With great splendour the Inauguration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Cyprus Branch (Nicosia), marking a historical milestone for Greek and Cypriot higher education.
The inauguration was held by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, the Archbishop of Cyprus Mr. George, the Rector Prof. Gerasimos Siaso and the Mayor of Nicosia Mr. Charalambos Prudhoe. The Greek Government was represented by the Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports and Professor Mr. Kostas Vlasis.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by: the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mrs. Anita Demetriou, the former President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, the Minister for Education and Athena Michaelidou, the Minister of Defence Mr. Vassilis Palmas, the Minister of Justice and Public Order Mr. Marios Hartsiotis, the State Secretary to the President, Ms Irene Piki, the Deputy Minister of State for Migration and International Protection Mr. Nicholas Ioannidis, the Government Spokesman Mr. Konstantinos Letibiotis, the Ambassador of Greece in Cyprus Mr. Konstantinos Kolias, the parliamentary representative of AKEL Mr. Christos Christofides, the President of the Democratic Party Mr. Nicholas Papadopoulos, the President of the National Popular Front Mr. Christos Christou, the representative of the Social Democratic Movement Mr. Morfakis Solomonides.
From the Local Government, the Mayor of Larnaca Mr. Andreas Vyras, the Mayor of Athienou Mr. Kyriakos Kareklas, the Mayor of Aradippou Mr. Christodoulos Partou, the Mayor of Kyrenia Mr. Joseph Violaris and representatives of the municipalities of other regions. Also present were the former Minister and current MP Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, the President of the Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education, Professor Emeritus of the University of Athens, Ms. Mary Koutselini, the President of the Ephorate of Greek Schools of Nicosia Mr. Nikos Megalemos, the President of the Pancyprian Medical Association Mr. Peter Agathangelou, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association Mr. Michael Vorkas, the President of the Cyprus Scientific Technical Chamber (ETEK) Mr. Constantine Constantis, the President of the Association of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus Mr. Odysseas Christodoulou, the Vice President of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority for Higher Education, Professor Diophantos Hadjimitsis and the member of the Authority Professor Christos Ioannou, as well as representatives of parliamentary parties, institutional and scientific bodies.
From the National and Kapodistrian University the Vice Rectors Professor Efstathios Efstathopoulos, Professor Aristides Samitas, Professor Christos Karagiannis, the Vice-Chairman of the Governing Board Professor Nikolaos Thomaidis, the Members of the Management Board, Professor Spyridon Vlahopoulos, Professor Demetrios Kainourgios, Professor Athanasia Smyrniotou, the Executive Director Dr. Eleni Vassilopoulou, the Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Professor Pagonia Lagios, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences, Professor Nikolaos Iriotis, the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Professor Dimitrios Drossos, the President of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Nikolaos Arkadopoulos, the President of the Department of Nursing, Professor Paul Miriantheus, the President of the Department of Economics, Professor George Dotsis, the President of the Department of Primary Education, Professor Thomas Babalis, the Chairman of the Department of Port and Shipping Management, Professor Theodoros Siriopoulos, the Chairman of the Department of Psychology, Professor Spyridon Tantaros, the Director of the English Language Program "BA Program in the Archaeology, History and Literature of Ancient Greece", Professor Dimitrios Planzos, the Vice President of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Konstantinos Tsioufis, the Director of the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Nikolaos Tentolouris, the Director of the Department of Surgery, Professor Christos Klonaris, the Director of the Clinical Laboratory Department, Professor Nikolaos Kavantzas, the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department, Professor Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, the Director of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Professor Euthymia Basra, the Director of the Laboratory of Biology, Professor Aristides Iliopoulos, Professor Emmanuel Pikoulis, President at the "Cobbler's Hospital" S.A."and the Head of the Secretariat of the Faculty of Medicine, Maria Vassilopoulou.
The ceremony marks the beginning of a new era of internationalization and development for the oldest and largest University of Hellenism. At the end of the ceremony, a tour of the modern premises of the Medical School of the University of Athens Branch in Cyprus, where the students of the Medical School started their courses, wearing their first medical scrubs. Later on, the new student dormitories of the Nicosia Municipality, which will house the students, were also inaugurated.