The University of Cyprus has just completed 30 years since its first year of operation, with the first members of the alumni community starting their journey of knowledge, and the first academics entering the teaching spaces in the buildings of the former Pedagogical Academy, on Kallipoli Street in September 1992. The employment rate of the University of Cyprus graduates is a high success rate, thus putting the University community on notice!

The Department of French and European Studies was established in 2004 by Professor Yannis I. Ioannou. Since its establishment, 487 students have graduated from the Department of French and European Studies, and 75 postgraduate and 7 doctoral degrees have been awarded. Many of our graduates are excelling in Cyprus, in countries or institutions of the European Union and abroad, in the academic sector, or in private and public sectors.

The Department of French and European Studies tries in every possible way to keep in touch with its graduates. Via a survey, there was contact with 403 graduates (82%) of the Department’s alumni. The survey started in September 2019, continues to date and is updated every semester. 20% (78 people) responded via questionnaire and 80% responded via telephone contact.

Significant findings were noted regarding effective job assurance for graduates:

  • More than 90% responded that they work, most of them full-time in Cyprus in the private sector, especially in the education sector (44%).
  • It is important to mention that 56.5% of the respondents stated that their job is directly related to their studies, while they seem to be very satisfied with their student experience in the context of their studies.
  • According to the graduates’ statements, the most important skills they acquired during their studies were critical thinking, the ability to collaborate and the ability to understand and analyse complex issues.
  • 72% responded that their study programme was seen as a qualification for obtaining a job after graduation.
  • When asked what they would change in their curriculum, most wrote about more practical training, more immersion in language, and that literature courses are unnecessary.
  • 47% are working in a field related to their degree.
  • 51% took less than 12 months to find a job after obtaining their degree.

Graduate job sectors:

  • Public and private educational institutions
    • Teachers of French as a Foreign Language (Degree in French Language and Literature)
    • Teachers of French as a Foreign Language
  • European Union institutions and services
    • Officials at the European Commission in Brussels, Interpretation Department
    • European Commission in Belgium DG CONNECT -The Directorate‑General for Communications Networks
    • European Commission -Communications Officer
    • European Parliament – economic committee assistant
    • European Office of Cyprus- Brussels
  • Public sector
    • Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Ministry of Commerce
    • Ministry of Education (Education Services/Department of European and International Relations)
    • Social Welfare
    • Ministry of Health
    • Ministry of Social Welfare
    • Population and Immigration Registry
    • Asylum Service
    • Department of Immigration
    • Cultural institutions
    • Research centres
    • Local administration (municipalities)
  • Diplomatic services
    • French Embassy
    • American Embassy
    • Russian Embassy
  • University of Cyprus
    • Administration
    • Secretariat
  • Health sector
    • Nicosia General Hospital
    • Larnaca Hospital
    • Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations
  • Translators / Interpreters in multinational companies
    • Customer support-FOREX
    • Digital Marketing-FOREX
    • Translators Without Borders
    • Back office
  • Officials in the tourism sector
    • hotel operators
    • airlines
    • State Ministry of Tourism
    • Alliance & Amathus, Remedica
    • Guides
    • Conference tourism organisers
  • Mass media
    • Electronic and print journalism
    • Cypriot channels
    • AFP – Agence France Presse
    • Cyprus Today Online
  • Banking sector
  • Off-shore companies
  • Cyprus Telecommunications Authority
  • Electricity Authority of Cyprus
  • Cyprus Police and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)

ALUMNI TESTIMONIES

 

KONSTANTINOS YIAGOU

Graduate in Modern Languages and European Studies

I graduated from the University of Cyprus before June 2018, in the Department of French and European Studies (combination of English and German). From the beginning it was the field I wanted to pursue, so I knew I made the right choice. I followed something I was passionate about. Often, when people would ask me what I was studying, I would see a look of wonder in their eyes, “but what are you going to do with what you followed, what will it help you with?”, etc. I never let it affect me and take me away from my goals. I always remember me holding the EU flag, in 2004 I felt like my country finally belonged to a family. When I completed my studies, I decided to apply for the Schuman traineeship, which gives young people the opportunity to work in the European Parliament, and then to be able to apply for a job in Brussels. That is where I am now working, in a MEP’s office. My dream has come true. I remember when I visited the European Parliament as a high school student for the first time, with the Euroscola programme, and I said to myself, ‘I will come back here one day! I am grateful for the small steps I have taken, and I owe a debt of gratitude to the higher education institution that provided me with free education for four years, which is not a given in many countries. However, I owe the biggest thanks mainly to the professors who make up the team of the Department of French and European Studies. The courses I have taken have given me the knowledge and critical thinking that have enabled me to remain in an institution of this calibre. The philosophy, the critical thinking, the high level of teaching of French and German, and the demands of the discipline gave me the skills and confidence. My advice to the students of the Department is, along with their courses, to participate and be active in various NGOs and voluntary projects. As students of the discipline, they can organize debates in French and German, related to international relations. France and Germany have a leading role in the EU, and students have to learn the history of these member states since 1957 with the signing of the Treaty of Rome. They should express their interests and make their voices heard. They are generously given the necessary tools in the Department of French and European Studies.

CHRISTINA STYLIANIDOU

PhD student in French Studies

My journey at the Department of French and European Studies started in 2014, when I joined the undergraduate programme in French Language and Literature. During my studies, I discovered and fell in love with didactics, linguistics, literature, French culture, translation, and teaching through new technologies. My passion for French language and culture led me to the Master’s programme “Teaching French as a Foreign Language”, where I had the opportunity to learn new and innovative methods and practices of teaching French, combined with sociolinguistics. With diligence and hard work, I am now in my second year of the PhD Programme in French Studies, where I have the opportunity to study linguistics and teaching in depth. In addition to a great number of lectures and conferences, both locally and internationally, the Department also offers me the opportunity to collaborate and exchange views with the Paul Valéry III University of Montpellier, France. My aim, apart from imparting knowledge and teaching French, is to create new teaching methods and practices, as well as to conduct linguistic research, now pursuing an academic career. A big thank you to the professors of the Department for their support and for encouraging me to follow my dreams.

 

 

 

 

MELINA FELLA

PhD student in French Studies

After ten years of working as a teacher of French as a Foreign Language in public and private institutions, I continued my studies because I felt that I needed an education that would allow me to break away from traditional teaching and move on to a more stimulating, enjoyable, and fun education that would above all stimulate my students’ interest in French language and culture. The MA in Teaching French as a Foreign Language from the Department of French and European Studies of the University of Cyprus met my expectations, as it offered me an education rich in knowledge and tools, which allowed me to enrich my knowledge of the various teaching methods and, consequently, to significantly improve my teaching skills. Also, using the knowledge I acquired about new educational technologies, I had the opportunity to broaden my horizons by using various online tools. At this point, I would like to thank the dynamic team of faculty members for their support and inspiration, as well as the many guest speakers who further enriched our knowledge.

GEORGIA KONSTANTINOU

Graduate of the Postgraduate Programme “Teaching French as a Foreign Language”

After obtaining a Master’s and a PhD in Sociolinguistics at the University of Sorbonne, I wanted to reorient myself in teaching French as a Foreign Language. I returned to Cyprus and started giving private lessons and also started working in a school. During the first steps of my career, I discovered an exciting field and the need to apply new teaching methods. As a result, I felt the need to enrich my knowledge and specialise in teaching French as a Foreign Language, as well as in the use of new technologies, an essential dimension of language teaching today. In the Master of Teaching French as a Foreign Language, I learned how to listen to students, how to make my lessons more enjoyable, how to organize myself and which methodology to follow, how to create pedagogical materials, and how to enhance students’ interest. During this Master’s course, I learned new teaching methods and ways to improve my lessons. Now, after completing this Program, I am more independent and creative, and I learned how to use authentic documents in my classroom, and how to organize my lessons. The way we can teach grammar and vocabulary was very encouraging and enjoyable. This Programme was really motivating and allowed me to change my pedagogical approach. These two years of training at the University of Cyprus have been rewarding and invigorating, both professionally and personally. I would like to take this opportunity to especially thank all the professors of the Department for their guidance.

ERIKA THEOFANIDI

PhD student in European Studies

I have been studying at the Department of French and European Studies, where I started my Bachelor’s degree in European Studies, in the combination of English and French, since 2014. During my studies, the Department offered me the opportunity to participate in the ERASMUS+ Programme, where I continued my studies for one semester at the University of Strasbourg, an experience that helped me a lot in my later professional and personal journey. Throughout my studies I took courses in English and French, so I completed my studies with a very good level in both languages. After completing my BA in European Studies and with the right guidance from the professors of the Department, to whom I am extremely grateful, I decided to continue my studies in the Postgraduate Programme in European Studies. In the last semester of the Programme, I had the opportunity to do my internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and, later, at the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, an opportunity that helped me to understand in practice the role played by diplomacy and how important the Diplomatic Corps is for the Republic of Cyprus. The MA in European Studies helped me to discover in depth the culture of Europe, to love it and to want to explore it further, to contribute in some way to this field. So, now I am in the first semester of the PhD program in European Studies, where I hope to work in depth on European culture and contribute to further understanding of this culture by conducting my dissertation. A big thank you to the Department of French and European Studies, for giving me the opportunity to belong to it and pursue the career I wanted, as well as to all the professors in the Department, whose knowledge and unfailing support inspired me to discover aspects of Europe that I can confidently say no other degree programme could have accomplished.

LOIZOS HATZIVASILEIOU

Graduate of a PhD programme in European Studies

“The right way is the uphill” Nikos Kazantzakis

Such was my excellent experience in the PhD programme of the Department of European Studies at the University of Cyprus. An uphill road, demanding, the benefits of which one understands only when one reaches the top of the mountain, aware of what one has accomplished. Studying in the European Studies programme gave me the opportunity to study my research subject thoroughly. With the constant support and guidance of the professors of the Department, I succeeded in broadening my intellectual horizons and knowledge, discovering new perspectives that I had been unaware of until that moment. The excellent organisation of the programme and the diversity in the subject areas of the courses offered, combined with the opportunities for further interaction with organisations and universities in Europe, helped me to acquire strong skills for the present and the future.

 

 

 

STELLA SOTIRIOU

Graduate of an MA programme in European Studies

A brief yet beautiful journey of two years has come to an end. The knowledge and experiences gained through the Master in European Studies and my exposure to different fields of study helped me not only to develop academically, providing me with many job opportunities, but also personally shaping a proper and ethical character. I feel nothing less than gratitude and respect for the people who have stood by me throughout this journey, and helped and guided me to reach the final destination. My experience in the Department of French and European Studies at the University of Cyprus turned into a journey that I never thought would turn out the way it did, and for that I could not be more grateful.

ANTRIA KYPRIANOU

Graduate student, Department of French and European Studies

My decision to choose to pursue postgraduate studies in the teaching of French as a foreign language at the University of Cyprus came from my excellent experience as an undergraduate student in the same department. So, based on my personal experience, I had the opportunity to participate in a postgraduate programme of study that I consider highly structured in order to provide students with the absolute and necessary training that they need so that they can cope with the teaching practices of the Cypriot society and beyond. Both the theoretical background and the practical training offered gave me the professional skills and confidence to be able to teach directly without any prior experience. Thanks to this, I am now fully employed at the institute where I carried out my internship. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves the French language and to anyone who would like to pursue the profession of teaching it.

NATALI THEODOSIOU

Graduate in French Language and Literature

A beautiful journey has come to an end after four years. I feel really full of knowledge and experience. The French Language and Literature curriculum included all the essential and necessary courses for my proper training. We also had the opportunity to visit Belgium and Luxembourg to see the European institutions. In addition, the practical experience was an important event in my training and in my realization of what it is like to teach.

In general, it has been four years full of creativity and knowledge and in conclusion I would like to thank all my teachers as well as the staff of the Department Mrs. Sotiriou and Mrs. Theofanidi for their invaluable support in my journey in French and European Studies.

DESPINA ROUSOU

Graduate in French Language and Literature at the Department of French and European Studies

Four years full of experiences and many beautiful moments have passed and I am now a graduate of the University of Cyprus in the Department of French Language and Literature. I am very proud to have had the chance to work with so many distinguished professors of the faculty, from whom I have gained vast knowledge for my scientific training and for the formation of my personality. All the courses of the French Language and Literature Department are, in my opinion, essential, each one for its own reason, so that we can go out into society ready to start our professional careers. It is also worth mentioning the fact that my degree also opened the door to teaching in a school a few days after I graduated. Therefore, the majority of the courses I have taken are aimed at training in French language and culture, cultivating our critical thinking and developing our skills through interactive lessons and research. In other words, a degree in French Language and Literature broadens students’ horizons so that they can pursue careers in various fields such as teaching, journalism, translation, the public sector, etc. and I highly recommend it.