ΕλληνικάThe Awards Ceremony for the Student Informatics Competitions was successfully held on Monday, April 6, 2026. The event was organized by the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) and hosted by the European University Cyprus.
During the ceremony, students who excelled in the Cyprus Informatics Olympiad and the Bebras Cyprus Competition in Informatics and Computational Thinking 2025–2026 were honored.
The event was addressed by the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Dr Athena Michaelidou. Her address was delivered on her behalf by Mr George Koutsides, Acting Director of Secondary Education. In her message, the Minister emphasized the importance of developing computational thinking and digital skills from an early age, while highlighting the need for equal participation of all students, with particular focus on encouraging girls. In the same spirit, the President of CCS, Mr Andreas Loutsios, expressed his satisfaction with the increased participation and achievements of girls in informatics competitions, noting that this is a positive step towards strengthening female representation in the technology sector in the future.
On behalf of the Cyprus Informatics Teachers Association (SYKAP), co-organizer of the Bebras competition, an address was delivered by the President of the Board, Mr Petros Gais. Awards were presented by representatives of organizations that actively support CCS student initiatives. These included Ms Ria Argyrides, Senior CSR Executive, and Ms Artemis Papazachariou, Social Media Executive at XM, a long-standing Tech Partner of CCS, as well as Mr Antonis Skoullos, Country Manager of Oracle Cyprus, sponsor of the Olympiad. The event was attended by Ministry officials, school representatives, educators, parents, and the awarded students, ranging from 4th grade of primary school to the final year of upper secondary education.
In total, 15 students per grade (from 4th grade of primary to 3rd grade of lower secondary school) were awarded for their distinction in the Bebras Cyprus Competition 2025–2026. In addition, schools and educators with high levels of participation were recognized for their contribution to the success of the competition.
A highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of students who represented Cyprus in five international Informatics Olympiads in 2025, achieving outstanding results. The year was recorded as historic, with Cyprus winning a total of eight medals and one honorable mention, while also proudly hosting the Balkan Junior Informatics Olympiad. A standout achievement was that of the talented lower secondary school student Mariza Paspalli, who won five medals in all five international Olympiads she participated in during 2025.
It is worth noting that students with international distinctions are eligible for admission without entrance examinations to programs at the University of Cyprus, while also attracting the interest of leading universities abroad. Their success would not have been possible without the invaluable contribution of their teachers, who undertake both their preparation and their support during international competitions. Preparation lessons for the Cyprus Informatics Olympiad are offered free of charge on a weekly basis across all districts by secondary education teachers of the Ministry.
The event concluded with an invitation to participate in upcoming CCS activities for the current academic year, such as the Robotex robotics competition. More information about all activities in digital skills, programming, robotics, and technology is available at: www.ccs.org.cy.