Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos on Wednesday hailed the opening of the American University of Beirut’s new campus in his town, describing it as “one of the most important projects” Paphos has undertaken in its history.
“This university has charted a course for almost 160 years in our neighbouring country, Lebanon. Without any doubt, the American University of Beirut has made a remarkable contribution to shaping Lebanon’s history over the past 160 years,” he began.
He added that the new campus will aid in the “transformation of Paphos into a regional centre of high prestige”.
“The town of Paphos today acquires one of the most important projects of its historical journey, which, without exaggeration, can be ranked among the 15 most important projects this town has undertaken in its 2,300 years of history,” he said.
He added, “this project has taken place just a few hundred metres from the world heritage sites of the ancient Nea Paphos,” and that the new campus will “feed our town with intellectual wealth in the coming years, which will produce material wealth and put both Paphos and Cyprus on the world map of university education.
“It will cause some of the best minds from neighbouring countries to come to our town and be educated, and I am sure that some will stay as permanent residents, adding value to our town.”
He went on to say that the university will “be a concentration of mutual understanding between the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East and will act as an authoritative transmitter of the values and ideals of peace, coexistence, and cooperation.”
He then addressed the students who are set to begin their studies at the university, saying, “you, today’s young people, as well as the future people who will be educated at this university in the coming years, will become the salt and light of our earth and society.
“You young people will be the light of the world in years to come. A town which is on the verge of opening its doors to such a university is like being atop a hill and no longer being able to hide. Today, we light a beacon on this ground and put it atop a lamp post, to give light to our troubled region.
“Light, which we hope will illuminate the path of peace and spiritual progress for our entire region.”
President Nikos Christodoulides also spoke at the event, describing the campus’ opening as “an important step forward in our collective pursuit of excellence in education.”
He added that it is “evidence of our shared commitment to promoting a brighter future for the countries of the region through education and cooperation.”
“This important occasion has great meaning, both for this honourable institution, and for Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. It is a manifestation of the historically excellent relations between our countries, and proof of the strengthening of regional cooperation in the field of education,” he said.
He added that Cyprus “stands as the anchor and beacon of the European Union in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we are sending a very strong message of cooperation.”
Of the university itself, he said its “state-of-the-art facilities … represent a tangible expression of a vision which sees Cyprus as a bridge between cultures, a hub of academic excellence, and a place where the power of education can truly transform lives.”
The university’s president Fadlo R Khuri also spoke at the ceremony, speaking of the “deep ties which bind the United States, Lebanon, and Cyprus”.
These ties, he said, are shown particularly through the “generations of Cypriot citizens educated at the American University of Beirut”.
“We are joining forces with the Paphos municipality and the Cypriot state to make our presence here sustainable and effective,” he said, adding that his university “is here to work together with Cyprus to help educate and empower the best talents of the country, the region, and the world.”
“This is the commitment we are making today in our new home in Paphos, to bring forth generations of women and men with a steadfast commitment to their communities and the world at large, to make today’s cutting-edge tools, blend them with timeless values, and build a better, more inclusive, and excellence-oriented tomorrow for everyone,” he said.
