President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides stressed the rapid development of Higher Education in Cyprus and its importance for the economic and social development of Cyprus, speaking at the CIM graduation ceremony on Friday.

He referred to the initiatives to modernise education, the link with the labour market and the crucial role of academic institutions, such as CIM, in shaping skills and employment prospects for young people.

According to a Presidency statement, the President of the Republic referred, among other things, to the great importance of higher education, noting that it is a driving force of a country's economic and social development.

He added that in Cyprus, higher education is constantly developing, resulting in accelerated progress in the fields of society, economy and technology.

He also noted that the Ministry of Education is taking initiatives for the further modernisation of Higher Education, aiming, among other things, at excellence, strengthening research, skills and linking education with the labour market.

On the latter, he also pointed out that CIM has a crucial role to play in developing the skills of young people and enhancing their employment prospects.

He added that all Higher Education Institutions are invited to contribute to the implementation of the Government's strategic plan to make Cyprus a regional and international education and research hub.

"In this context, and given the continuous technological and economic developments at the international level, all Higher Education Institutions in Cyprus need to evaluate and reorganise their curricula, where necessary, to ensure that the qualifications meet the new environment," the President of the Republic said.

He also pointed out that the relevant Department of the Ministry of Education, within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Cyprus, is in the process of creating a central database on the supply and demand for higher education graduates, based on their skills.

This will, he said, "provide the opportunity to monitor supply and demand according to skills and trends in order to make specific policies to address emerging labour market needs and to assess the extent to which higher education meets the needs of the labour market".

Concluding, the President of the Republic praised the work produced by CIM and congratulated the graduates, as well as the academic and other staff of the institution.