News

On May 12-15 a business delegation from St. Petersburg visited Limassol within the framework of partner city cooperation. “Round table” meeting devoted to discussing the project “Ideas of universities – to the practice of cities” was held during the visit (the project was started in 2013).

The meeting was organized by the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg. The delegation from St. Petersburg featured representatives of the city’s executive agencies (the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, the Committee for Science and Higher Education, the Committee for Education), representatives of the city’s higher educational establishments which had signed agreements on cooperation with the Cyprus University of Technology (ITMO University, the Bonch-Bruevich St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications, St. Petersburg Institute of Hospitality), Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, Coordinating Center of International Scientific Technical and Educational Programs, St. Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau, St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, State Unitary Enterprise (SUE) «Vodokanal of St. Petersburg» as well as Grammar School (“Gymnasium”) №56 of Petrogradsky district and the Classical Gymnasium of St Petersburg № 610.

The Cyprian party at the “round table” meeting featured the Mayor of Limassol A. Christou and representatives of the Cyprus University of Technology along with representatives of the branch-specific departments of the Limassol Municipal Council, the related municipal services as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus, the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Cyprus, the Cyprus Tourism Organization, Limassol Tourism Development and Promotion Agency, Lanitio Lyceum, and Cyprus Pedagogical Institute.

Participants of the “round table” were greeted by S.V. Osadchy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia in Cyprus, and Anna Papasavva, representative of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who remarked on the successful development of the bilateral relationships between St. Petersburg and Limassol.

Issues related to facilitating further cooperation in the area of education at the level of schools and universities, alternative energy sources, telecommunications and robotic technology, water supply, and tourism were discussed at the “round table” in the form of separate discussion sections.

Education.

Participants of the “round table” expressed interest in cooperation in the area of facilitating education-related innovation solutions and creating an innovative educational environment, including cooperation within the framework of the new project of the Cyprus University of Technology called “virtual school”, comparative pedagogics, interaction between universities and grammar schools, exchange of teaching staff, students and schoolchildren, joint academic, cultural and educational programs and projects.

S.V. Zholovan, Rector of St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, presented S. Voskarides, professor at the Cyprus University of Technology, with a letter of acknowledgement for his cycle of lectures for teachers on alternative teaching methods delivered in St. Petersburg in the course of 2013-2015.

The Mayor of Limassol signed an agreement handed by A.V. Ksenofontov, Vice Chairman of the Committee for Education, on admitting 15 children from Orphanage №46 of Primorsky district of St. Petersburg for summer vacations in July-August 2015.

A preliminary agreement on creating a subsidiary of the ITMO University Technopark at the Cyprus University of Technology was reached along with an agreement on cooperation between St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education and Cyprus Pedagogical Institute.

Considering the wide scale of interaction between the two cities Elpida Keravnou, Rector of the Cyprus University of Technology, expressed interest in creating a Russian language study center at the premises of the university language center which could implement educational and cultural programs for the university students as well as the general population of Limassol.

A proposal to facilitate relationships of St. Petersburg higher educational establishments with universities of other Cyprian cities – Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos – was initiated by I.Yu. Ganus, First Vice Chairman of the Committee for Science and Higher Education, at a meeting with S. Christofides, representative of the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture.

Energy.

In light of the new Cyprian energy policy Andreas Liasides, representative of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, and the Mayor of Limassol once again confirmed the positive opinion of the Cyprian party concerning the development of the “Clean Cyprus” project; the project was introduced by ITMO University and aims at creating an experimental photovoltaic power plant in the vicinity of Limassol.

Representatives of ITMO University proposed to organize a joint laboratory with the Cyprus University of Technology which will study hydrogen accumulation and storage systems at photovoltaic power plants.

Telecommunications and robotic technology.

A demonstration of a modern installation designed for telehealthcare services and a concurrent session of telecommunication between the Cyprus University of Technology and a laboratory at the University of Orléans in France took place in the course of the “round table” meeting.

The Cyprus University of Technology showed interest in participating in the 26^th International Conference “Extreme Robotics” to be held this October in St. Petersburg by Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics.

Water and water supply.

Agreements on cooperation were reached between SUE “Vodokanal of St. Petersburg” and the Limassol-Amathus Sewerage and Drainage System with consideration of the recently created St. Petersburg Water Supply and Sewerage Cluster; the cooperation will involve sharing experience in the area of ecological water purification systems and transferring to Limassol St. Petersburg’s experience of creating a water museum. Specialists from Limassol showed interest in the comprehensive approach taken by St. Petersburg in the organization of the water cluster.

Tourism Development.

Angelos Loizou, representative of the Cyprus Tourism Organization, and Limassol Tourism Development and Promotion Agency expressed interest in facilitating cultural, museum and educational tourism with St. Petersburg as well as interaction between St. Petersburg and Cyprus tourist agencies. In this context representatives of St. Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau confirmed their commitment to render any necessary information support to their Cyprian partners including organization of a press-tour for journalists.

For further information contact: 576-78-44 - N.V. Strugova, senior officer at the Division for the Countries of Central and Southern Europe, USA, Canada and Israel at the Department for International Cooperation.