Open University of Cyprus

Open University of Cyprus

Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Type	Public
Established	2002
President	Prof. Costas Christou
Vice-president	Prof. Yiannis Ioannou
Students	4200 (2013-2014 academic year)
Location	Nicosia , Cyprus
Website	http://www.ouc.ac.cy

The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) (Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου in Greek), in Lefkosia (Nicosia), is the only distance learning university in Cyprus. The University was established to fill an important gap for open and distance education in the higher education system of the Republic of Cyprus, in response to the growing demand for continuing education and lifelong learning. It is the first and only Higher Education Institution in Cyprus that provides open and distance education at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Placing great emphasis on research, the OUC promotes research programmes aiming towards the development of methodologies and corresponding high technologies for open and distance learning.

The Open University of Cyprus is dually oriented toward both the domestic and international educational communities and their activities and goals. The academic programmes offered by OUC are international, well planned and career-oriented to correspond to the needs of the country and the public’s demand for upgrading knowledge and skills.

In parallel, OUC places emphasis on research work in various scientific fields and actively supports the Faculty members in publishing their research results. Since its establishment, OUC has emphasised the vital importance of research for promoting the University in the international scientific community, while also actively pursuing interaction with scientific organisations and professional associations.

Finally, through its social endeavours and commitment to connect with society, OUC envisions its role as an inspiring educational institution. An innovative, open university that offers a stimulating environment for students, staff and alumni noted for promoting culture and collaboration with its neighbouring countries - and beyond.

Methodology

The Open University of Cyprus style of teaching is called "open and distance learning". More specifically, students have the opportunity to learn in their own time without having to be present at the premises of the University to be able to attend lectures, seminars or labs, as it is the case with conventional universities.

Utilising a dedicated distance education model, OUC offers educational opportunities with no restrictions on time and place of study, providing the possibility for higher education through quality academic programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels (Master and PhD).

Distance education supports the use of the modern educational methodology and the technology of lifelong learning. In distance education, members of the Faculty and tutors provide high quality teaching making use of technological means of synchronous and asynchronous communications for student support and monitoring of student progress.

The Open University's degree structure and credit system is based on the concept of Thematic Units (or Modules) adaptable to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The teaching load of an OUC's Thematic Unit corresponds to approximately three (3) semesters at any conventional university. The duration of each Thematic Unit is ten (10) months. OUC students have access to an e-learning platform, an electronic portal where practical information concerning studies at the Open University and related regulations and procedures are posted, as well as information regarding Study Courses, course materials and student workload. As part of the educational methodology and pedagogic model used by the Open University of Cyprus, the tutorial system, i.e. Group Advisory Meetings between tutors and students, has great value because it allows for personalised and face-to-face learning and assessment opportunities.

OUC’s e-learning platform is a complete and continuously evolving e-learning management system that supports all phases of the educational process and is the online space where students can:

   * find and manage all electronic content and study materials; organise their study calendars
   * find information on assignments and submission of papers get feedback on their progress

Moreover, the e-learning platform offers a range of tools that can facilitate group and individual work, including:

   * chat and messaging for synchronous communication
   * scheduling and conduct of synchronous meetings between teachers and students
   * video streaming
   * plagiarism detection
   * Wikis, Blogs, questionnaires

Programmes of study

The full course catalogue for the 2014-2015 academic year include the following programmes:

At the postgraduate level, programmes offered in English:

• Applied Health Informatics
• Educational Leadership (joint degree with the Saint Louis University, USA)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Social Information Systems
• Wireless Communication Systems

At the undergraduate level, programmes offered in Greek:

• Business Administration
• Police Studies
• Studies in the Hellenic Culture

At the postgraduate level, programmes offered in Greek:

• Applied Health Informatics
• Banking and Finance
• Communications and Journalism
• Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning
• Cultural Policy and Development
• Educational Studies
• Environment Conservation and Management
• European Union Law
• Greek Language and Literature
• Healthcare Management
• Health Policy and Planning
• Information and Communication Systems
• Management, Technology and Quality
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Social Information Systems
• Theater Studies
• Wireless Communication systems

External links

• Official Website
• Cyprus Ministry of Higher Education