How Microcredentials reshape lifelong learning \u2014 and strengthen universities\u2019 ability to respond promptly to the evolving needs of society and the economy<\/em><\/p>\n 2 December 2025<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On December 2, the University of Cyprus organized a conference titled \u201cMicrocredentials: Design Practice and Impact across Higher Education and the Labour Market\u201d<\/em>, highlighting the pivotal role of microcredentials in modern educational reality and the labor market.<\/p>\n The event was attended by members of the academic community of the University of Cyprus, as well as representatives of universities, businesses, organizations, policymakers, and Human Resource Management executives. Participants had the opportunity to be informed about the latest developments, European strategies, and practical applications of microcredentials.<\/p>\n The event was welcomed by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Professor Tatiana Eleni Synodinou, who emphasized that microcredentials are not merely a new learning tool, but an entire educational philosophy that strengthens the university\u2019s connection with society, businesses, and above all, with individuals themselves.<\/p>\n She noted that this philosophy views education as a continuous process, accompanying individuals at every stage of their professional, social, and personal development. Microcredentials enhance lifelong learning, offer flexibility, targeted specialization, and rapid skill acquisition, while serving as a powerful tool for employability, mobility, and transition to the digital and green economy. At the same time, they empower collaboration between universities and businesses, creating a new framework for dialogue and co-creation of knowledge.<\/p>\n The Vice-Rector pointed out that in an environment that changes asymmetrically and unpredictably, the question is no longer \u201cwhether we should change\u201d<\/em>, but \u201chow quickly we can respond to change.\u201d<\/em> Traditional degrees, while retaining their value, are now called to be complemented by flexible and modern forms of learning.<\/p>\n The keynote speaker of the conference was Jan Dries, Commissioner for Lifelong Learning at the University of Antwerp, who presented European developments, good practices, and experiences from universities and countries across Europe. He analyzed how microcredentials can be designed and offered to support the needs of society and the labor market, through the updating and upgrading of citizens\u2019 and the workforce\u2019s skills, knowledge, and competencies. He also stressed the importance of close collaboration between businesses and universities so that the design of microcredentials meets the real needs of organizations.<\/p>\n A panel discussion followed, moderated by Professor Eleni Stavrou, with participants including Jan Dries, Maria Karantoni (Head of People, KPMG), Maria Theodorou (HR Director, OEB), and Panayiotis Thrasyvoulou (Head of People Advisory Services, EY). Their contributions focused on the implementation of microcredentials, their usefulness and value in the modern workplace, and the importance of alignment between businesses and universities for effective design.<\/p>\n Participants enriched the dialogue with insightful interventions and questions, reinforcing discussions about the role and future of microcredentials.<\/p>\n The conference concluded with a message of commitment that microcredentials represent an important step toward a new educational model, one that offers every citizen the opportunity to learn, grow, and actively shape their future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Conference: \u201cMicrocredentials: Design Practice and Impact across Higher Education and the Labour Market\u201d How Microcredentials reshape lifelong learning \u2014 and strengthen universities\u2019 ability to respond promptly [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":5153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vice-rector-of-academic-affairs"],"modified_by":"dstylian","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-11 23:44:36","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5149"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5152,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5149\/revisions\/5152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucy.ac.cy\/governingbodies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}