To start the day, our group traveled outside of Nicosia to the Vassos Eliades distribution company, where we learned about their structure and business model. My first impression of the warehouse and office spaces were that they were clearly designed with sustainability in mind. Learning about their voltaic energy cell solar panels and creative use of the sun to sustainably power and light their office space, I compared it to a more environmentally-friendly version of an Amazon distribution center. Interestingly, I think that large cooperations in America could learn something from these sustainable businesses in Cyprus. Not only are their practices environmentally friendly, but they actually turn a profit from generating an excess of energy at their warehouse, which they then sell to the government.

After a delicious lunch at Gefsikleous 62, we stopped by at the University of Nicosia for a lecture by Dr. Solomou on the extensive history of Cyprus. We first learned about the ancient history of the island, and how the Venicians, Ottomans, and Franks all left their impacts on Cyprus. Specifically, the Venecians built their churches behind mountains to protect them from Ottoman invasion. Then, when moving to more recent history, we learned about how Cyrpus was affected by British Occupation. With them, the British brought crucial infastructure such as reservoirs and public works to improve quality of life. However, eventually the Cypriots craved independence. The independence movement, led by an Archbishop of the Orthodox church, was eventually successful and Cyprus gained its independence. One thing I found interesting was that the 1st president of Cyprus was actually that same Archbishop, which is very irregular. Overall, I thought that the lecture was slightly different in its structure than lectures in American Universities. It was less interactive and more of listening to the professor and taking notes. Overall, I thought the presentation was very helpful in giving the group a perspective on the history of Cyprus.