Cyprus welcomed international students as part of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP), designed to bridge academic research with professional application in advertising. It was organized by the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) in Limassol.
The program was supported by the award-winning CAPSBOLD Creative Marketing Agency, whose team contributed their professional experience to the initiative.
The program’s main challenge, “Discover Cyprus: Branding a Destination,” focused on promoting Cyprus to an audience aged 18–25. Participants worked in 8 international teams, developing communication ideas by combining research data with strategic and creative thinking. Students from universities across Europe participated, including the Cyprus University of Technology, Riga Technical University, Università degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, AP Hogeschool Antwerpen, and CEU Cardenal Herrera University.
CAPSBOLD supported the program and actively contributed to its academic content. Oksana Baykova, Senior Brand Strategy Manager at CAPSBOLD, delivered a guest lecture for students, demonstrating how strategic thinking connects data, audience understanding, and creativity to build strong brands. She stated:
“Education becomes much more meaningful when students can connect theory with real market practice. Programs like this give students the opportunity to test their ideas on real challenges and understand how strategic thinking works beyond the classroom. It’s also particularly encouraging to see such initiatives taking place in Cyprus, bringing together international students and industry professionals.”
The program concluded with student project presentations evaluated by a committee that included members from the CAPSBOLD team, Denis Lukyanov, Product Marketing Lead, and Elizaveta Balakireva, SMM Lead. They noted:
“It was impressive to see how differently each team approached the challenge. In just one week, students developed a wide range of creative and strategic ideas for promoting Cyprus. What makes it even more remarkable is that most came from different countries with limited prior knowledge of Cyprus as a destination, yet they quickly researched the market and proposed meaningful and diverse solutions.”
Yioula Melanthiou, Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology and program organizer, emphasized the importance of industry involvement in academic initiatives: “Collaboration with industry partners like CAPSBOLD allows our students to see how strategic thinking and branding are applied in real professional environments. Their participation added a significant practical dimension to the program.”
Nina Petrova, Senior PR Manager at CAPSBOLD, also highlighted the importance of linking education with professional practice: The CAPSBOLD team was delighted to participate in this initiative. We work closely with many local brands and were pleased to share our experience and knowledge with students. We believe that opportunities for students to interact with industry professionals and learn through real experiences are extremely valuable. We hope this program will be a dynamic starting point for further collaborations with universities and educational initiatives.”
About CAPSBOLD
CAPSBOLD is an award-winning creative marketing agency based in Limassol, Cyprus, with offices in Yerevan, Armenia, and Belgrade, Serbia. The company offers comprehensive marketing services — including brand strategy, creative production, performance marketing, social media (SMM), public relations (PR), and AI-powered content — to clients across sports, technology, entertainment, real estate sectors, and others. CAPSBOLD has been recognized at the Web Excellence Awards, Symbol Creative Awards, and Cyprus Marketing Achievement Awards.
