In the 20th century engineers and scientists developed powerful technologies that met the needs of society: Housing, transportation, food, clothing, and entertainment. However, rapid economic development was accompanied by an enormous increase in the consumption and depletion of the earth’s resources: Minerals, fossil fuels, and ecosystems. Global warming and loss of biodiversity have already signaled that economic development has resulted in major environmental problems that society has to deal with in the 21st century. The deterioration of the natural environment is particularly severe in islands like Cyprus where land and water resources are limited. In the past, environmental degradation was attributed to some particular company or industry, but industry only responds to societal needs and markets. Therefore, the term “industrial activities” must include both industries that provide products and services and society that demands and consumes the industrial output. It is now generally recognized that it is absolutely necessary for engineers and scientists to re-think and even redesign industrial activities with full knowledge of their environmental impacts. Also, it has led the United Nations to define “sustainable development” as that which meets the needs of the current generation but does not prevent future generations from meeting their needs.

This improved understanding of human activities on their environment has led to the creation of new educational courses and programmes that prepare graduates who can lead the way in establishing a fair balance between societal needs, on one hand, and avoiding further deterioration of the environment, on the other. The foundations of these programmes are sound scientific principles, in particular earth sciences, and new methodologies that have been developed in the last few decades to help humanity deal with the environmental problems created by population growth and very rapid economic development. These methodologies include industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, and geographic information systems.

The Department of Environmental Management of the Cyprus University of Technology has based its goals on the above principles. The undergraduate and Masters curricula have been designed to train people who after graduation can move to industry, government and teaching positions and ensure that industrial activities are designed with the full understanding of their environmental consequences. These environmental managers will also have the skills required for rehabilitation of land and water resources and thus help to correct the mistakes of the past. The courses and curricula of the Department were designed by the faculty assisted by an international group of leading scientists in environmental science and engineering who took into full account the special environmental needs and problems of Cyprus and of the surrounding region. Therefore, the University provides, for the first time in Cyprus, a university level programme in Environmental Management that will prepare graduates for a successful professional career and equip them for positions of leadership in industry, government, and academia.

On the basis of their goal-oriented training, the environmental management graduates will be able to confront environmental problems, arrive at practical solutions and help prevent further environmental deterioration. Also, the research conducted by faculty and students and the overall training of the graduates will help Cyprus to be in compliance with EU environmental policy and regulations that are aimed at advancing the goals of sustainable development and protecting public health and the environment.