SOME months ago, the Cypriot ambassador to the United States came to Sacramento, California, to present a lecture about Cyprus. As one of the very few Cypriots residing in Sacramento, and also one of the oldest, I was invited to attend. The ambassador’s talk dealt mostly with Cyprus’ accession to the European Union and its benefits, touching only briefly on the steps to be taken after the Annan plan rejection.
At the discussion period that followed, I asked this question: “Why do so many young Cypriots choose to study abroad when they have the University of Cyprus and other Cypriot accredited colleges available to them?”
The ambassador’s brief reply was that all over the world students attend universities of their choice, not necessarily in their own country, and that therefore it was not strange that many ambitious young Cypriots do the same.
However, not satisfied with this response, I had hoped to learn more about what I suspect may be the real reason: that students (or their parents) feel the educational standards of Cypriot universities and colleges are lacking in academic depth, variety, and status, forcing them to search for schools in other countries that might better accommodate their needs.
Of the more than two dozen Cypriot institutions of higher learning that exist in various places and with various specialties, the University of Cyprus with its more than 3,000 students is without doubt the leader. It is no small feat for a university only 14 years old to be able to offer both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in such a variety of fields. This includes their recently added MBA programme.
In the mid-eighties I was approached by the then Minister of Education to offer my expertise as an educator when the University was being established. One of my suggestions was that in order for the University to achieve international recognition and prestige, the prevailing language should be English. This suggestion was immediately shot down and thus ended my involvement as an adviser. I had in mind the success of the American University in Beirut and hoped that Nicosia could eventually inspire the same respect and reputation.
I was born in Cyprus, and although I have spent more than 75 per cent of my life in America, I continue to have an avid interest in the betterment of my native country. It saddened me, therefore, to read Leo Leonidou’s recent news article, ‘Growing number of Cypriots studying in UK’ (March 25). If the reason that so many of our students seek higher education outside Cyprus is that our university is not up to par with UK or other sites of learning, then it should be a goal of the Cypriot academic community to remedy the situation.
Or are there, perhaps, other reasons?
For example, are the entrance requirements so difficult or rigid that students with unconventional but creative minds or unusual talents are overlooked? Is the grading system both firm and fair? Is there sufficient community and governmental support? Have studies been done with testing (such as the American Graduate Record Exam) to see how UCY graduates for example compare with graduates of other universities? And what about statistics showing how UCY graduates fare when they continue in foreign graduate programmes?
An even more frightening possible reason is that students may feel that opportunities for positions in their chosen fields exist only in other countries, and that studying there helps them in their steps up the career ladder. This flight to other countries (we call this ‘brain drain’ in America) can only deplete Cyprus’s status in the business, intellectual, scientific, fine arts and other areas.
Many years ago, I served as a high school guidance counsellor in America, and I always urged my counselees to attend local community colleges or state universities for their undergraduate studies. Then, if they desired advanced degrees, they could consider studying at a larger university specialising in their field in either the US or another country. As a matter of fact, my own children, growing up in California, attended the local University of California at Davis, just a few blocks from our home. Later, their special interests led them into careers and advanced studies in other fields and in other places; in fact, my oldest son was recently approached by his alma mater to become a lecturer in the field of oenology.
When I was in Cyprus in the late 1980s, I was privileged to observe classes at the Cyprus Teachers’ College, which trained elementary school teachers. I was very impressed with what I saw under the leadership of its capable director, Mr. M. Maratheftis, and felt that the teachers who came out of his college were prepared to give their students the proper education to succeed in high school and in turn in college. I strongly feel that the Cypriot government needs to understand that teachers, from kindergarten to university, are our nation’s most valuable resource.
Our teachers have done their job well, and they have every reason to be proud that Cypriot high school graduates are held in such high regard by foreign universities in the UK and other countries. Their grounding in educational basics, their knowledge of English (and other languages), their adaptability, and their motivation to do well and complete their studies are admirable.
For many reasons, however, while our students will thrive wherever they choose to continue their higher education, it is hoped that many of them will feel pride in choosing to study in Cyprus. Every effort must be made by the government to ensure that the courses offered, the professors hired, the academic excellence demanded, and the Hellenistic spirit imbued keep growing into the 21st century.
May Cyprus then become not only a jewel of island charm but a beacon of inspired intellect in the Mediterranean!
