The Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is a new, public university founded in 2003. The University aspires to become a pioneering university, offering high level training and research in popular fields, which today offer great economic, technical, and scientific output. With an applied research orientation, the Cyprus University of Technology aims in providing important aid to the local society to help it cope with problems that it faces in all the fields of science, technology and knowledge while contributing to the international research community. CUT currently has six faculties (Geotechnical Sciences and Environmental Management, Management and Economics, Communication and Media Studies, Fine and Applied Arts, Engineering and Technology, and Health Sciences) with plans to expand its faculties to ten in the next few years. The Department of Communication and Internet Studies aims in the education of high level scientists and the promotion of research and relative applications in the scientific fields of Education, Communications, New Media and the Internet. The focus of the undergraduate degree is on the effect of new technologies on communication, the economy, politics, culture and society. The focus of the Master’s degree in New Technologies for Communication and Learning is on innovative methods in support of learning, with an emphasis on technology-enhanced learning.
The Cyprus University of Technology is actively engaged in research at local and European level and is participating in numerous local and European research projects. The Department of Communication and Internet Studies has participated in two FP7 Science-in-Society projects: Project Digital support for Inquiry, Collaboration, and Reflection on Socio-Scientific Debates” (“CoReflect”, Grant No:277792, http://www.coreflect.org, 2008-2011) and Project Professional Reflection Oriented Focus on Inquiry-based Learning and Education through Science (“PROFILES”, Grant No: 266589, http://www.profiles-project.eu, 2010-2014). The CUT team has extensive expertise in science education, with a specific focus on the use of technology-enhanced learning to foster rich reasoning on socio-scientific issues. Existing networks with teachers will contribute to achieving the goals of the project.