Open University of Cyprus

Open University of Cyprus
Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου Kıbrıs Açık Üniversitesi
Established	2001
Type	Public
President	Prof. Panos Razis
Vice-president	Prof. Georgios Filokyprou
Students	500
Location	Nicosia, Cyprus
Website	http://www.ouc.ac.cy

The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) (Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου in Greek, Turkish: Kıbrıs Açık Üniversitesi), in Lefkosia (Nicosia), is the only university in Cyprus dedicated to distance learning.

Methodology

The Open University of Cyprus style of teaching is called “open and distance learning”. More specifically, students have the opportunity to learn in their own time without having to be present at the premises of the University in order to be able to attend lectures, seminars or labs, as it is the case with conventional universities.

The Open University utilizes a variety of media to help students learn no matter how distant from the premises of the University. The following techniques and methods are being employed:

- By means of course material in digital form, received either from the internet or through CDs and DVDs, or from printed course material,

- By attending lectures via the internet and, in the near future, using subscription television, at fixed timetables, specified by the teaching personnel,

- By using the Electronic Gate in order to:

- Find relevant information concerning Thematic Units, that is the basic operational unit of each course

- Contact professors or lecturers using synchronized and non-synchronized technologies such as chat, videoconferencing, and forums.

- Exchange ideas, thoughts and opinions with other students who are studying the same Thematic Units.

- By directly communicating with the teaching personnel over the telephone at fixed times.

Evidently, knowing how to operate a personal computer aids considerably the studies of a particular course.

In regular time is assigned to a particular member of the Academic Personnel of the Open University. Students will receive details of their tutor around the course starting date and s/he will be