694 graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study were awarded their degrees, and two (2) new doctoral students were awarded their PhD during the ΧΙΙI Graduation Ceremony of the Open University of Cyprus (OUC) for the academic year 2019-2020, which was successfully held exclusively online on 11-13 December 2020. During the Ceremony, Adjunct Faculty members, two of each of the three Faculties of the OUC, received “Excellence in Teaching” awards, while OUC graduates with the highest overall grades in all programmes of study received ‘excellence distinctions’.
The Graduation Ceremony was addressed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, who congratulated OUC’s graduates on behalf of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Anastasiades. In his speech, Mr. Prodromou stressed the advantages of distance education, which OUC successfully promotes, that are highlighted nowadays even more so due to current pandemic. The Minister stated that “OUC is an exemplary model of an open & distance education institution and can serve as an example for other educational institutions, of all levels, on how distance education may be applied effectively and successfully using innovative technologies in teaching methodology, and at the same time, offering high quality education”. Mr. Prodromou also expressed the intention of the State to further expand its successful cooperation with the Open University of Cyprus by utilizing its technological resources, know-how and expertise to face the great challenge of implementing distance education at all levels of education in Cyprus.
The Chairman of the Council of the Open University of Cyprus, Mr. Charalambos Prountzos, after congratulating this year's graduates, referred to the importance of distance education and the benefits it offers to all citizens interested in lifelong learning as the Covid-19 pandemic has already proven. As he characteristically mentioned, “open and distance education is not a solution of necessity, but a conscious choice for quality studies” since "the present conditions impose open and distance education as a vital element of resilience". Mr. Prountzos also briefly highlighted the goals set by the University in its strategic development plan: the gradual increase of its development budget for the years 2021-2024, the need for the State to contribute to OUC’s goal to acquire its own permanent facilities, and the University’s initiative to establish a Vocational Training Institute.
The Rector of the Open University of Cyprus, Professor Petros Pashiardis, referred to the University’s achievements during the 2019-2020 academic year stating that OUC is a public digital University, which operates and adapts effectively under the current conditions, utilizing state-of-the-art technology in providing quality education. The Rector highlighted that “distance education is the present and the future in higher education”, and he noted that OUC is willing to offer its infrastructure and know-how to support the State’s efforts in applying distance education at all levels of education. Addressing the OUC’s new graduates, Professor Pashiardis noted that the Graduation Ceremony is an important milestone in the lifelong journey to knowledge that leads to continuous progress and success.
OUC alumni recognized for academic excellence and achievement were awarded with prizes kindly offered by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, the Hellenic Bank, Universal Life, Delfi Partners and Co, the Cyprus Police, the Hellenic Petroleum Cyprus, the Vassiliko Cement Works, the Ioannides & Demetriou Law Firm, the “Timios Stavros” private hospital, and the Cyprus Educational Administration Society.