“Universities create sustainable, innovative, and progressive societies” – Lecture by the President of Estonia at the University of Cyprus

The President of Estonia, Professor Alar Karis, visited the University of Cyprus on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, delivering a lecture on “Courage, Education, and Willpower – the Secret Weapons of Small Nations” and participating in an open discussion with members of the university community.

During his speech, he emphasised the longstanding cooperation between Cyprus and Estonia, focusing on common elements such as their values, rich cultures, civilisation, and their contributions to the European Union, as well as to the security and peace of neighboring areas. The Estonian President’s speech then centered around the modern necessities for the development and progress of small European states. He discussed Estonia’s path within the European Union, its foreign policy, and the challenges of digital transition and politics today.

He particularly highlighted Estonia’s extensive experience in digitalisation and the country’s excellent digital infrastructure, noting that “almost all work is done digitally as the country develops services that will never exist on paper.” He also pointed out that Estonia leads Europe in establishing “Unicorn startups” including applications like “Skype,” “Wise,” and “Bolt,” indicating the possibility for small countries to successfully compete with larger states through perseverance and proper utilisation of knowledge capital and human resources. He emphasised that each small country can find and create its own secret “weapons” for success by combining education and research, stating, “Universities are the keys to creating sustainable, innovative, and progressive societies.”

He also addressed political matters, stating that the upcoming European elections are crucial for all EU Member States as they will have long-lasting effects on citizens’ lives at all levels. Finally, the President of Estonia acknowledged the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion, expressing hope for reunification soon.

The Rector of the University of Cyprus, Professor Tasos Christofides, thanked the President of Estonia for his presence and highlighted the university’s role as a bridge between the academic sector and society, emphasising that “one of the secret weapons of small nations like Cyprus and Estonia is their universities, and above all, their people.” He mentioned the University of Cyprus as a model of higher education, teaching, and research with a strong network of international collaborations.

Following his speech, Professor Alar Karis answered questions from students and attendees, mainly focusing on digitalisation issues in education, society, and democracy. The open discussion was moderated by Professor Yiannis Papadakis from the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cyprus.