The University of Cyprus has welcomed the first students to its newly established Medical School. A vision stretching out over many years had finally become a reality, rector Constantinos Christofides said. Speaking at a welcome event for the 37 medical students, Christofides said that on October 3 in the presence of President Nicos Anastasiades some major announcements would be made about the medical school, which “will bring it into a new era”.

Christofides said the ambition of the University of Cyprus, which next year celebrates 25 years, is before 2020 to be among the 200 best universities in the world. “With the establishment of the medical school this will be achieved even faster because our country deserves to have a university among the 200 best in the world,” he said.

He praised the University for its good infrastructure, human and logistical resources and said that at the beginning of 2015 a new library would be opened. “You are coming to a good school with good potential. The University is a national institution, which despite the financial circumstances is going very well,” the rector said.

In their address dean of the medical school, Andreas Adam and assistant dean Zacharias Zachariou, also welcomed the students and expressed confidence that they would do it justice so that Cyprus could be proud of its the first doctors that would graduate in their own country.

Adam said the medical school would improve the care of patients in Cyprus,would elevate the level of postgraduate medical education and would bring great economic benefits to the island. Medical Director of Nicosia general hospital Evagoras Nicholaides urged students to study hard, saying that learning never ends and that medicine was constantly changing and progressing.

Source: Cyprus Mail