Alumni UK

Christina Demetriades

• BA Philosophy at the University of Bristol
• MSc International Relations at The London School of Economics and Political Science
• MA Guidance (Vocational Educational) at the University of the West of England, Bristol
• QCG (Qualification in Careers Guidance) at the Career Development Institute

Christina’s Demetriades genuine curiosity about the ‘big’ questions in life led her to study Philosophy. Coming from a divided country, she felt prompted to then study International Relations. Back in Cyprus, she worked in public sector recruitment. Over almost a decade, she had daily interaction with people who merely sought a ‘place in the Sun’, without ambition nor love for their roles. Conscious of her refined mission and appreciating the high quality of UK education and rich intercultural life, Christina returned to study (Careers) Guidance.

Christina works as a personal leadership coach, trainer, and coach/mentor supervisor, working with individuals and groups globally. She has enjoyed working with people from diverse backgrounds, ages, abilities, beliefs, behaviours, and needs. Through her work, she empowers and motivates people to succeed in their goals and to consciously enjoy a fulfilling, meaningful career, and life. A firm believer in the value of diversity and inclusion, and in each person’s ability to lead themselves effectively in any context. Christina guides her clients in developing leadership skills towards personal and professional self-actualization. She has been honoured with the prestigious EMCC Global Coaching award (the highest recognition for best practice in the field of coaching globally) and an accreditation as a coach/mentor at the master practitioner level (the highest level and the first in Cyprus).

Christina’s tips for people looking to pursue a career in her sector:

• Have an anthropocentric attitude and recognize yourself as a leader in your role. A coach genuinely cares for the wellbeing of others and takes full responsibility for her/himself as a leader and role model.
• Explore something else in life before you focus on coaching; give yourself time to gain experience, as you will draw from it in your coaching practice. Your career path will underpin your role as a coach.
• Hire a coach (or two!) and taste the empowering effect of coaching. Experience coaching for yourself and what it can help people do before you set out to become a coach. Make sure that your investment (of time, energy, and money) follows a well-informed decision.

Yangos Hadjiyannis

• LLB at the University of Nottingham
• PGDMS at the University of Cambridge
• LLM at the University of Cambridge

Apart from the wonderful student life that UK Universities provide, Yangos cherishes most the acquaintances he has made and the long-lasting friendships with persons from across the world. The diversity of the student and staff population provides for a unique platform of give and take experiences and knowledge. The UK common law system is very similar to the one in Cyprus and it makes perfect sense to follow a Law Degree in the UK. Moreover, the multicultural university environment as well as the heritage of higher education in the UK make the UK the ideal student destination.

After returning from the UK, Yangos practiced law for a while and then joined Cyprus’ Leading Business School following a career as a senior executive in higher education. He now holds the position of the CEO which is a very exciting but also challenging role and as such on many occasions he needs to put into action the knowledge acquired during his UK studies.

Yangos’ tips for people looking to pursue a career in his sector:

Working for a higher education institution is a challenging task but can be very rewarding. You can interact with students and staff of varied backgrounds and to provide them with the opportunity to be educated and enhance their career prospectus. Leading a higher education organisation is a multifaceted role that requires strong leadership skills and high degree of emotional intelligence.