As of September 1, 2024, Professor Stavros Stavrou has assumed the leadership of the Open University of Cyprus (OUC), having been elected to the position of Rector for the next four years. Professor Stavrou succeeds Professor Petros Pashiardis, who retired after completing his term as Rector and 17 years of service at OUC.

According to a statement by OUC, Professor Stavrou's election to the highest academic office marks the beginning of a new era for the university, which since its founding in 2002 has established itself in the Greek-speaking higher education space as a university synonymous with open and distance education and lifelong learning.

"It is with great honor and a sense of responsibility that I assume the leadership of the Open University of Cyprus, with a vision of its international recognition as an innovative, flexible, inclusive university closely connected with the needs of society, the sciences, and the productive sector," Professor Stavrou stated.

"The university is its people, and together with the entire staff, based on academic principles and values, we will chart a new development path, looking steadily forward, so that the Open University of Cyprus can play a leading role within and beyond national borders, with research, outreach, and internationalization among our priorities," he noted.

Professor Stavros Stavrou is a member of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the Open University of Cyprus, where he founded and directs the Cybersecurity and Telecommunications Research Laboratory, according to the statement. "He is also the elected president of the Cybersecurity Formation at the European Security and Defense College, headquartered in Brussels, tasked with coordinating European cybersecurity education activities," it added.

It is also noted that Professor Stavrou is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of the United Kingdom and a member of the board of the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (DI.PAE). His areas of academic, research, and practical expertise include cybersecurity, telecommunications engineering, network engineering, electronic warfare, and asymmetric technological threats.

The new Rector of OUC holds a patent for the design of a wireless communications jamming system. He has designed and developed operational and R&D platforms in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure security. Between 1997-2009, he served as a faculty member at the University of Surrey (United Kingdom).

Since 2009, as a member of the Open University of Cyprus, he developed and directed postgraduate programs in his areas of expertise and served as a member of the Governing Committee (2014-2018) until the university's autonomy in 2018. He was then elected as the first dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences. He also served as a member of the Council of the Open University of Cyprus.

Professor Stavrou has coordinated over 50 national and European research projects and has published extensively in his areas of expertise. He has also authored numerous technical reports for national, European, and international organizations.

Professor Stavros Stavrou hails from occupied Pano Zodia, is married to Dr. Olga Alexandrou, and they have two children, Alexandra and Christos.