Filenews 30 November 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
Two years after its official and solemn inauguration by the President of the Republic, the Pafos Innovation Institute, which emerged from the collaboration of the Municipality of Paphos with the Reichman University (IDC Herzliya) of Israel and was considered pioneering throughout Cyprus, seems not to have the success that its initiators expected. The fact that since October 2020, when it was inaugurated, it has not worked for a single day, in the absence of postgraduate students, was the reason for the change of use, even temporarily in the first phase.
As "F" reveals today, the Pafos Municipal Council recently took the decision to assign the premises of the Institute to the American University of Beirut, which with the new academic year will operate a branch in Paphos. This is because the works for the facilities of this university in the historic Carob Mills of Kato Paphos, seem to be delayed to be completed according to the initial timetables.
This fact, according to our information, contributed to the proposal by the Mayor of Paphos and the adoption by the rest of the Municipal Council of the assignment of the space to the University of Beirut, so that its operation can begin immediately and without delays with the new academic year. This is because the Pafos Innovation Institute, despite triumphant assessments and announcements, for two years has failed to open its gates or attract even one student to the city.
The aim of the Municipality of Paphos and the Israeli University of Hertziliya, with the establishment of the Pafos Innovation Institute, was to contribute to the transformation of Paphos into a smart and digital city, but also to create a third pillar of economic activity, next to the pillars of tourism and construction, so that Paphos can absorb young scientists, who, after completing their studies, never return home.
This goal remains unattainable to this day, as shown by the daily life of the Institute, which is essentially permanently inactive. That is why the assignment of its facilities for a year to the American University of Beirut is judged to take everyone out of the predicament: The Municipality of Paphos justifying why a project that was inaugurated in every celebratory tone remains deserted, and the foreign university from starting its activity in Paphos with delays in its academic programs.
