An agreement for cooperation on Higher Education and Lifelong Learning has been reached between Cyprus and the UK as a result of talks between Education and Culture Minister Pefkios Georgiades and UK Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education Bill Rammel.
Speaking at a joint press conference, the Cypriot Minister said the agreement deals with issues related with quality assurance for higher education, research and development, leadership and professionalism in higher education, occupational and vocational standards for long life learning and school design and the learning environment.
Responding to questions Georgiades said that Cyprus has a lot to learn form the great British experience on issues such as admission exams and quality assurance for higher education.
Rammel noted that the visit is part of the structured dialogue between the UK and Cyprus, which was proposed by President Tassos Papadopoulos to Prime Minister Tony Blair last July, and was followed by an agreement between Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and the President last October.
“It illustrates the importance we attach from the UK perspective to a modern and a constructive relationship with Cyprus as a valuable partner within the European Union. I do think we have many fundamental common interests and there is real scope on opportunity for us to work together both bilaterally but also on Pan European issues and certainly education is at the heart of that relationship and that dialogue”, the British official said.
Referring to the nearly 6,000 students from Cyprus studying at UK higher education institutions, reflecting a significant increase since Cyprus joined the EU, Rammel said those students contribute significantly to the academic life in the UK.
He further noted the significant work the British Council undertakes which includes the handling of examinations for Cypriot students.
H e stressed that the agenda agreed is significant in the sense that it goes to the heart of the priorities of the European Union over the next few years, noting that the UK and Cyprus as service-based economies both rely heavily on the skills of their people to generate jobs for the future.
“Modernisation of universities and investment in research and development are at the heart of our approach to this challenge. All EU countries need to reprioritise EU activity in this direction to provide real benefit to our people. I am delighted that we have started work and collaboration with Cyprus on this agenda today”, he said.
Responding to a question Rammel noted that a number of the initiatives agreed to are seminars in both directions “and those could be organized with a good will in a very short period of time”.
In the framework of the official visit, four senior representatives from the University of Bradford, University of Salford, Open University and Newcastle College, as well as the British Council’s Director of Education and Training also visited Cyprus.
