The Award Ceremony for the CCS Student Informatics Competitions was successfully held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, organized by the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) at the Siakoleio Educational Center in Nicosia.

EVENT PHOTOS

During the event, students who excelled in the Cyprus Olympiad in Informatics and the National Bebras Challenge in Informatics and Computational Thinking for the year 2024–2025 were honored.

The ceremony was addressed by the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Dr. Athina Michaelidou, whose speech was delivered on her behalf by Mr. Socrates Mylonas, Inspector of Secondary Education in the field of Informatics. In her message, the Minister highlighted the importance of informatics in education and expressed her satisfaction with the notable increase in female student participation in the competitions. As emphasized by CCS President Mr. Andreas Loutsios, “the increased participation of girls reflects our ongoing efforts to strengthen the presence of women in the technology sector.”

Representing the Informatics Teachers Association (SYKAP), co-organizer of the Bebras competition, a greeting was delivered by the President of the Board, Mr. Petros Gais. Awards were presented by representatives of the organizations supporting CCS student initiatives. Specifically, Mr. Nicolas Mesaritis, CTO of ECOMMBX, which this year became a “Powered by” sponsor strengthening youth activities; Ms. Artemis Papachristoforou, CSR Executive of XM, a longstanding Tech Partner of CCS; and Mr. Vasilios Moschos, Database Technical Lead at Oracle, a sponsor of the Cyprus Olympiad in Informatics. The ceremony was attended by Ministry officials, school representatives, teachers, parents, and the awarded students, ranging from 4th Grade Primary to 12th Grade High School.

In total, 15 students from each grade (4th Grade Primary to 3rd Grade Gymnasium) who distinguished themselves in the 2023–2024 Bebras Challenge were awarded. In addition, schools and teachers with high participation rates were also recognized for their contribution to the success of the competition.

A highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of the students who represented Cyprus in international Olympiads in Informatics in 2024, achieving outstanding results. This year marked a historic achievement, as Cyprus secured a total of 7 medals and 3 honorable mentions. Among them stood out young student Mariza Paspalli, who earned 5 awards while participating for the first time in the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics.

It is worth noting that students with international distinctions are eligible for university admission at the University of Cyprus without entrance exams and also attract the interest of top universities worldwide. Their success would not have been possible without the vital support of their teachers, who guide them through preparation and accompany them on international missions. Preparation classes for the Cyprus Olympiad in Informatics are offered free of charge, weekly, in all districts, by secondary school teachers of the Ministry of Education.

The event concluded with an open invitation to participate in the upcoming CCS initiatives for the current academic year, including the robotics competition Robotex MRC and the CCSC Cybersecurity Challenge. More information on all activities related to digital skills, programming, robotics, and technology is available on the CCS website: www.ccs.org.cy.

 

  

 

 

 

 

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