PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday signed an agreement in Boston with Harvard University to set up a regional research institute in Cyprus to a mixed reaction back home.
The government will invest around £17 million into the institute on environment and public health in co-operation with the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) over a 10-year period, after which the institute is expected to become self-sufficient.
The government will also finance the construction of the premises, the cost of which is estimated to be in the range of an extra $21 million (£10 million).
The institute will offer training and research and have direct links with regional policy-makers in the fields of environment and issues affecting public health.
Scientists from Harvard will work alongside Cypriots, postgraduate and doctorate students and other professionals from around the world, researching the latest in advanced technologies in environment and public health.
Professor of Physics at the University of Cyprus (UCY) Costas Christofides criticised the move for its lack of transparency. “This deal has come out of the dark, without transparency. The government didn’t discuss it with anybody,” he said.
“When they want to spend £200,000 on computers in schools, there is a lengthy dialogue and discussions with teachers and parents. Now, they want to spend almost $50 million and have no discussion. This scheme will basically finance Harvard’s research,” he added.
One academic source who wished to remain anonymous asked why the Health Ministry, Environment Ministry and Planning Bureau were not involved, given the size of the project.
“Where was the study of due diligence and feasibility? You need to put it (the project) on the table and ask opinions, inform everyone and then go ahead. It doesn’t have to be secret,” they said.
The source added that instead of funding coming solely from Cyprus, the government could have sought EU funding for environmental research. “We could get EU sponsorship for this. It would be difficult and would take time but it shouldn’t be made on our full expense.”
However, UCY Vice-Rector Elpida Keravnou stated clearly that the university had been invited to join in the negotiations with Harvard last August. “We participated with various ministries, and sent an official letter in favour of the research institute. We said we would like a protocol of collaboration with the institute in research and educational programmes,” she said.
“We have not discussed details yet, but we are in contact with Harvard officials and would like to start negotiations on a protocol the next time they come to Cyprus.”
Keravnou said the university had been informed of the decision to establish the research institute from the start and that their opinion had been sought by the government. “The minister spoke of this in a speech last year to postgraduates. We were not kept in the dark,” she said, adding that the Rector had even been invited to the signing in Boston but could not go.
“The claims we were excluded do not hold. A university committee was set up to deal with this issue.”
A member of that committee, Andreas Alexandrou, said a lot of rumours and hearsay had been published about the research centre. He welcomed the move, saying it was a good thing for Cyprus.
The interim Dean of Engineering at UCY said he had a number of documents and writings to prove that the university was involved for over a year and a half on the project at various stages since January 3 2003.
“The university saw and approved plans, and the committee was formed to talk to the Minister (of Communications and Works) and Harvard long before the change of government,” said Alexandrou, referring to claims that Minister George Lillikas had links to Harvard via a cousin of his.
“I personally informed the Planning Bureau and Town Planning about the possibility of the Harvard institute,” he said, adding “It was my idea to have it here instead of in Athens, because I think it’s a good thing for Cyprus.”
Regarding the level of involvement of UCY, he said the university “chose to get involved at the level it wanted to get involved”.
Cyprus currently spends 0.27 per cent of GNP on research, one tenth of the EU requirement at three per cent.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides rejected criticism of the agreement to create a research centre, saying Cyprus should be happy about this cooperation with Harvard.
“This Harvard co-operation puts Cyprus on the map of world research centres especially in issues on environment and public health, and it will increase co-operation with countries in the region,” he said.
Regarding the cost, the spokesman said £1.7 million a year over 10 years was manageable.
