The second graduation ceremony for doctoral students of The Cyprus Institute took place on Monday, October 22, 2018, in the presence of the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, who addressed the event. The Minister of Education and Culture, Dr. Kostas Champiaouris, awarded the diplomas to the six graduating PhD students. Professor Didier Roux, member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute, also addressed the ceremony.

In recognition of their important contributions to the areas of research, education, culture and economy, and more specifically for their significant contributions to the creation and development of The Cyprus Institute, Professor Herwig Schopper, Dr. Andreas Pittas, and Professor Vasos Karageorgis were awarded honorary Doctorates.

Leading figures from the scientific, business and political world attended the ceremony.

In his introductory remarks, the President of The Cyprus Institute, Prof. Costas Papanicolas noted that “we are proud to formally graduate today six additional doctoral students. Eight years ago, the Republic gave us the right to award Doctoral degrees in the fields of specialization of the Cyprus Institute. We promised the Ministry of Education and the prospective students that the Cyprus Institute would offer Doctoral Degrees to a small, highly selective group of young scientists aspiring to become tomorrow’s leaders in academia, research and innovation. And We did.  All of them excel as they are now employed in Cyprus, the Middle East, Europe and the US, in top research Institutions, or Universities and high technology companies.”

In his address, the President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Anastasiades noted that “The Cyprus Institute, in its short existence has succeeded in being distinguished internationally and has established itself as a regional scientific centre of excellence in research and postgraduate education, demonstrating in the most tangible way the dynamic potential of Cyprus as a gateway for knowledge and innovation between the European Union, the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region. The Graduate School of The Cyprus Institute, with its high-level doctoral programmes, has established itself as a European centre of educational excellence.”

The President also made a special reference to the international Initiative which his government has pledged to lead in order to coordinate efforts made by the countries of the region to address Climate Change and its consequences in the Mediterranean. This initiative is an outcome of the highly successful Climate Change International Conference that The Cyprus Institute organized this past May.

The President also announced measures that his government will take in order to promote research and innovation in Cyprus, including the establishment of a National Council for Research and Innovation, the establishment of a Chief Scientist for Cyprus, and incentive packages and tax reliefs for start-ups and innovative businesses.

The Cyprus Institute is a regional center of excellence with an international character and an interdisciplinary environment, having produced significant achievements in all areas of its activities, including strong research funding, excellent infrastructure, and a selective educational program.

Speeches from the Ceremony

The opening remarks by Professor Costas N. Papanicolas can be downloaded here (pdf).

The address by the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades can be downloaded here (pdf, Greek).

The commencement speech by Professor Didier Roux can be downloaded here (pdf).

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