Message from the Chairman for 2017

The committee of the Cyprus Branch met last week and began planning the arrangements for 2017.  The committee consists of five of us: Katerina Kaouri (Hon. Secretary), Artemis Yiordamli, Loukia Taxitari, Nicolas Kyriakides and myself as Chairman. As usual, we are putting together a programme of events and activities for the year. Suggestions and recommendations are always most welcome.

The Branch met five times in 2016: We started the year with a presentation by Dr Loukia Taxitari on language development in young infants; in May Dr Odysseas Michaelides, the Auditor General of the Republic, addressed the Society on the role of the Audit Office in ensuring transparency and accountability in the public sector; later in the year we hosted a party for Freshers going up to Oxford, undergraduate and (most of them) postgraduate; in November the Branch collaborated with Terra Cypria in a well-attended launch of the book “Wildlife in Cyprus”; and on 20th December a number of us attended the Society’s Christmas dinner at the Coudounari House in Limassol.

Charles Dodd

Oxford University Society in Cyprus Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner at the historic Coudounari House the oldest house in Limassol still lived in by its owners and soon to incorporate a private museum on Tuesday, 20th December, 2016 at 75 Irini Street, Limassol. Artemis Coudounari Yiordamli, a member of the Oxford Society, has offered her recently restored home as the venue for the Oxford Society Christmas dinner.

7.15 pm   Welcome with a glass of champagne and tour of house

8.00 pm   Dinner – Music and mince pies

Please note: the grand dining room takes only a limited number of guest – Responses will be accepted on a ‘first-come’ basis. A town plan will be e-mailed to guests. Parking available on the corner of Irinis and Enoseos Streets. €35 for three-course dinner and wines

Dress: (black-tie optional)

An Introduction to the Wildlife of Cyprus

The Oxford University Society is collaborating with Terra Cypria in launching a new publication, entitled “An Introduction to the Wildlife of Cyprus”, edited by Dr David Sparrow and published by Terra Cypria (the Cyprus Conservation Foundation).

The presentation of the publication will be at the Limassol Town Hall at 6.30 pm on Wednesday 30 November.

The programme will be introduced by Dr Artemis Yiordamli; and Dr Costas Kadis, the Minister of Education and Culture, will make a short address.   Dr David Sparrow will then present the publication, and the evening will end with refreshments free of charge and the opportunity to purchase copies of the book.

Freshers’ event (and networking drinks)

s usual at this time of year, we are organising a small, informal party for the new intake of undergraduates and postgraduates before they start the academic year at Oxford.

Most of the nine ‘Freshers’ live in or near Nicosia, and so the event will be held there:
starting at 6.00 pm on Wednesday 21st September at To Potopolio, 46E John Kennedy Street (telephone number 22-420507)

Please let us know by sending an email to Charles Dodd (charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk) whether you will be able to come.

Find the Facebook event here.

Talk by the Auditor General

Dr Odysseas Michaelides, the Auditor General of the Republic of Cyprus, will outline the mandates of the Audit Office of the Republic, its constitutional provisions and the principles of its independence, its role concerning the use of public funds and resources, and its duty to improve transparency and accountability. The title of the talk will be ‘The role of the Audit Office in ensuring transparency and accountability in the public sector’.

Details:
Meeting at the Hilton Hotel, Makarios Avenue, Nicosia on 19 May 2016
7.30 p.m. A cash bar
8.00 p.m. Presentation by Dr Michaelides followed by Dinner at the Hotel

The cost per person is thirty euros inclusive of dinner with wine/soft drinks.

Please email Charles Dodd (Chairman) at charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk whether you will be attending. Please indicate the numbers in your party and any vegetarian preferences. Deadline for reservations: 16th May the latest.

Find the Facebook event here.

Talk by Dr Loukia Taxitari

‘In the beginning was the word’

Talk summary

How language develops in babies? In this talk will see what the language abilities are at different ages, how the infants use their words to refer to the objects around them and how their knowledge about objects in general affects their word use. In particular, I am leading a research project investigating how children in Cyprus develop linguistically compared to children in other countries. This is the first time language development is studied so extensively in Cyprus, and we aim to answer questions such as how infants’ language development is affected when a regional dialect and a standard language are used.

Short bio

Loukia has obtained a BA in Greek Philology at the University of Athens, with a specialisation in Linguistics. She then continued with post-graduate studies at the University of Oxford, from where she obtained an M.Phil. in General Linguistics and a D.Phil. on language and cognitive development. Her interests lie in first language acquisition, that is the manner in which humans acquire language, especially at the early stages of this process. She is currently based at the Cyprus University of Technology.


Details about the event

Meeting at the Columbia Plaza, Limassol
7.00 p.m. a cash bar
7.30 p.m. Presentation by Dr Loukia Taxitari
The cost for Members and their guests will be twenty Euros, inclusive of light refreshments with wine/soft drinks following the presentation.
Please let me Charles Dodd (Chairman) know as soon as possible, and certainly by Monday 25th January, whether you will be attending, and, if so, please indicate the numbers in your party. Please reply to charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk (telephone 99474811).

Find the Facebook event here.

What’s in a Name? The Federal Republic of Cyprus – Talk by Alper Riza

Alper Riza

The next meeting of the Oxford University Society in Cyprus will take place on Tuesday 10th November at the Poseidonia Beach Hotel on the seafront in Limassol. Our speaker will be Alper Riza QC. The title of his presentation is “What’s in a Name? The Federal Republic of Cyprus”.

Alper Riza is a London-based barrister. He was called to the Bar in 1973, became a Queen’s Counsel in 1991 and a part-time judge in 1992. He was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2000. His practice has been mostly concerned with the defence of immigrants and refugees in the context of Criminal law, Constitutional and Administrative law, EU law and Human Rights law, and International and Refugee law. He describes hisbackground as “old school Cypriot – down to Turkish father and Greek mother, English language and culture – and proud of it! A few more like us and there would be no Cyprus problem.” His interests outside law are British politics, journalism (you may have read some of his incisive articles in the local press), music and chess.

The evening will start with a cash bar at 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm. Alper Riza’s presentation will be followed by dinner at the hotel. The cost per person is the usual charge of 30 euros, inclusive of dinner and wine/soft drinks.

To help with planning this event, we would be grateful for an early reply. Please let Charles Dodd charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk) know as soon as possible whether you will be coming, and certainly by Thursday 5th November. If you are bringing guests, please let us know.

Find the Facebook event here.

Freshers’ (and alumni) party at Malindi

11057919_10156087385555422_5195163490457728934_o

The Cyprus Branch of the Oxford Society will be holding an informal party for this year’s Freshers (there are eight postgraduates and just one undergraduate). The party will be at Malindi on the seafront in the Amathus area east of Limassol. Details are:

Meet at 7.30 pm on Friday 25th September

Malindi is a beach bar/restaurant on Amathoundos Avenue, near Uptown Square and the Grand Resort Hotel. From the Highway take the exit to Parekklisia and follow the sign to St Raphael Marina; shortly before the St Raphael Hotel turn right towards the beach; after 50m there is a car park on the right; Malindi is at the far end of the car park.

Light refreshments and drinks will be available.

Please let Charles Dodd (Chairman) know by email (charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk) whether you will be able to come on the 25th. An early reply is always helpful.

We greatly look forward to meeting you!

Find the Facebook event here.

Talk by John Hourican (and dinner)

Hourican

The next meeting of the Oxford University Society (Cyprus Branch) will be held in Nicosia on Tuesday 26th May 2015. Our speaker will be Mr John Hourican, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Cyprus. Mr Hourican will “engage in a conversation on the topical matters of the day, most specifically positioning the economy to grow such that it can support a future prosperity for the younger generations of Cyprus”.

The details are:
7.00 pm meet at the Hilton Hotel, Makarios Avenue, Nicosia; a cash bar
7.30 pm Mr Hourican’s presentation and discussion
followed by dinner at the hotel

The charge for members and their guests will be 30 euros per person, inclusive of dinner with wine/soft drinks.

Please let Charles Dodd (Chairman) know by Friday 22th May whether you will be attending and, if so, the number in your party and any vegetarian preferences.

RSVP: charlesdodd@yahoo.co.uk
An early reply is always helpful.

For more details check the Facebook event.