Christodoulos Pavlou - MSc Enterprise (15/16)
Christodoulos saw this postgraduate degree as an opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset which he feels is currently an important skill. “We are living in the age of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial thinking is everywhere […]. A better understanding of the theory and the entrepreneurial environment creates more opportunities for employment or self-employment.”
We are living in the age of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial thinking is everywhere.
Having graduated in December 2016, he is now working on several projects in Cyprus. He is an external contractor for CARDET Research Centre, developing content for an online game called EntrInnO. EntrInnO is a European Commision funded project aiming to develop the entrepreneurial skills of the younger generation of EU citizens through an interactive online game. The MSc Enterprise degree helped Chris understand the theoretical aspects of enterprenuership and now integrate the theory in EntrInno.
He is also a research assistant for Social Enterprise Policy, working as part of a team responsible for identifying the best practices from other European countries and adapting them to the context of Cyprus. Additionally, he has recently agreed to assist the Synthesis Centre as a research associate with future projects.
I have developed a deep understanding about entrepreneurship in terms of theory and practice.
He is the Co-Founder of Recyward; a reward based recycling social enterprise introduced in 2014 at the University of Cyprus aiming to increase the rates of recycling and examining how incentives can influence the decision of an individual. The students are required to sort the recyclable material and bring them in. Based on the weight of the recyclable materials they get credited points which can be redeemed for rewards ranging from coffee to jewellery and gym subscriptions as well as eco-friendly products from recyclable material. If they bring in material that are not recyclable, points may be deducted from their rewards. This makes it easier for Recyward to only receive ready to recycle material and then sell them at a higher price to recycling facilities.
A number of MSc Enterprise have helped Chris to further develop Recyward and improve its business model such as New Venture Creation and Enterprise and Society. “I gained practical knowledge on how to create or improve an enterprise.”
By finishing the MSc, one can establish an enterprise, work as a researcher, consultant or in any other department which requires identifying, evaluating and exploiting opportunities.