Erasmus+ Master’s Loan: Haris Karathymios

“Cyprus felt like home, it was an amazing experience,” says Haris Karathymios, Erasmus+ Master student at the University of Cyprus. “The University is well organised and works perfectly. Everyone was very hospitable. As for the M.Sc. programme, it offered an up-to-date curriculum, which is relevant to the programming sector and was very specialised.”

Haris, who has always been interested in maths, initially studied physics at the University of Athens (NKUA). After graduation, he decided to move to Cyprus for his Master of Science. He will graduate in “Intelligent Critical Infrastructure Systems”, from the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Cyprus in January 2021.

“If it wasn’t for the loan it simply wouldn’t have been possible for me. It was a decisive factor,” Haris says, referring to the EU-guaranteed loan, backed by the EIF, that he received from the University. The loan helped cover the tuition and part of his accommodation expenses. As he explains, “A friend of mine informed me about the possibility of pursuing a Masters degree in Cyprus with financial support and I found it quite appealing. Otherwise I wouldn’t have considered studying abroad.”

Studying abroad proved an enriching experience for Haris from an educational as well as a human standpoint, but it also played an important role in securing a job upon returning to Athens, in an IT support/data analyst position, while he finalises his thesis. “We specialise in all the critical infrastructure systems that run in background in society that everyone tends to take for granted: electricity, telecoms, water… Every student specialises in a field. I chose cybersecurity of public systems, and specifically nuclear power plants. But this skillset is transferrable and can open doors in many sectors” – as his experience is proving.

Beneficiary: Haris Karathymios

Studies: Intelligent Critical Infrastructures

University: University of Cyprus

EIF financing: Erasmus+ Master Student LGF

Financial intermediary: University of Cyprus

For further information about EIF intermediaries in Cyprus, please refer to:
http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/cy/