The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) and the University of Cyprus promote their scientific and educational cooperation through the “joint” offering of the Postgraduate programme in “Cognitive Systems”. Professor Petros Pashiardis, Rector of OUC, and Professor Tasos Christofides, Rector of the University of Cyprus, signed the cooperation agreement on July 8, 2021.
The successful cooperation of the two Universities is mutually beneficial, while it is also adding value to society. The Joint MSc in “Cognitive Systems” focuses on a cutting-edge scientific field, i.e. human–computer symbiosis and interaction. The extroversion of both Universities is strengthened since the Programme is offered in the English language, through OUC’s distance learning methodologies and platforms, and attracts students from all over the world (e.g. EU, India, Russia, Middle East, Latin American countries, etc.) and contributes to the State’s aim to transform Cyprus into a regional center of education.
Professor Petros Pashiardis, referring to the cooperation between the two public universities, stated: “this cooperation is of strategic importance because through distance learning programmes offered in English the country’s public Universities can enter foreign markets and attract foreign students. It also lays the foundation for improving the offering of distance education, by providing opportunities to anyone interested in joining higher education to study, without the limitations of conventional education". OUC Rector underlined that, the MSc in “Cognitive Systems” is innovative and pioneering, and he expressed his strong belief that new educational activities of cooperation are yet to come in the near future.
The Rector of the University of Cyprus, Professor Tasos Christofides, stated: “the success of the interdisciplinary postgraduate programme “Cognitive Systems” is just a proof of the sound cooperation between OUC and the University of Cyprus. Of course, the prospects for enhanced cooperation of the country’s public universities are tremendous and this might be the best way to enhance the competitiveness and the extroversion of higher education in Cyprus”. He also pointed out the benefits of offering more programmes via distance education methods for the benefit of society and the State itself.
Professor Yannis Manolopoulos, Vice Rector of the Open University of Cyprus, Professor Irene - Anna Diakidoy,
The interdisciplinary Postgraduate programme “Cognitive Systems” is offered by the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of the Open University of Cyprus, and by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Computer Science of the University of Cyprus. To teach the new paradigm of cognitive computing, the Programme brings together two main scientific areas: Cognitive Psychology and Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science.