English language undergraduate courses have to be taught at state universities to attract foreign students, University of Cyprus Rector Tasos Christophides told parliament on Wednesday.
“We are way behind, unfortunately,” the Rector told the House Education Committee before urging for the necessary bills to pass through so that the law can be amended and allow for the changes.
English language undergraduate courses will pave the way for more foreign students attending state universities and improve ties and deepen links with other institutions, he also said.
Promoting Cyprus as higher education regional hub which is a lucrative industry requires the introduction of English-language courses at state universities.
However, some are concerned as to how tuition fees would be handled, among other issues.
People from Cyprus who attend the University of Cyprus as well as the Technical University of Cyprus (Tepak) do not pay tuition fees.
Moreover, main opposition Akel has expressed fear of a slippery slope of commercializing state education.
Christofides tried to appease concerns saying: “If fees are introduced then we want them to be as low as possible. Otherwise, we will lose quality students, who will choose other countries with low fees.”
He also said that public universities do not compete with private ones since each institution has its own students and caters to different educational needs.
