The Cypriot Ministry of Finance has given the go-ahead for a project to establish a new School of Marine Sciences, Technology, and Sustainable Development in Larnaca.
This was announced by TEPAC Rector Panayiotis Zafeiris on Thursday, April 18.
According to him, the authority has thoroughly studied and positively evaluated the study on the economic viability of the project, which was prepared earlier this year by university staff. Zafeiris said that the next step will be the establishment of an International Advisory Committee, which in cooperation with the Larnaca municipality will proceed to finalize plans for the development of the school building and the compilation of curricula.
Interestingly, the head of the International Advisory Committee will be the rector of TEPAC. The committee is expected to be established no later than May 2025, when Zafeiris will decide on the names of the foreign academics who will be part of the core group.
According to Zafeiris, additional data (building project, curricula) will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance soon, they will help the state to formulate a final decision regarding the establishment of the mentioned school in Larnaca. At the same time, when designing the construction of the new school, experts will take into account the plans for the construction of the CMMI (Cyprus Maritime and Maritime Institute) Center of Excellence, which is to be built in the Mackenzie area.
Next Thursday, April 25, is scheduled a meeting between the Rector of TEPAC and the Mayor of Larnaca Andreas Vyras, where they will discuss and agree on the next steps to promote this important project for the city. It is worth mentioning that the Municipality of Larnaca expressed its gratitude to the Ministry of Finance and TEPAK for the positive evaluation of the study prepared for the establishment of the school.
It should be recalled that the School of Marine Science, Technology and Sustainable Development will be located in a new modern building in the Mackenzie area.
The school is expected to open its doors in 2027. Initially, it will offer two master's degree programs in marine technology and marine biology. There are also plans to create two more faculties in the future:
- Marine Science and Technology with one bachelor's and two master's programs;
- Sustainable Development with one bachelor's and one master's program.
As envisioned, the new institution will be overseen by TEPAC University. Zafiris is confident that the project will enhance Cyprus' academic potential in the field of marine research and contribute to the development of technology and to the sustainable development of the country. In his opinion, there is an urgent need for such an institution in Cyprus, as the existing curricula are designed for the financial and commercial aspects of shipping. And there are no educational institutions that produce marine biologists or offer engineering and technology specialties in the field of shipping. Applicants who want to study in these fields have to travel to Greece to study. With the advent of the School of Marine Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development in Larnaca, this problem will be solved.