Education for SDGs in the wider community

CUT offers various educational initiatives aimed at engaging a diverse range of community members, including local residents, alumni, and displaced individuals. These outreach activities focus on raising awareness and educating the broader community about the SDGs.

Details about these outreach educational activities related to the SDGs for the wider community are provided below.

 

Open University Lecture Series

The Open University Lecture Series, launched by CUT in October 2023, aims to enhance accessibility and inclusivity for all citizens and local communities. This initiative facilitates the dissemination of expertise, scientific knowledge, and research findings to the public while fostering dialogue and interaction between scientists and society. As part of CUT’s commitment to lifelong learning and societal benefit, the lectures are open to everyone and organised in collaboration with local organisations.

Participants come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds and various age groups. The lectures are designed to impart new knowledge, develop skills, and promote critical thinking on a wide range of topics relevant to local residents and businesses, including entrepreneurship, tourism, economics, innovation, the circular economy, high technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, financial and digital literacy, cross-cultural communication, detecting fake news, digital education, and biotechnology. Special emphasis is placed on reaching remote and rural communities with limited access to educational opportunities.

In 2023, the following lectures were organised:

 

Speed Dating with the 17 SDGs

The Learning Development Network (LDN) organises various seminars and workshops to educate the broader community about the SDGs. In collaboration with the Committee on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at CUT, the LDN developed an innovative and experiential workshop titled “Speed Dating with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

This engaging event aimed to highlight the interconnectedness of individuals with the 17 SDGs, providing participants with a unique opportunity to explore connections and foster partnerships aligned with the SDGs.

For more information about the event, visit here.

 

Summer School for Doctoral Students

The Learning Development Network (LDN) at CUT organised the 1st summer school for doctoral students with a primary emphasis on SDGs. The Summer School was addressed to doctoral students of CUT and the broader academic community in Cyprus as well as at the EUt+ universities and beyond.

The Summer School was a one-week programme which offered valuable educational opportunities in sustainable development and PhD management. With a diverse range of activities, including lectures and discussions on communication, sustainability, and research, as well as various social and cultural events, the program created an inclusive environment where participants could gain knowledge and develop skills that would benefit their academic, professional, and personal growth. This initiative supports the wider community by fostering knowledge exchange and promoting cross-cultural understanding. It contributes directly to educational outreach for a diverse audience, including students, researchers, and potentially displaced individuals, empowering them to engage with global challenges and opportunities.

The participants’ final projects aimed at achieving at least one of the 17 SDGs.

Summer School Website.

Results are here.

e-Fikardou: A Digital Approach to Cultural Education and Community Engagement

e-Fikardou is an innovative digital platform designed to preserve and share the cultural heritage of Fikardou, Cyprus. By creating a virtual representation of the village, the platform offers a unique opportunity for a diverse audience—including local residents, alumni, and displaced individuals—to connect with the village’s history in a meaningful way. Through interactive educational resources, e-Fikardou raises awareness of cultural heritage and fosters community engagement in its preservation. This initiative is a collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Digital Cultural Heritage at CUT.

 

Training Program on Patient Triage in the Accident and Emergency Department

The Triage Training Program at the Department of Accidents and Emergency (T.A.E.P.) is a key educational initiative aimed at enhancing the skills of healthcare professionals, local residents, and potentially displaced individuals. Developed in collaboration between the Pancyprian Nurses and Midwives Association (P.A.S.Y.N.M) and the Nursing Department of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), the program focuses on effectively assessing and prioritising patients based on the severity of their condition.

This program provides essential training to healthcare workers, improving the healthcare system’s capacity to manage emergencies. It also supports the wider community by ensuring a more efficient and equitable response to urgent medical needs, benefiting vulnerable groups.

More info here.

 

 

English Courses for Displaced Ukrainians

The CUTing Edge, an American Space (Makerspace), in collaboration with the Cyprus University of Technology’s Language Centre and the American Embassy in Cyprus, offered free-of-charge English for Specific Purposes hybrid courses for displaced Ukrainians aged 17-45. These courses were part of a dedicated outreach educational activity aimed at the wider community, including displaced individuals. The available courses were: a) English for Finance, and b) English for Information Technology. The courses started on June 19, 2023, and ran for 5 weeks. These courses provided valuable opportunities for displaced individuals to enhance their language skills in specific professional fields.

More info here.