Pafos Live 1 August 2025
The announcement of the establishment of the Academy of Mathematical Excellence and Innovation (AMAK) of Paphos was made by the Municipality of Paphos in collaboration with the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB – Mediterraneo).
At a press conference held today at the American University of Beirut, the Mayor of Paphos, Phaedon Phaedonos, said that this is an innovative initiative of the Municipality of Paphos in collaboration with the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB – Mediterraneo), which aims to bring talented students of our city (Primary, Junior High and High School) in contact with the university way of thinking and teaching in the field of mathematics.
The operation of the Academy, he added, has been designed and will be directed by Dr. Georgios Charalambous, Lecturer in Mathematics at AUB – Mediterraneo and Organizing Secretary of the Cyprus Mathematical Society, and its purpose will be to cultivate in young students a deep mathematical acumen, with a strong emphasis on solving complex problems. At the same time, it will incorporate STEM elements, emphasizing the deep applications of mathematics in modern sectors of industry, aiming to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and ethical awareness. Mr. Phaedon reiterated that "the unchanged goal of the Municipality of Paphos, as announced a few years ago, was for Paphos to be transformed into a regional center of University education, secondly for Paphos to become a center of research and innovation at a regional level, and for Paphos to become a center of excellence in the issues of education, education and Innovation in Technology". The Mayor of Paphos estimated that at the same time, nothing can succeed and nothing can have stable foundations if we do not invest in the new generation in time, adding that when you want to invest in university education, the investment starts long before the time when children are in elementary, middle and high school. He added that it is proven that the students who stand out and who will make the big leap, but also the students who will play a leading role in the issues of Innovation and in the issues of Science, are the students in the world we live in who begin their preparation, from a very early age, from the age of 5, 6 and 7. children in the right way from a very early age, because Paphos did not have Universities or Research Centers in the past.
In addition, the Mayor of Paphos noted that in Cyprus and in many societies in recent decades, Excellence had essentially become the subject of not so positive acceptance by the social system by society. Indicatively, he said that for many years Excellence was left on the sidelines and the Excellence were not given the opportunity to distinguish themselves and stand out. This thing ends in Paphos, stating that the Municipality of Paphos will have a decisive role in ending the demonization of Excellence. Excellence is a blessing for a State, for a nation, and for the whole world.
Mr Phaedon noted that the whole project is different from the operation of private tutoring centers, also announcing that it is possible that in September 2026 the Municipality of Paphos will operate an Academy for leadership in which young people will be able to train with confidence.
In conclusion, the Mayor of Paphos said that the Municipality of Paphos will be present in all steps to support every University and especially the American University and all the other Universities of our city in order to have an influence and a positive impact on the evolution and progress of society.
On his part, Dr. Georgios Charalambous, Lecturer in Mathematics at AUB – Mediterraneo and Organizing Secretary of the Cyprus Mathematical Society, said that the ambition of this program is to operate a living mathematical community. Charalambous, is for students to discuss, learn and apply mathematical concepts in such a way that they are ready for their integration into the work environment.
Subsequently, Dr. Charalambous referred to the visions of the Academy. Regarding the pillars around which the operation of the Academy will revolve, Dr. Charalambous said that the first pillar is mathematical maturity, so that students can deeply understand mathematical concepts and think precisely. The second pillar is practical implementation. The third pillar is the development of skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and public presentations, while the fourth pillar, he continued, is career guidance.
The program, he said, will run at three different levels for Elementary School with a focus on building on fundamental mathematical intuition, for Gymnasium with a focus on learning mathematical comprehension and Lyceum which will focus on advanced mathematical concepts, on rigorous problem solving at the level of Olympiads and competitions.
