Frederick University hosted an Award Ceremony on Friday, 9 June 2023, to congratulate the winners of the University student competition ‘Next Generation proposals for a better Cyprus’ organized by Consulco.

In the framework of the competition, undergraduate and postgraduate students from local Universities were invited to propose structural changes that could improve the investment sector in Cyprus. The students conducted thorough research and presented innovative ideas concerning structural changes, development, and investment in well-articulated and comprehensive essays. The competition provided them with the opportunity to not only express their ideas and make a significant impact on society but also to enhance their resumes and establish a robust network within the industry.

The competition was organized by Consulco, a specialist investment management company, structuring, developing and managing real estate, credit and private equity investments in London and Europe. 

In her welcome address, Professor Eleni Hadjiconstantinou, Dean of Frederick University’s School of Business and Law, thanked Consulco, on behalf of the University, for providing a platform for young people’s voices to be heard. She added: “I would like to emphasize the importance of such initiatives for Frederick University. In fact, the desired outcomes of the student competition are in line with the University’s strategic goals, that is, investing on human capital and underpinning the empowerment of the younger generation so that they can have a greater participation and positive impact on the local society. As a University, our policy is to promote and give opportunities to our students and build on their talents.”

Mr Dmitry Khenkin, Director and founding member of Consulco Group, congratulated the winners for putting forward innovative ideas and becoming agents of change: “At Consulco we want to make sure that the young generation is participating in conversations that affect their future. It is for this reason that we, in collaboration with some of the most prominent universities of Cyprus, such as Frederick University, organized this investment research competition with the objective to provide the university students with a chance to utilize their valuable knowledge and experience and come up with ideas that can improve the Cyprus investment sector. We have been very impressed with the work submitted by the participating students and consider this project a notable success.”.

During the ceremony, the following Frederick University students were awarded:

• 1st prize: Eleni Demosthenous, MBA student, “Reforming the Cypriot Tax Framework: The Green Way Forward”
• 2nd prize: Dimitrios Vrekas, BSc Maritime Studies student, “The structural changes required to make Cyprus attractive for Cypriot and foreign investors”
• 3rd prize: Nader Nader, PhD candidate, Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics, “The prospect of Real Estate Crowdfunding as an Alternative Investment Instrument in Cyprus”
• 4th prize: Christy Karam, BSc Computer Science student, “The impact of technological developments (such as crowdfunding, blockchain or Artificial Intelligence) on the investment environment in Cyprus”

The winners received monetary prizes from Consulco and will be given the opportunity to present their proposals to media and policy makers, aiming to stimulate debate and inspire action.
The overall competition process was managed internally by the School of Business and Law of Frederick University. The internal jury consisted of Prof. Eleni Ηadjiconstantinou, Dean of the School of Business and Law (Chair of the Committee), Dr. Petia Tanova, Associate Professor and Deputy-Dean of the School, Dr Nicos Koussis, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Business Administration, and Dr Andreas Georgiou, Lecturer in the Department of Business Administration.

Consulco was established 30 years ago and today maintains fully fledged offices in London, Dubai and Cyprus, with more than 100 professionals structuring and managing investments in the UK and Europe for the benefit of the company’s clients.