Today was the last full day we had in Cyprus. It was bittersweet to say the least. I am excited to go back home and spend time with my family but this trip was so much fun. I met so many people and learned so much, I will definitely think about doing another program next…

Today we had the last of our company visits, which was with PWC. They are a consulting firm that counsels businesses on how to better integrate technology into their business plans. The first speaker was a man from Germany who talked about the integration of artificial intelligence into supply chains. To be honest, a lot…

I never thought I would have the privilege to visit an abandoned city. Famagusta’s abandoned city was a sight to behold. Being able to walk around the town, even on just that one road, was something else. It felt like I could see the life oozing out of the buildings. Each has character and I…

All of today’s activities took place at the University of Nicosia. The first people to speak were people from a company called Fleet Management Limited. They are a shipmanagement company with a branch located in Cyprus. They manage over 600 ships around the globe. The mother company claims to be the second largest shipmanagement company…

The second day in Paphos was mostly spent at the beach. It was rather sunny today which made the beach even more fun. The Mediterranean is so clear, very different from the Atlantic I’m used to. You can see to the bottom no matter where you are. Also, the water feels invigorating. It is a…

To start off the trip to Paphos there was… a ride on the bus. But once we arrived we toured Kourion Archeological Site. We got a glance at what a Cypriot town looked like centuries ago. The bathhouse of the town was dug up and we were able to see one aspect of their day…

The first visit for today was to Vassiliko Cement and VTTV oil and energy. These two companies work out of the same plant. Vassiliko Cement has the task of taking raw materials, mainly limestone, and processing it into cement. The limestone is collected themselves from a quarry they own nearby. This means that there are…

Today’s company visits were all centered around the port of Limassol. Of the three ports in Cyprus, the other two being in Larnaca and Paphos, this is the largest port in Cyprus and sees a lot of traffic relative to the size of Cyprus. Before 2017, it was completely owned by the Ports Authority of…

To start the day off we went to the training facility for BSM shipmanagement company. I had never really taken too much of an interest into ships and cargo transfer, but I was pleasantly surprised at how this visit went. I thought their facilities were very impressive and the way they explained how they as…

The first company we visited on our trip to Cyprus was the pharmaceutical company Medochemie. They are an International General Pharmaceutical Manufacturer and are primarily based in Cyprus. They have warehouses, offices, and factories in different countries around the world, including but not limited to, Cyprus, The Netherlands, and Vietnam. Being an International General Pharmaceutical…

After sitting on planes for too long and having the strangest night’s sleep I’ve ever had in my life, we had our first full day abroad in Cyprus! Most of the day revolved around going on tours of Nicosia. We had dedicated sessions for the Old City and the New City. I think there was…

Hey everybody! My name is John Lake but most of the time I go by Jack. I am from Morristown, New Jersey which is a ~45-minute drive from New York City. But here at Pitt, I am a freshman engineering (declared chemical engineering) major and I start my departmental classes in the fall. Fun fact,…