
centre support for busy professionals on international programmes. It provides lifelong
learning opportunities by making University education available to people at various levels of prior academic achievement during their working life.
The Centre currently supports over 150 students on 27 distance learning academic programmes in collaboration with EU and US Universities. It offers administrative support
and facilities to international universities, which provides the distance learning students
with an opportunity to choose from self-study, on-line tutorials, workshops or a combination of modes (Blended Learning) to fit their personal learning style. All postgraduate
programmes are accredited and have also been approved by KYSATS.
“Despeckle Filtering Algorithms and
Lito’s books are suitable for children
between the ages of 3 and 12 and they
have already been approved for all
Nurseries and Elementary schools by
the Ministry of Education. Furthermore,
they are enormously helpful to nursery
teachers and students.
The first title is, “Όμορφες ιστοριούλες για
όνειρα γλυκά 1” (Beautiful Stories for Sweet
Dreams). It contains five short stories that
provide material for a 90 minute plus class
and includes actual pictures of the small
animals involved in the stories together
with a little poem to complement each
story which is another asset for teachers,
parents and grand parents.
The second book, “Ένας είναι ο Βασίλης,”
(There is Only One Santa Claus) is an
action-packed Christmas story based
in Cyprus, and here the illustrations are
more than perfect. They delight the
reader by capturing the sincere spirit
of Christmas. But most of all, this book
tells a sweet story that will shake-up all
your thoughts on the big question of
Santa Claus’ existence. And the group of
professional detectives investigating this
matter, and seeking crystal clear proof of
Santa’s reality, will compel the reader to
study the text twice!!
Both titles are available at the Executive
Bookshop.
& Constantinos S. Pattichis (University of Cyprus)
Abstract: It is well-known that speckle is a multiplicative
noise that degrades image quality and the visual evaluation
in ultrasound imaging. This necessitates the need for robust
despeckling techniques for both routine clinical practice
and teleconsultation.
The goal for this book is to introduce the theoretical background (equations), the algorithmic steps, and the MATLAB™
code for the following group of despeckle filters: linear filtering, nonlinear filtering, anisotropic diffusion filtering and
wavelet filtering. The book proposes a comparative evaluation framework of these despeckle filters based on texture
analysis, image quality evaluation metrics, and visual evaluation by medical experts, in the assessment of cardiovascular ultrasound images recorded from the carotid artery.
The results of the work presented in this book, suggest that
the linear local statistics filter DsFlsmv, gave the best performance, followed by the nonlinear geometric filter DsFgf4d, and the linear homogeneous mask area filter DsFlsminsc. These filters improved the class separation between
the asymptomatic and the symptomatic classes (of ultrasound images recorded from the carotid artery for the assessment of stroke) based on the statistics of the extracted
texture features, gave only a marginal improvement in the
classification success rate, and improved the visual assessment carried out by two medical experts.
A despeckle filtering analysis and evaluation framework is
proposed for selecting the most appropriate filter or filters
for the images under investigation.
These filters can be further developed
and evaluated at a larger scale and in
clinical practice in the automated image and video segmentation, texture
analysis, and classification not only
for medical ultrasound but for other
modalities as well, such as synthetic
aperture radar (SAR) images.
ISBN-10: 1598296205, ISBN-13: 978-1598296204
166 pp, (doi:10.2200/S00116ED1V01Y200805ASE001) 2008
Intercollege Larnaca Moves into its New Premises
Intercollege Limassol: News & Events
CITIZENS’ FREE UNIVERSITY
The second series of lectures offered to the wider public under the ‘OPEN SCHOOL’ initiative of the
Municipality of Kato Polemidhia in cooperation with Intercollege and the Citizen’s Free University
of the University of Nicosia continued this Fall.
INTERCOLLEGE NEWS
The lectures planned for Fall 2008, were:
“Sub-cultures of Cypriot football”
by Ms Christina Loizou
Sociologist – Researcher
RUBSI (Research Unit in Behaviour and
Social Issues), University of Nicosia
19/11/2008, 7.30 p.m. at the Polemidhia
Lyceum Conference Hall
In 1892, when John D. Rockefeller founded the University of Chicago, he asked then President Eliot of
Harvard what it would take to build a great university.
Eliot said it would take $50,000,000 and 200 years. He
might have over-estimated time and under-estimated
cost, but he understood what was required: time and
money, and lots of both. In the case of Intercollege Larnaca, we had neither. We had to rely on non-existent
resources and little time. We know that we can neither
do everything that we want nor can we set every goal
or achieve every desirable target, but we have the determination to use the resources we have in order to
succeed while at the same time not missing any opportunity that arises.
Excellence has its cost. We live in an environment that
is more competitive than before. The cost of facilities
and equipment has never been greater and it will only
increase with time. Integrity also has its price and if we
are to enable our institution to set direction based on
the creativity and energy of our administration and
faculty, this will require the mobilisation of resources
on a substantial scale.
As we face the challenges of a tough and uncertain
economy, we have an obligation to be prudent in
resource usage while simultaneously continuing to
make investments to guarantee the future success
of our college and community. To this end, the new
building addresses our evolving needs and those of
the community we serve. It reflects our plan to secure
new facilities and improve academic standards while
expanding our focus on community-based outreach
and service.
The new campus, which is situated in the middle of
the bay at Larnaca, provides space for increasing
enrolment and the offering of new programmes. It
strengthens the pursuit of our mission and vision and
will meet our projected need for additional space as
we grow. Furthermore the new campus provides a
visual illustration of our commitment and ambition to
offer quality education supported by cutting-edge facilities that will attract students internationally.
The new facility includes a large number of state-ofthe-art lecture rooms, 4 computer labs, an engineering lab, a graphic design studio, professional kitchen
facilities, an amphitheatre and a conference room. The
construction of a Beauty and Hairdressing salon is underway and will soon be ready to house the interest
in these two programmes. Finally, an indoor / outdoor
restaurant that spills out onto the waterfront, offers
students a pleasant, hip place to socialise and enjoy
leisure time between classes. While always offering
the basic snacks and beverages, the restaurant also offers a full range of culinary delights that will keep the
most demanding appetite satisfied.
“Drugs and Cypriot Society”
by Dr Stelios Stylianou
Associate Professor of Sociology,
University of Nicosia
10/12/2008, 7.30 p.m. at the Polemidhia
Lyceum Conference Hall
EXHIBITIONS
An Art Exhibition jointly organised by the University of Nicosia, Intercollege and the Municipality
of Mesa Yitonia, by Greek artist Irene Kana, took place on 12 September 2008 at the Cultural Centre
of the Municipality of Mesa Yitonia in Limassol followed by a cocktail reception.
ACHIEVEMENTS
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN LIMASSOL ACCA EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS – RANKED 1st in CYPRUS
The Professional Studies Department of Intercollege Limassol announces that two of its Accounting students have been ranked first in Cyprus, in two ACCA Papers in the June 2008 examinations:
Ms Alla Zotova; ACCA Paper F5, Performance Management, lectured by Mr Marios Panayides
Ms Svetlana Rodinskaya; ACCA Paper F7 INT Financial Reporting, lectured by
Mr Kyriacos Antoniou
RESEARCH NEWS
Dr Christos Loizou’s proposal ΤΠΕ/ΟΡΙΖΟ/0308(ΒΙΕ)/15, submitted to the Research Promotion
Foundation (ΙΠΕ) entitled: “Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Brain White Matter Lesions in
Multiple Sclerosis Subjects” has been approved and ranked second in its category with 9.78/10.
Dr Loizou is an Assistant Professor at Intercollege Limassol Campus.
UNic – PrimeTel PR Competition:
An Innovative Public Relations Project
BUSINESS LINKS
The Department of Communications of the
University of Nicosia (UNic), in collaboration with
PrimeTel, has commissioned an innovative project/
competition for the Department’s students during
the current academic year. As tomorrow’s Public
Relations professionals, the students are called
upon to participate in a collective project with
PrimeTel as their theme.
The competition, which has been assigned as a
course project to 3 competing PR sections of the
University, calls for the design and presentation
of a 6-month strategic Public Relations Plan for
PrimeTel (covering the period January to June
2009).
The PR Plan must be developed in accordance
with PrimeTel’s existing advertising campaign,
which the students were informed of during a
comprehensive briefing by the company’s PR and
Marketing team. Proposed PR Plans will highlight
the ways in which PrimeTel can become more
active in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR), as well as how the company can further
differentiate itself from similar service providers
in Cyprus.
Mindful of the importance of involving students
in the professional arena during their studies and
facilitating contact with professionals in related
fields, UNic’s Department of Communications
set up a Consultancy Committee in 2005,
made up of various representatives of Cypriot
communications organizations; with the intention
of organizing a series of activities which would
enable students to have such involvement and
contact. The UNic – PrimeTel PR project takes
place within this wider framework.
The judging panel will comprise 3 faculty
members of the Department of Communications
and 3 PrimeTel representatives. The results of the
project/competition will be announced during a
special ceremony towards the end of 2008.
Training and Development Unit
Trainings
In recent months, the Training and Development Unit has been busy following through various
seminars, European Projects and other training schedules.
Athina Kyriacou has been coordinating several training schedules and seminars, focusing on the
needs of society, especially on vocational skills acquisition for different labour markets as well as
writing numerous proposals and tenders for submission to the HRDA. In general, these focus on:
• Vocational learning for unemployed people with special needs to learn various computer skills.
Another similar project emphasised the computer training needs for the deaf.
• Consulting local authorities in Larnaca on the needs of helping citizens enter and integrate
into the labour market.
• General management and administration seminars and training in cooperation with the
HRDA.
• Coordination and management of various other HRDA programmes and projects.
• Consulting services for the post training evaluation of the Public Employment Services
staff.
• Teaching subjects in ECDL and ICT.
For more information, contact: Athina Kyriacou on 22841571 or [email protected]
Two Projects Undertaken by the Training and Development Unit
Charalambos Papadopoulos, Georgia Charalambidou and Athena Zannetti are working on a
project called ‘The Provision of Services for the Planning and Implementation of Evaluation of
Pilot/Research Integration Applications in Information and Communication Technology within the
Learning Procedure in Secondary Education’. The contracting authority is the Pedagogical Institute
of Cyprus (Ministry of Education) coordinating the following partners: University of Nicosia,
CARDET, University of Cyprus and Cyprus Computer Society.
Charalambos Papadopoulos and Georgia Charalambidou are also working on the project ‘Provision
of Services for the Planning, Development and Implementation of the Teacher Training Programme
in Order to Implement Information Technologies in the Educational Procedure’. This project is carried
out within the context of the programme “Teacher Training Concerning Information Technologies”
of the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus. The contracting authority is also the Ministry of Education
of Cyprus, and the partners involved are the University of Nicosia, Constitutional European Centre
of Law, ΑΚΜΗ ΚΕΚ, and Cyprus Computer Society.
Both projects are co-funded by the Ministry of Education in Cyprus and the European Social
Fund.
For more information contact:
Charalambos Papadopoulos on 22841718 or [email protected]
BUSINESS LINKS
Training and Development Unit
The Creation of Digital Educational Content
European Programmes and Projects
Coming to a close very soon is the project for the creation of digital educational content for
education in the public secondary and technical schools of Cyprus, funded by the Ministry of
Education and the European Union. This project is managed by Aletia Trakakis with a team of
experts in ICT and education, such as Ericos Georgiades, Michalis Kalaidjis, Anthony Demetriades,
Stelios Demosthenous and Elli Nicolaou.
Costa Constanti completed the ‘AQUA–
Availability and Quality’ EU funded project
under a Life Long Learning Socrates grant which
climaxed with an international conference in
Vienna in October. Research was conducted
in ‘the evaluation of educational policies and
measures for young migrants’. The focus was on
the integration of young migrants into society,
educational sectors and the labour market.
Constanti presented his findings in Vienna,
highlighting the needs and difficulties of young
migrants, coupled with the exposure of best
practices by the Cyprus Government and various
NGOs, with suggestions for improvements and changes to policies and measures. Several EU states
participated, with the aim of comparing situations within each region, and disseminate best practices
and learn from one another.
Numerous educational schemes were created, collating knowledge in various fields, to create
interactive online tools within a platform that will be used in the classroom by students to learn
different subjects, and which teachers can also interact with. This will transfer the educational
procedure from the classroom level to the interactive online platform. The aim is to enhance
and promote education through blended learning techniques and more entertaining, thought
provoking and engaging mediums.
Reception and Integration System in Cyprus:
Towards the Generation of a Learning Organisation
FOOTPRINTS IN SOCIETY
The aim of this project is to elaborate on the concept of the living conditions and services provided
at Kofinou Reception Centre in Cyprus.
The University of Nicosia – Social Work Programme proposed the operational transformation of
the Centre into an organisational structure that will adopt modern principles of organisational
management, parallel with the provision of comprehensive social welfare support. It is argued that
both resident and staff active participation provides opportunities for those involved to investigate
possible individual and organisational transformation over time, as participative ‘bottom-up’
approaches of knowledge and learning are generated. Details are included about the way those
activities assisted both asylum seekers and staff to work and learn successfully together.
Emphasis is drawn upon the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that were identified
that possibly may lead the government and centre’s administration to accept the development of
cross-system thinking and planning whilst decision-making flexibility will be increased through
constant feedback from the bottom to the upper level and vice versa.
For further information, please contact the Project Co-ordinator, Stefanos Spaneas, at:
[email protected]
Currently, the project ‘MINT – Adapting, Improving and Disseminating
an Innovative Management Training Package through Blended
Learning Techniques’ is under way. This EU funded project falls under a
Leonardo da Vinci grant. With partners in 7 EU states, we have reached
the piloting stage of this project with a course which will run from November to February at UNIC.
The aim is to help small and medium EU enterprises be successful and profitable through teaching
innovation in management. Constanti helped disseminate this project’s success at the annual EfVET
(European Forum for Vocational Education and Training) conference in Vilnius. Substantial interest in
the programme was generated among conference participants from educational institutions across
Europe.
Costa Constanti and Andreas Chrysanthou will shortly participate in an exciting new project called
‘LIFE’ – aimed at introducing skills for life in vocational teaching and education, to enhance quality of
education and success in the ‘real world’ following any training and education.
In December, Constanti participates in the first meeting in Oslo of the 2 year ‘PROMET – Promote
Migrant Education and Training in Europe’ project. This follows Louiza Papaloizou’s success in the
EQUAL programme for Asylum Seekers, as well as Constanti’s AQUA project for young migrants.
For more information on any of the above, or the ‘ALCUIN’ or ‘Marie Curie’ projects, please contact:
Costa Constanti on 22841719 or [email protected]
Virtual Bus and the
Radiomarathon 2008
KESY – Parent Workshops
The University of Nicosia Counselling Services
are also located at KESY. The Counselling Services
are available to students, faculty and staff of the
University at a nominal fee.
Virtual Bus (VB) is a research project with the overall objective
of identifying and implementing long term methods and techniques to mitigate the digital gap between the rural and urban
areas in Cyprus.
KESY has organised a series of parent workshops
in association with the programme Lions’ Quest.
The aim of these is to help parents develop or
enhance their parenting skills. Topics discussed
include information about adolescence, helping
adolescents build self-confidence, communicationskills, limits and boundaries and drug prevention.
FOOTPRINTS IN SOCIETY
The project is based on a mobile Internet research unit that is equipped with the latest technology computer workstations, servers, security, networking, 2-way broadband satellite, Wi-Fi, 3G, IP
Telephony infrastructure, videoconference and audiovisual equipment, air-conditioning and power
generator – making it totally independent from any network resource. The lab space has eleven
office desks and chairs and offers accessibility to disabled persons.
The Virtual Bus participated in the activities of the Radiomarathon 2008 at a fair at Kykkos Metochi gardens in Engomi on
Sunday, 19 Oct 2007. With the active participation of both colleagues and students from the University of Nicosia, and in
cooperation with Virtual IT, the VB provided Internet access,
information on safe Internet usage and select games for the
many visitors.
The University of Nicosia would like to thank Virtual IT for their
cooperation, as well as the following colleagues who devoted
their time and helped make the VB’s outing this year as successful and prominent as last year’s:
- Soulla Louca
- Charalambos Christou
- Stefanos Spaneas
- Evripides Zantides
- Koula Peristiani
For more on the VB and its activities, please visit: http://www.virtualbus.net/index.php
The first Parent Group was completed recently and
proved very successful. The second group began
on 12 November and continued each Wednesday
at KESY for 5 weeks. Each session is 2½ hours.
People who are not yet parents, or have younger
children are also encouraged to attend.
The Centre for Therapy, Training and Research
(KESY) is a non governmental organisation affiliated
to the University of Nicosia. It aims to provide
professional counselling services, to train and
educate students, professionals and other people
via workshops, seminars and lectures throughout
the year and to be involved in research projects
related to the areas of interest of the Centre. The
Centre is situated at 66 Metochiou St in Engomi
(next to the American Embassy) and it normally
operates from 09:00 to 18:00, but appointments
can be made depending on the availability of staff.
Participation in the groups is limited, so we
encourage people who are interested to contact us
as soon as possible. The workshops are delivered
in the Greek language, but we encourage English
speaking parents to contact us. If we have enough
parents to form an English speaking group we
would be happy to arrange it.
KESY is also implementing stress reduction groups.
This programme began on 15 November and runs
for 4 weeks (2 hours per week).
Do not hesitate to contact KESY at 22-795100 to find
out more about our centre and the programmes
we are running.