Andreas G. Orphanides

Professor Andreas G. Orphanides, comes from Lapithos, is a University Professor and a former University Rector. He is currently Professor of History and Archaeology at Philips University. He served and taught at universities and at other higher education institutions in the USA, Greece and Cyprus. He originally graduated from the School of Philosophy -- History and Archaeology -- of the University of Athens. He then pursued graduate studies at the State University of New York at Albany (USA), where he received a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Archaeology and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Anthropology-Archaeology. He also pursued postgraduate studies in Open and Distance Learning at Hellenic Open University. He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by ‘Ovidius’ University of Costantza, Romania in 2012, and in 2014 he was honoured with the "Gold Medal" of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia “for his contribution to the modernization of higher education in Europe in general and in Armenia particular”, and in 2016 he was honoured by the Conference of Higher Education Institutions (KRZaSP).

He served as President (and formerly Vice President) of the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) based in Brussels, as well as President and Vice President of the European Register of Quality Assurance (EQAR), which is the supreme body in Europe that evaluates the QA/Accreditation agencies of higher education in Europe. He participated for many years in the BFUG (Bologna Process). He played a key role as a member of E4 Group in the development and implementation of quality assurance in higher education in Europe and in drafting the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG).

In Cyprus, he served at college/university administrative positions at all levels, as chair of the subcommittee of the Cyprus Rectors’ Conference for the formulation of the legislation governing QA/Accreditation in higher education, as a member of the Ad-Hoc Committee for development of Cyprus into a regional center of higher education, which also compiled the law on private universities, as member of the Ad-Hoc Committee for unification of the laws of universities in Cyprus, as Vice-President of ECSA-Cyprus, as member of the Preparatory Committee for the establishment of Open University of Cyprus and as member of its first Governing Board, etc.

He has an extensive research record, and he wrote a considerable number of books, scientific articles, and articles in the daily press. Especially commented is the major multi-volume publication entitled ‘Sources for the History of Cyprus’ that he jointly authors/publishes with Prof. Paul W. Wallace of the State University of New York at Albany. He served for several years as Assistant Director of both the Institute of Cypriot Studies and of the Archaeological Expedition in Cyprus of the State University of New York at Albany (USA).

Professor Orphanides is also systematically involved with both music composition and poetry. He has three CDs, "Orphanides Meets Kapp", ‘Nisi tou Erota’ (as lyricist) and ‘Fyllokarkia’ (as composer and lyricist), he composed the "Symphony in D minor 'Olympic Legacy'”(for symphony orchestra, choir and solo-baritone), the "Symphonic Suite in F major 'Common Roots'" composed in the framework of the ‘Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus' program under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus and the Greek Ministry of Culture, the "Symphonic poem 'Anerada' for Piano and Orchestra", the anthems of two universities, the “Doxaste-Giortaste” for symphony orchestra and choir, the string quartet “Cyprus Zephyr” that was a prize winner at an international composition competition in Malta (2017), etc. His compositions were performed in concerts in Cyprus, Greece, Austria, Estonia, Armenia and USA.