Special Report Higher Education

17 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 special report Higher Education

A look at tertiary level choices in Cyprus

University studies and career choices in difficult times

As the island continues to struggle it is even more Try to experience jobs ﬁ rst hand important for students to make the right choices if you think you about what to do next says Emilios A. Solomou are interested

ECIDING which imperative for young people their parents. principles that should guide subject to study to re-adjust to the new re- 2) They must explore op- a young person in deciding at university and alities and plan their stud- portunities to visit places of which subject to study? Dwhere to study has ies and career choices more work and possibly obtain a 1) What skills and abilities required for the job? e.g do lusionment subsequently. always been diffi cult for carefully. work placement to observe are required? (e.g to become you need to meet with peo- What about if a young per- young people; this has be- What should young peo- closely what happens, for an engineer you need to be ple, will you work alone in a son makes a wrong choice of come even more diffi cult in ple consider and do to avoid a example at a lawyer’s, ac- good at Maths). Then the closed space, will you need course? What can be done these years of economic cri- unemployment and disap- countants’ or engineers of- question should be: am I to dress well, will you need about it? The advice is that if sis, which has seriously af- pointment when they enter fi ce. This experience will help good at Maths? to work outside in diffi cult you are not sure about your fected the lives of those who the job market? a young person see practical- 2) Do I like this subject weather conditions etc.? course of study you should are either towards the end of 1) They must start thinking ly whether he/she would like enough to have the motiva- It may not be possible to choose a university that is their studies or have recently about their future studies as to pursue a career in the par- tion and stamina to study get defi nitive answers to fl exible and allows for such graduated and cannot fi nd early as possible. They need ticular fi eld. It is not rare for hard and succeed? all of the above but what is a change. American universi- a job. The changes that are to seek the advice of School a young person to say after a 3) What are the employ- most likely is that you will ties seem to be the more fl ex- occurring in our country and, Counsellors and teachers. few weeks at an offi ce “Oh, ment and career prospects make an informed choice ible ones that would allow to different extents, in other They need to discuss their this job is not for me.” following graduation? thus reducing the possibility European countries, make it ideas, fears and doubts with But what are the basic 4) What, if any, are the traits of disappointment and disil- TURN TO PAGE 28 18 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL Affordable excellence

NROLLING at Ne- apolis University Pa- fos enters you into a The university campus in Kato Paphos Ehigh standard academic environment of undergraduate and postgraduate studies in a stimulating and enjoyable environment. Students can develop their academic and personal skills in an international setting. With Paphos being the European Capital of Culture for 2017, the city has become even busier with exciting events and creative activities and is attracting people from all around the world. Neapolis is superbly locat- ed in the center of Paphos and only a few minutes from the sea. It contains its own convenient and comfort- able campus that includes living facilities for students, classrooms, a fully function- ing library, a big restaurant/ student lobby, two swim- ming pools, gym and a ten- nis court while there is free Wi-Fi throughout the en- tire campus. The campus and its facilities are unique among Cypriot and Greek universities, usually found in big cities, allowing students the distinctive experience of studying and living in an ex- clusive setting. Moreover, it is part of the Leptos Group, one of the biggest and most dynamic companies on the island. The biggest advantage of Neapolis is the quality and dedication of its faculty, most of whom have consid- erable experience teaching and doing research in Eu- ropean and Greek universities. Based on such faculty and an ambitious strategy, Register early and qualify for a 10 per cent discount, Neapolis is quickly becoming one of the best private universities in Cyprus. For the next academic year it additional incentives for Financial Aid and Scholarships is expanding its curriculum by offering several new pro- Education. As a result of the the student, to become a alent to those awarded by Tourism Research, Centre Landscape Architecture grammes. These include a evaluation and accredita- unique centre for education UK, USA and European Uni- of Environmental Research, BSc and an MSc in Compu- tion the status and stand- to diffuse new knowledge, versities, as well as by rec- Counselling Centre for Psy- ter Science, a revised fully ard of the university and its engage in research and ognising authorities around chological Support and Postgraduate upgraded MBA, three addi- degree programmes is con- provide students with the the world. Evaluation tional degree programmes fi rmed, both within Cyprus knowledge and skills needed Also the University’s ac- Discover the difference at programmes: in Public Administration, and overseas, and it gives for successful careers. credited programmes will Neapolis University! a new MBA in Shipping as an indication that Neapolis Studying for an accred- allow students to transfer MBA well as PHD programmes University is a high quality ited qualifi cation from Ne- to other Universities in UK, Banking, Investment & with the University of Pelo- provider of tertiary educa- apolis University gives you Europe, and USA. Student Finance ponissou. tion. a number of benefi ts. World- The learning procedure at Public Administration Neapolis University and The vision of the university wide recognised degrees. NUP is based on the qual- Educational Administration its programmes are fully ac- is to create a dynamic learn- Bachelors and Masters De- ity of the academic staff as benefits Management of Health Care credited by the Ministry of ing environment focused on grees are considered equiv- well as on the use of modern High standard education European Governance learning technology, which Academically experienced International & European creates an environment that and dedicated faculty Business Law enhances effi ciency in the Stimulating and enjoyable Educational Psychology educational procedure. NUP environment where stu- Counselling Psychology has created an academic en- dents develop academic Theology vironment that values and and personal skills in an Greek Civilisation-History promotes free, active and international setting Real Estate original intellectual inquiry. Convenient and comfort- Information Systems NUP academics have a long able campus life with Construction Management teaching and research activ- excellent accommodation Landscape Architecture ity in their area of interest facilities and encourage students to Student clubs develop skills of research Support team for all stu- Entry and the ability to learn au- dent requirements tonomously towards achiev- Modern premises and facili- requirements ing academic excellence. ties Neapolis University Pafos Accessible and frequent Diploma awarded by an aims to support and pro- bus services connecting the accredited educational mote the educational and town and all cities institution of secondary research activities of the In- education stitution and to contribute Good knowledge of the to the overall spiritual and Undergraduate English language (GCSE or cultural development of the IELTS or TOEFL CERTIFI- university community. NUP CATES) academics are members of programmes: international research cen- Business Administration tres and participate in con- Accounting, Banking & NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY ferences all over the world, Finance PAFOS while their papers are well Economics 2 Danais Avenue, 8042 Pafos, received by the interna- Law Cyprus tional academic community. Psychology NUP has launched the fol- Real Estate Τel: +357 2684 3300 / lowing Research Centres: Applied Informatics E: [email protected] Centre for International Architecture Url: www.nup.ac.cy 19 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 HigherEducation

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q MBA q *OUFSOBUJPOBM&VSPQFBO #VTJOFTT-BX(LLM) q #BOLJOH *OWFTUNFOU 'JOBODF q &VSPQFBO(PWFSOBODF q 1VCMJD"ENJOJTUSBUJPO q &EVDBUJPOBM1TZDIPMPHZ q &EVDBUJPOBM"ENJOJTUSBUJPO q $PVOTFMMJOH1TZDIPMPHZ q .BOBHFNFOUPG)FBMUI$BSF q 3FBM&TUBUF q *OGPSNBUJPO4ZTUFNT q $POTUSVDUJPO.BOBHFNFOU q -BOETDBQF"SDIJUFDUVSF q (SFFL$JWJMJ[BUJPO q 5IFPMPHZ EARLY REGISTRATION 10% DISCOUNT Additional Incentives for Financial Aid and Scholarships NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY PAFOS 2 Danais Avenue, 8042 Pafos, Cyprus 20 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL ‘Exam performance in the genes’ By John von Radowitz “For the fi rst time, we found that these general genetic effects on academic achievement remained CHILDREN are largely pro- even when the effects of general grammed at birth to pass or fail intelligence were removed. GCSE exams, a study suggests. “We also found that over half of Evidence shows that school edu- the differences between children’s cational achievement is “highly educational achievement for all of inheritable”, say scientists. And these disciplines was explained by many of the same genes involved inherited differences in their DNA, infl uence exam performance rather than school, family and oth- across a broad range of subjects. er environmental infl uences.” More than half of the differences The standardised curriculum seen between exam results may be used in the UK could help high- due to variations in the DNA chil- light the strong genetic infl uence, dren inherit from their parents, ac- she added. Since all children had cording to the results. access to broadly the same edu- Developmental psychologist cation and took the same exams, Kaili Rimfeld, from the Institute of environmental effects on perform- Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuro- ance were reduced. science (IoPPN) at King’s College The scientists analysed genetic London, said: “Our fi ndings sug- data on 12,500 twins to investigate gest that many of the same genes whether nature or nurture had the infl uence achievement across a biggest impact on GCSE results. broad range of disciplines, moving Comparisons of identical and beyond core subjects such as Eng- non-identical twins are often used lish and maths to include humani- to untangle genetic and environ- ties, business, art and languages. mental effects. Identical twins have the same set of genes, and would be expected 54 to 65 per cent of the differences be a heritable component to exam but they make a simple assump- to deliver much the same results in performance between children. success. The approach used in this tion that is unlikely to be true: that if exam grades were purely geneti- Professor Robert Plomin, anoth- study is a standard one demon- is that we treat identical twins the cally driven. In contrast, non-iden- er member of the King’s College strating that monozygotic (identi- same as we treat non-identical tical twins share only around half team, said: “Understanding the cal) twins’ GCSE marks correlate twins (who look much more differ- their genes. specifi c genetic and environmen- signifi cantly more closely than ent from each other). The study, published in the jour- tal factors infl uencing individual dizygotic (fraternal) twins. “These results are interesting, nal Scientifi c Reports, found that differences in educational achieve- “What we need to be careful of, therefore, but by no means de- academic achievement in English, ment - and the complex interplay however, is leaping to the assump- fi nitive and it would be unwise to mathematics, science, humanities, between them - could help edu- tion that this means that people make educational decisions based second languages, business infor- cationalists develop effective per- are predisposed to do more or less on these data.” matics and art was infl uenced by sonalised learning programmes, to well in their school exams. Genet- Professor Timothy Spector, a the same genes. This was true even help every child reach their poten- ics is the science of inheritance, leading expert on twins research when adjustments were made to tial by the end of compulsory edu- not pre-determinism, and there at King’s College London, said: take account of genetic effects due cation.” is no substitute for hard work and “Studies showing exam achieve- to general intelligence. Other experts said the study application.” ments (like IQ) have a strong All GCSE results were highly her- should be treated with caution. Neuroscientist Professor John genetic infl uence are not new. itable. Genes, rather than environ- Professor Darren Griffi n, from the Hardy, from University College Unfortunately they are usually mental factors such as conditions University of Kent, said: “It comes London, said: “Twin studies are a over-interpreted as presenting at school and home life, explained as no surprise that there should mainstay of behavioural genetics, falsely a notion of fi xed destiny.” 21 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 HigherEducation Frederick University marks 50 years

FREDERICK University is a great opportunity for fl ex- At Frederick each student one of the largest universi- ible learning to people that is catered for as a separate ties in Cyprus and the only wish to further their stud- entity and an elaborate one that operates from two ies. support system is in place cities, Nicosia and Limas- A key element in all pro- to ensure that he or she can sol. The university is fully grammes is the emphasis make the most of his/her recognised by the Repub- on designing programmes studies. This support does lic of Cyprus, in Europe, that address current soci- not end with graduation; and internationally. It has etal needs and offer unique the university maintains a long history in Cypriot advantages to their gradu- Careers and Industrial Li- higher education and is ates in the job market. This aison Offi ces whose pur- highly esteemed by society. is why a lot of innovative pose is to assist students This year it is particularly programmes of study can in obtaining employment, proud, celebrating 50 years only be found in Cyprus at improving their advantag- presence servicing educa- Frederick University. es and assisting them in tion! Central to the operations of gaining training positions Organised in six Schools, Frederick University is its through local or interna- the largest number of student centric philosophy. tional programmes. schools among all private universities, Frederick Uni- versity offers a breadth of academic programmes covering a wide spectrum of disciplines. These include counting, Management and nursing), Architecture, Fine all fi elds of Engineering, Marketing, Health Sciences and Applied Arts, Commu- Computer Science, Ac- (including pharmacy and nication Studies, Social Sci- ences and Education. The programmes offered cover all cycles: Bachelor, Mas- ter, and Doctoral (PhD). All programmes of study offered are accredited by the relevant academic bodies and the corresponding professional bodies, where applicable. In addition to convention- al programmes, the university has initiated the provision of postgraduate programmes via distance learning. Employing the latest technologies in e- learning communication systems and the state-of- the-art theories and prac- tices, its programmes offer 22 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL Should students stay in Cyprus? The number of Cypriot students studying in Cyprus has surpassed the number of those going abroad and the number continues to rise. But what are the reasons for this asks Annette Chrysostomou

HEN deciding where to mingling with other students who continue his studies, for come to Cyprus to study. More and George Evangelou, 22, more, universities on the island Wit was a matter of eco- are introducing exchange pro- nomics. Staying on the island was grammes, like Erasmus. more affordable. It meant he could However, as Eleonora Chrysanthi, opt for the standard money saver, 19, who studies at the University of staying with his parents. But it Cyprus, points out not all courses was not just about money - he be- are available in Cyprus. lieves it also makes sense to stay in But not all students view Cyprus Cyprus because “the universities positively. Paris Grozakis, 21, law are better now and they have good student in the UK, said he didn’t programmes. You can get a Brit- consider studying in Cyprus. “I ish degree, and there is no need to decided to study in UK because travel, and you live in a safe envi- the universities there are in gen- study abroad,” she adds. Guidance counsellor at Highgate tion in Cyprus. First of all there ronment.” eral much better than in Cyprus. So how should those currently in Private School Arlette Shohmelian are now four private universities The fi nancial aspect is also a I wanted to live alone and the UK their fi nal years address the situ- was also positive about the current and also there are joined degrees factor for Savvas Theodotou, 23, has a similar legal system to Cy- ation? Deputy director of Xenion climate in Cyprus. “The percep- and agreements with universities who lives in a rented apartment “I prus.” High School George Phylactou tion is changing fast. Students fur- abroad.” still have the choice to live on my Likewise, Athina Vlachou who said it depends on what the pupil thering their education in Cyprus Anna Farmaki, who has been a own because the university is not studies in London doesn’t see any wants to do. He said the school are not disadvantaged in any way. lecturer in three tertiary institu- in Nicosia where my parents are,” reasons for studying in Cyprus un- tries to look at the overall picture Private universities are affi liated tions in Cyprus believes it is very he said. While studying overseas less it is to save expenses, but even such as cost of accommodation with universities abroad, which important for students to get to allows students to come to grips that is not a real reason as Cyprus and travelling. However, he adds gives the opportunity or the op- know other cultures. But she cau- with another culture, Theodotou is not cheap. “Cyprus is a sociable that there have been many posi- tion to students to continue their tions that “going abroad doesn’t thinks “you can still learn about community, but in terms of pro- tive changes in Cyprus such as new education abroad if they chose to. necessarily achieve this because other cultures [staying here] by gressing academically one should universities and new courses. Cyprus has become an attractive there is the ‘3 years with other destination for international stu- Cypriots abroad’ syndrome, where dents, which allows local students Cypriots never try to get to know to be exposed to multicultural- anybody different.” ism. The size of local universities “What used to be disadvantages are relatively smaller than other for studying in Cyprus have now universities abroad, which allows been bridged. Many universities more room for a closer, and more now have an international fl avour. individualised and personalised There are exchange programmes attention for students.” such as Erasmus and lecturers “Up to fi ve years ago, there were have a background in European two options. One was to study in and American education. If a Cyp- the UK or US which was appreci- riot stays in Cyprus they can ex- ated in Cyprus and was considered perience the same type of diver- value for money and the other one sity with those studying abroad. was to go to Greece where it is free There are international students, for Cypriots to study,” said Found- international faculty and the level er of Young Future Leaders Leoni- is the same,” added assistant pro- das Alexandrou. fessor at the University of Nicosia “Lately there has been a revolu- Nicholas Nicoli. Hellenic Bank: even closer to students HELLENIC Bank considers edu- fer in-hospital medical care to cation a supreme good that all students in Cyprus and abroad young people should have access covering sickness and accident. to. That is why it always aspires Hellenic Bank’s kiosk at the re- to stand by them so as to meet cent International Educational their specialised needs through Exhibition Education and Career products and services that offer 2015 was crowded by prospec- special advantages and fl exible tive higher education students, solutions, thus facilitating their whom Hellenic Bank’s offi cers life and making education easier. were able to inform on the prod- More specifi cally Hellenic ucts and services that Hellenic Bank’s Everything for the Stu- Bank developed in accordance dent bundles the following: to their particular needs. My Account 18-30 - Hellenic Additionally, Hellenic Bank has Bank’s new current account offi cially launched its coopera- specially designed for ages 18- tion with the StudentLife plat- 30 with numerous advantages form. (discounts on cash withdrawals Its cooperation with Stu- charges from ATMs abroad and dentLife platform brings Hellen- internet purchases in foreign ic Bank even closer to students, currency, a Mastercard Connect sponsoring and supporting edu- debit card, free NetBanking di- cational and recreational events gipass device and free e-State- as well as boosting student life ment service, without cheque- in Cyprus through various ac- book and account management tions or activities, through fees, free basic travel insurance StudentLife’s websites and its etc.) branches at the university cam- Car Finance - A complete puses. solution for a car purchase with In parallel, Hellenic Bank is signifi cant benefi ts: car fi nance now preparing its offerings for agreement from Hellenic Bank, the coming academic year with car insurance through Pancypri- further and upgraded actions. an Insurance, life insurance and Hellenic Bank’s philosophy is permanent total disability and dressed to parents/guardians. It ated to respond to students’ manage their account, no cash to increasingly undertake more accidental death cover through offers a combination of lending needs and lifestyles by offering advance fees for cash withdraw- actions focusing on covering the Hellenic Alico Life. facilities towards children’s edu- them: current account or Hel- als and free travel insurance. needs of students, and thus jus- Education Student Loan cational needs. lenic Net Account, free access to Student MediCard – An tifying its slogan Everything for Scheme - The scheme is ad- Student Card – Specially cre- Hellenic Net Banking services to insurance plan designed to of- the Student! 23 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 HigherEducation 24 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL 25 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 HigherEducation 26 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL 27 SUNDAY MAIL • July 26, 2015 HigherEducation Face financial crisis with an IATA diploma

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Just tourism fi eld. industry in such a way that call us at 22 253601, • ATI is driven by a strong they are equipped profes- to arrange for a and sound set of core values sionally in the vocation of and has always endeavored aviation and tourism. meeting and get to empower students to face • In just 3 months, students all the information the challenges in the rap- can become reliable profes- you need for a idly growing aviation, travel, sionals, working at airports, tourism and hospitality in- travel agencies, cargo agen- profession which will dustry. cies and airlines worldwide. lead you to success. 28 HigherEducation July 26, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL University studies and career choices in difficult times continued from page 17 for a change in course. Some In Cyprus the higher educa- of the US system is another universities may allow more tion scene currently features attraction. Undergraduate limited change and some not eight universities, three pub- students can combine ma- at all without repeating a se- lic and fi ve private, namely: jors and can even change mester or year depending on the University of Cyprus, the course more easily than in the type of course. Cyprus University of Tech- most of the European uni- Another question that is of- nology, the Open University, versities. Finally a strong in- ten asked is: “Can I follow the European University, Freder- centive is the availability of course I really like and know ick University, the University scholarships by the universi- that I will enjoy (e.g Litera- of Nicosia, Neapolis Univer- ties themselves either before ture, Sociology etc) and then sity and UCLAN University the commencement of stud- fi nd a job in another fi eld? (Cyprus). ies or after the student en- There is no straightforward Between them they offer a rolls. Furthermore America answer to this question. wide range of degree courses offers many opportunities It is true that in many Eu- to cater to the needs of most for further studies as well as ropean countries e.g the UK, young school leavers. The career opportunities. Germany, France etc big climax was reached with the The next big question is companies may appoint a creation in the last four years “What are the fi elds which very able young graduate and of three Medical Schools. In offer more opportunities for offer extensive and intensive addition to the universities a employment and advance- training before posting the number of Colleges offer ac- ment in Cyprus?” There is no young employee. These are credited programmes, some simple and straightforward companies with a very large of them with a vocational answer; but what one can do number of employees, their emphasis and direction. is offer some guidelines which own training centres and It is a fact now more stu- reduce the risk of unemploy- with developed mentorship dents stay to pursue their ment. There is no doubt that systems. In such cases the studies in Cyprus, but the the severe economic crisis answer to the above ques- traditional destinations of that has hit Cyprus in the tion is yes. Greece and the United King- last three years has brought In Cyprus, however, the sit- dom are still attracting a about many substantial themselves for other open- people to face the new reali- tremely hard in order to uation is different. Because large number. A recent de- changes in the job market ings and possible careers. ties of employment and eco- succeed. Furthermore with of the relatively small size velopment, largely due to the and has resulted, out of ne- They must think more crea- nomic advancement. a strong economy, a state of most Cypriot businesses economic crisis, is the turn cessity, in some changes in tively and innovatively to In Cyprus there are now can support the arts and the it is not possible for them to towards some other Euro- attitudes. create something in the pri- opportunities for new fi elds humanities that enrich peo- offer extensive training pro- pean countries, mainly Ger- First of all young people vate sector where there is of study: courses related to ple’s lives. grammes and they therefore many and France; this is due must realise that they must always room for new ideas the gas and oil industry as Vocational and technical expect a newly appointed to the fact that these coun- not plan and pursue their and undertakings. Entrepre- well as the environment. qualifi cations are also in employee to start applying tries charge no, or very low Computing and technology- demand in the new environ- his/her knowledge and skills subsidised fees. As a result related courses still provide ment that has developed. almost from the get go. It more young people are turn- reasonable opportunities People should not look down is therefore necessary for ing towards learning a sec- for employment. Account- on these qualifi cations and young people to bear this in ond foreign language to offer A recent development, largely ing and Finance still seem related jobs. There is a need mind when they choose their themselves a wider choice of to offer good opportunities. for people with technical degree course. After gradua- where and what to study. due to the economic crisis, is Engineering courses contin- skills in many areas of the tion they must be in a posi- The USA is another desti- ue to provide a strong quali- economy. The well-trained tion to start being produc- nation for a number of Cyp- fi cation not only for direct and skilled electricians, me- tive in a practical, applied riot students. Although in the turn towards some other employment in the fi eld but chanics, plumbers etc will way in employment. some cases distance can be a many other career paths are always be needed. We must The increase in the number discouraging factor there are open to anyone with an en- not relate these occupations of young people entering many advantages to study- European countries, mainly gineering background. with the old perceptions. In higher education as well as ing in the USA. America has Having said the above it our modern technological the increase in the number some of the best universities Germany and France does not mean that we sacri- society a lot of these jobs re- of institutions has resulted in the world, so outstanding fi ce all other types of knowl- quire advanced knowledge on one hand in the exist- students secure places in edge and skills. We need the and skills and can be fi nan- ence of many more choices such prestigious institutions. education with the dream neurship is a relatively new humanities: we need our cially profi table. but at the same time it has The tremendous number of of becoming a civil servant, idea in Cyprus but it must be artists, actors, dancers, po- made the whole process of US universities often means a bank employee or an em- encouraged and cultivated ets, sociologists, historians • Dr Emilios A. Solomou is selection of a course as well the availability of certain ployee in one of the semi- from a young age; the edu- and the like but those in- Executive Vice President for as university, more complex courses that cannot be found government organisations. cational system must be re- volved would have to know Administration at the Uni- and more time consuming. anywhere else. The fl exibility They must also prepare adjusted to prepare young that they need to work ex- versity of Nicosia Two types of students: career oriented vs doing a course you like By Annette Chrysostomou interested in highly adaptable people. Com- panies are looking to hire employees who can adapt and solve problems, who can be THE fi rst concern for most students is to relied on to follow through, and how effec- fi nd a job after graduation. But there is tively they perform under pressure and can much more to higher education than that. lead and motivate others.” And when should you start thinking about Nicholas Nicoli, Assistant professor at the the job at the end of the course? University of Nicosia said the choice of stud- According to lecturer Anna Farmaki “there ies should be a combination of what the stu- are two types of students… those who know dent likes to study and how useful the fi nal what they want to study and are strongly qualifi cation will be. Students should have motivated to achieve their goal and those passion and talent, otherwise they won’t be who are uncertain of which career option motivated. They also need to take into ac- they should go for. Often these students ei- count current and future trends, something ther succumb to the pressures of their par- that is not easy to do. “Programmes are four ents, who show a preference towards eco- years long and something we teach in year nomically sound professions, or choose to one may be obsolete in year four.” study something general such as Business “We should train undergraduate students Administration that offers them wider ca- in critical thinking so they are able to go on reer options after graduation. The problem to learn on their own; and graduate studies is that we have many students who should can be more applied and more specifi c.” not be studying specifi c courses or should Trying to balance interest with opportuni- not be studying at all. ty is a point taken on board by students too. “As a result of the societal pressure in Cy- “Unfortunately you have to study what em- prus to have a degree, a gap in the market ployers want, it’s often a confl ict about what has been created in terms of vocational- you want to do and what society wants you based jobs. It wouldn’t be surprising, for ex- to do” says Savvas Theodotou, a 23-year-old ample, if in a few years there is a shortage student at a private university in Cyprus. of plumbers or electricians on the island. A balance needs to “People like in any other consumer society Also, due to the large number of graduates think brands are important and universi- in Cyprus competition for securing a job in be found between ties are no different. I don’t agree. I think the marketplace is fi ercer. We have seen ex- something enjoyable a teacher in Cyprus can be a better teach- amples where in some professions salaries and something useful er and an employer might not be aware of have gradually decreased over time because this.” there is an oversupply of graduates.” ality. We should develop skills like critical from around the age of 15, guidance coun- Eleonora Chrysanthi, 19, a student at the “There is still a gap between what people thinking and problem solving.” Alexandrou sellor at Highgate Private School Arlette University of Cyprus, told the Cyprus Mail study and what is needed in the market”, further comments, “In an interview, you are Shohmelian says “obviously it is important that there are different groups of students. said Leonidas Alexandrou who helps both never asked what did you do in this class or for students to get qualifi cations from repu- “Nowadays, most students choose their secondary pupils and students in tertiary details about your degree. They will ask you table universities “however, more and more studies due to what helps them to get a job education on leadership and personal de- about situations like how would you handle companies are paying attention to hire the as soon as they fi nish but there are those velopment via his academy Young Future this problem or others which show if you are right graduates with the right personality who don’t care and do what they want. Ide- Leaders. “Instead of looking for a degree innovative and can take an initiative.” traits rather than the right universities. Em- ally you should do what you want. There is which enables us to fi nd a job we have to With school children generally being en- ployers are interested in hiring graduates a lot of pressure and you have got to study tackle the problem of developing a person- couraged to think about further education with high emotional intelligence, they are hard so you should enjoy it.”