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Departments
Entrepreneurship
The Department of Entrepreneurship focuses on the promotion of different ramifications of entrepreneurship, such as social, green and female entrepreneurship, and the transference of values distilled from this field to youth and other target groups. Additionally, projects under this Department explore a cross-sectoral approach, with Entrepreneurship being heavily entangled with the use of Information and Communications Technologies in the form of Business Incubators, which aspire to the provision of more innovative, sustainable and environmental products and solutions. Furthermore, the projects on Entrepreneurship approach the subject through alternative, empowering and entertaining methodologies, like game-based and role-model based learning.
Social Innovation and Green Technologies
The Department of Social Innovation and Green Technologies had initially been established with the aim to reinforce and accelerate the development process of the remaining three departments. One of the main priorities of CIP’s staff is to contribute to the modernization of teaching methods across the EU. Accordingly, the Department of Social Innovation and Green Technologies designs solutions in the field of educational technology that meet the needs, learning patterns and peculiarities of different type of learners; whilst the Department’s specialised staff is capable of designing and constructing innovative educational platforms, online moodle courses, game engines software and applications -such as virtual reality tools-, mainly for educational purposes.
The Department endeavours to investigate and implement cross-sectoral approaches. For instance, the Department of Social Innovation and Green Technologies has established an ongoing collaboration with the Department of Entrepreneurship, with the aim to urge the new generation of entrepreneurs to make the shift to synchronous digital technology for the production of better business outcomes, thus carrying the ability to lead digital transformation for SMEs by modernizing and integrating their mainstream IT, as well as by utilising digital solutions at scale, leading to a promising digital future. Concurrently, the Department has been collaborating with the Department of STEM Education and Research, aspiring to design innovative solutions and products which are rooted to the contributions of the ICT sector (Internet of Things, Machine Learning, etc). These innovative solutions and products are capable of supporting the implementation of clean technologies for a sustainable and resilient increase of agri-food sector production, based on a more efficient use of energy and water.
Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs
The Department of Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs entails projects that strive towards the provision of an inclusive and life-long education to citizens of all ages, with an emphasis on various disadvantaged or marginalised groups, such as migrants, refugees, ex-prisoners, NEETs and early school leavers, individuals with Specific Learning Disorders, Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, persons with disabilities, as well as people facing different psychological and socioeconomic barriers. Moreover, the projects falling under this Department discern education as a driver for societal change and advancement, aiming towards the following targets: enhancement of social inclusion of marginalized groups and augmented social cohesion; development of both basic and advanced skills and competences; improvement of employability chances; sensitization of the public and cultivation of awareness towards sensitive issues, and; provision of tools to shape individuals into responsible and active citizens.
STEM Education and Research
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are widely considered as critical to the national economies, government, industry leaders and educators. Nonetheless, it is proven that a large majority of secondary school students fail to reach proficiency in math and science, whilst many are taught by teachers lacking adequate subject matter knowledge. With the aim to combat such incapacity through the cultivation of a more positive stance of both students of all ages and teachers towards STEM so as to bring them up-to-speed on the skills and knowledge most relevant in today’s society, CIP has given special emphasis on the homonymous department. Such a target has been achieved by designing and incorporating non-formal methods of learning & hands-on toolkits, gamified approaches, digitized methodologies relating to Arts, as well as Design Thinking Models in the teaching of STEM.
Currently, the Department has been providing STEM educators and students, but also young people and adults, with innovative STEM curricula. In parallel, our STEM initiatives reach and encourage students with a minority background, individuals obtaining low-literacy skills. as well as the female population, to show interest in STEM subjects and pursue STEM careers.
Amongst others, the Department has designed and applied non-formal tools, gamified math exhibits, virtual museums for STEM learning and virtual/augmented reality tools for the teaching of STEM. Particularly, we have have introduced digital modeling and prototyping; 3D printing; mobile and app technology; computer coding; data analytics; Internet of Things; Machine learning and game development; electronics; robotics; and, environmental engineering in the daily routines of kindergartens, primary/secondary and VET schools, youth -oriented organizations and lifelong learning centres.
One of the Department’s biggest achievements constitutes the establishment of 4 National ICT Hotspots in different parts of the island which provide free training offers in microcontrollers, 3D modelling, web and app development to migrants, refugees and other minority communities.