Well, folks, it’s time for blog #2! Our first item on today’s agenda was visiting a Vassos Eliades distribution warehouse. They are one of the top distributors of consumer goods across Cyprus. They work with a range of companies producing goods from food-centric to luxury watches. Visiting the warehouse, I noticed that the office space had many windows, which made the space feel very open. The energy from the staff was very welcoming, and I was excited to learn more about the company that could produce such enthusiasm. Once we were settled down, a few Vassos Eliades representatives gave us presentations about the company’s goals. A couple of things that stuck out to me were how much Vassos Eliades cared about sustainability and their employees. During the presentations, they talked about their recycling and green energy initiatives, the trees they’ve planted with their employees, and how much they prioritize flexibility and comfort for their employees. Along their walls were multiple “Best Workplace in Cyprus” awards, which I believed were well deserved for a company that works as hard as Vassos Eliades.

The second activity of today was a history lecture taught by Dr. Solomou, a professor from the University of Nicosia. In this lecture, we learned about Cyprus’ history and its many leadership changes. For example, in 1878, for the Ottomans to remain under British protection from Russia, they agreed to let Britain have control over Cyprus, which is centrally located in the Middle East with access to many countries. I thought it was interesting how the professor related the attitude of the British trading protection for a valuable asset to modern-day attitudes of making political deals, particularly with the US, Ukraine, and Russia. Another thing I found interesting from his lecture was how the British had control for a long time. `1931 marked the start of several decades of Cypriots fighting with the British until their official independence in 1960, in which Dr.Solomou stated, “Revolutions are not carried out by people with full stomachs”, implying how the maltreatment of the Cypriots by the British fueled their desire to break away. In my opinion, the lecture from UNIC was more similar to those of the University of Pittsburgh than it was different. It was presented in the classic lecture style with a slide presentation. There was nothing to me that was noticeably different from what we learn, other than that the history is about Cyprus rather than about the US. I think it just shows how, even though Cyprus and the US an ocean apart, there are similarities in education styles that connect us as students.