Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου - Open University of Cyprus
Open University of Cyprus
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During their second year of studies or as soon as students have completed the compulsory Modules of the first year of studies, students may opt to write a Master’s Thesis. To obtain a thesis master’s degree, students have to successfully complete 6 Modules (all 4 Modules of the first year and 2 of the 4 Modules of the second year) and to write a master’s thesis of about 12.000-15.000 words (30 ECTS) on one of the academic fields of study of the Master’s Programme. The master's thesis is expected to contribute to research in the subjects of the Master’s Programme. The student’s proposal must be accepted by a member of the Programme’s teaching staff, who agrees to undertake the supervision of the dissertation. Alternatively, a selection of proposed topics is suggested by the teaching staff of the Programme. Master’s Theses are completed and evaluated by a three-member committee of the Programme’s teaching staff. The Programme organises public presentations of Master’s Theses at the end of each academic semester.
.During their second year of studies or as soon as students have completed the compulsory Modules of the first year of studies, students may opt to write a Master’s Thesis. To obtain a thesis master’s degree, students have to successfully complete 6 Modules (all 4 Modules of the first year and 2 of the 4 Modules of the second year) and to write a master’s thesis of about 12.000-15.000 words (30 ECTS) on one of the academic fields of study of the Master’s Programme. The master's thesis is expected to contribute to research in the subjects of the Master’s Programme. The student’s proposal must be accepted by a member of the Programme’s teaching staff, who agrees to undertake the supervision of the dissertation. Alternatively, a selection of proposed topics is suggested by the teaching staff of the Programme. Master’s Theses are completed and evaluated by a three-member committee of the Programme’s teaching staff. The Programme organises public presentations of Master’s Theses at the end of each academic semester.
The aim of the Course ΠΙΘ622 is to offer the students a systematic acquaintance with the principles of “good” (valid, sound and persuasive) argumentation, in the fields of both written and oral speech. The ability of constructing good arguments, checking the validity/soundness of the arguments of others, as much as the knowledge of the conditions upon which the persuasiveness and effective communication through arguments depend, constitute a necessary condition for every kind of successful, constructive occupation with current politics. For this reason ΠΙΘ622 offers an introduction to Logic (both formal and informal logic, the last called also “theory of argumentation”), their tools and their methods as a “condition-sine-qua-non” for everyone interested to involve in modern politics. The rhetorical frame of a logically valid argumentation, the dependence of the persuasiveness of arguments upon to the whole dialectic-communicative context as much as some subtle moral-ethical considerations are also parts of the content of the Course. The Module ΠΙΘ622 is divided in 4 Parts:
The aim of the Course ΠΙΘ621 is to acquaint students (especially non-lawyers) with the “peculiar” way of thinking, which characterizes lawyers and their science and has its deep roots in ideas and thoughts of a pure philosophical origin. The bridge that connects the modern “expert” lawyer who is involved in politics either as a politician himself or in advisory roles, with the non-lawyer citizen who wants to understand policies which are to a great extent “legalized”, can only be the common place of the Philosophy of Law (Jurisprudence); Law, morals and politics are interconnected and any attempt to strictly distinguish between “legal” and “moral” is, probably, condemned to failure. Students of the Course ΠΙΘ621 should become familiar with many “open issues” of Jurisprudence, already known from the Greek Antiquity (Greek philosophers, Plato, Aristotle et al.) and still constituting an active field of interest for modern scholars. This acquaintance shall allow them to better grasp the way and the reasons why modern societies have transformed themselves into totally “legalized” communities, although Justice still remains the “desideratum” in them. The Course also aims to persuade future politicians that an effective “translation” of legal concepts found into statutes, Acts and other legal texts, into an ordinary-language “vocabulary”, more natural and more “non-lawyer citizen-friendly” should not be considered as an impossible task. On the contrary, such an effort should be undertaken and can succeed under the following prerequisite: Jurisprudence should be used as the “translatory programme” for this aim. The Module ΠΙΘ621 is divided in 4 Parts:
The aim of the Module ΠΙΘ612 is to provide students with an essential technocratic background in certain selected aspects of macroeconomics and the international economic system. The acute financial crisis that affected Greece and Cyprus in recent years dramatically demonstrated the necessity of substantially deepening our understanding of certain areas of inquiry in the discipline of economics. A substantial knowledge background in the scientific fields under consideration is a condition sine qua non for a qualitative engagement with politics, either in the form of an active political involvement or in the form of an enhanced understanding of the economic affairs from the point of view of a political commentator, a publicist of a citizen. Within this framework, the Module ΠΙΘ612 aims to acquaint students with both the most crucial aspects of macroeconomics and the peculiarities of the international economic system. This latter part of the Module’s curriculum is of particular importance for promoting an appropriate assessment of the international economic relations, interconnections and players. The adequate understanding of international economic affairs is an essential precondition for realistically assessing the role of Greece and Cyprus within the broader international economic environment. The Module ΠΙΘ612 is divided in 4 Parts:
.The Course ΠΙΘ611 aims to offer the students (especially non-lawyers) a systematic introduction to major branches of modern law as usually divided, in continental and Anglo-american (common law) legal systems including, at the same time, an introduction to the Law of EU and the International Organizations (e.g. UN). Traditionally, the concept of public law consists in constitutional law and administrative law, although criminal law is also considered as a part of “public law” in general, too. On the other hand, the concept of private law includes broad fields such as “general principles of civil law”, the “law of torts”, the “law of contracts”, the “family law”, the “trade law”, the “corporate law”, the law of “intellectual property” etc. During the Course, the students shall become familiar with important notions of public law (e.g. the Rule of Law, fundamental rights or liberties, social rights, organizational institutions in a democratic society, punishment of crimes) and basic notions of private law (e.g. individual, business, cause of action, bankruptcy, plaintiff, defendant, mortgage); they will also get an acquaintance with the European Union and the structure of international institutions and organizations, which play a significant role in current politics given the fact that their legal acts (Regulations, Directives) constitute part of the law that is being implemented in the member-States. The Module ΠΙΘ611 is divided in 4 Parts:
The aim of the Module ΠΙΘ522 is to acquaint students with selected subjects of modern European and international history. In this context, the course ΠΙΘ522 is not a conventional modern history course. Rather, it aims to emphasize those historical aspects that are related to present developments, contributing in this way on a comprehensive understanding of current politics. Broad knowledge regarding European and international history is a critical stepping-stone for someone who is actively involved in current politics. The reason is that Greece and Cyprus are part of a complex international environment, which exerts great influence upon them in almost every aspect. Comprehension of specific critical dimensions of European and international history is also a necessary prerequisite for a precise conception of international interrelations. Accordingly, systematic knowledge in relation to major global conflicts and their historical development is equally essential. The opportunity to delve into research and bibliographic aspects of important conflicts of the recent past, such as the two World Wars, but also of essential current disputes, such as the Palestinian, Syrian and Kurdish Questions, broadens the horizons of political conceptions. In addition, it builds the prerequisites of positive contributions to current political discussions regarding the position of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus in the international system. The Module ΠΙΘ522 is divided in 4 Parts:
The aim of the Module ΠΙΘ521 is to acquaint students with selected subjects of Greek and Cypriot history, in the realms of political history and international relations of the last two centuries. In this context, the course ΠΙΘ521 is not a conventional modern history course. Rather, it aims to emphasize those historical aspects that are related to present developments, contributing in this way on a comprehensive understanding of current politics. Deep knowledge of specific historical developments is a fundamental prerequisite of any constructive involvement in the political life of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. A learned study of specific and critical dimensions of the political history of the two countries in the last two centuries comprises an indisputable condition for the comprehension of the current political situation. Also, equally critical is the systematic study regarding questions on the nature and historical development of essential foreign policy aspects. The capability that the course offers to delve into various essential political topics, such as Greek-Turkish relations and the Macedonian and Cyprus disputes, leads not only to a comprehensive understanding of those issues, but also to the adoption of a responsible political stance, regardless of how this stance is expressed or will be expressed in the future (i.e. through active political participation, press or digital media writing, other forms of public involvement etc.). The Module ΠΙΘ521 is divided in 4 Parts:
The aim of the Module ΠΙΘ512 is to effectively acquaint students with certain aspects of social and historical theory. The Module’s initial goal is to highlight the very basic nature of politics as an engagement with human society. Students are encouraged to realize that in the 21st century the political engagement with social problems and conditions should not be just an empiricist undertaking, but a scientifically well informed pursuit. For this reason, a serious involvement in politics requires a sound expertise in the theoretical study of societies and the different views on the ways societies function, evolve and change. For this purpose the Module focuses on certain theoretical schools in the fields of social anthropology, sociology, history and archaeology, which deal with both past and present societies. At the same time, elements of the different theoretical traditions are related with certain aspects of the current public political debates, in order to highlight the serious problems that can occur when the interest in the social affairs lacks a systematic theoretical background. The Module ΠΙΘ512 is divided in 4 Parts: