The Rector of the Open University of Cyprus (OUC), Professor Stavros Stavrou, and the Director of Administration and Finance, Mr. Christopher Christodoulides, participated in the meeting of the Executive Academic Board (EAB) of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) of the European Union, held in Brussels on 12 and 13 September 2024. During the meeting, the OUC representatives engaged in discussions about training and education activities related to security and defence at the European level with officials from other European countries, including representatives from Embassies, Higher Education Institutions, Political and Diplomatic Institutes, Police Academies, and National Defence Academies.
The Open University of Cyprus has been a member of the ESDC’s Executive Academic Board since 2015. At the EAB, European member organisations of the ESDC collaborate on issues related to the development of training and education programmes across the College's various formations. One of these Formations, focused on coordinating European Cybersecurity training activities, is the Cybersecurity Formation, known as EAB.CYBER. Since its creation, EAB.CYBER has been chaired by the Rector of the Open University of Cyprus, Professor Stavros Stavrou, who is serving his second consecutive term in this role.
On the first day of the EAB meetings, Professor Stavrou chaired the session of the EAB.CYBER formation, which involved evaluating the cybersecurity training activities offered by the ESDC in the previous academic year, and planning activities for the upcoming year. On the second day, the Executive Academic Board of the College, with the participation of all its Formations, approved their respected action plans and reaffirmed the continuation of their missions.
Established in 2005, the ESDC is an institution run by the Member States of the European Union (EU), and deals with security and defence policy issues. Its objective is to deliver strategic-level training activities on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), and to provide experienced and knowledgeable staff, within both EU institutions and Member States. The ESDC is a network comprising of Universities, Institutes, Colleges, Academies and Agencies across the EU, including the European Union Institute for Security Studies. It operates under the responsibility of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Today, the ESDC includes more than 100 National Training Institutes covering various areas of expertise. Some activities are hosted by Ministries or Permanent Representations, while others are facilitated by EU institutions or other EU entities, including the European External Action Service.
The participation of the Open University of Cyprus in the ESDC network is of great significance, as is the honour bestowed on Cyprus by having the OUC Rector chair the ESDC’s Cybersecurity Formation, one of the College’s most important formations. Through this OUC partnership, the Republic of Cyprus, as an EU Member State, actively promotes and supports the main objectives of the ESDC, namely the development of a common European security culture, the establishment of a shared understanding of the Common Security and Defence Policy among civilian and military personnel, and the promotion of EU values beyond European borders.
