Breaking news

Cyprus Sees Decline in Online Learning Participation, Eurostat Report Shows

According to the latest Eurostat data, Cyprus has experienced a notable decline in online learning participation, with the percentage of internet users engaging in online courses or using online learning tools falling in 2024. The drop comes at a time when the EU average saw an increase in online learning engagement.

In 2024, only 11% of internet users in Cyprus reported having participated in an online course or used online learning resources in the past three months. This marked a 5 percentage point decline compared to 2023, when 16% of users engaged with such educational tools. As a result, Cyprus ranked as the second-lowest in the EU for online learning participation, ahead of Romania, which recorded just 10%.

Across the EU, the trend was more positive, with 33% of internet users engaging in online learning activities, up from 30% in 2023. Among EU member states, the highest participation rates were seen in Ireland (61%), the Netherlands (59%), and Finland (53%).

When looking at specific types of online learning, 18% of EU internet users took an online course in 2024, with the highest levels of participation seen in Ireland (36%), Finland (32%), and Spain (32%). Additionally, 29% of users accessed online learning materials, particularly in the Netherlands (53%), Ireland (52%), and Finland (46%).

In Cyprus, about 10% of internet users took an online course, and another 10% used online learning materials, reflecting the broader trend of relatively low engagement compared to other EU nations.

Palantir Surges Amid Geopolitical Turmoil And Market Volatility

Market Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty

Shares of Palantir Technologies rose about 15% during the week following the U.S. attack on Iran, outperforming the broader technology market. Over the same period, the Nasdaq declined 1.2%, reflecting weaker performance among companies such as Apple, Google and Micron.

Government Ties And Strategic Defense Contracts

Investors have increasingly focused on companies with exposure to government spending amid geopolitical tensions and market volatility. Around 60% of Palantir’s revenue comes from U.S. government contracts. The company has expanded work with military and intelligence agencies, including projects linked to the Army’s Maven Smart System program. Analysts at Rosenblatt maintained a buy rating on the stock and raised their price target to $200 from $150, citing expectations of continued demand for defense-related data platforms.

Complexities In Artificial Intelligence Collaborations

Palantir’s collaboration with artificial intelligence company Anthropic has also drawn attention. The U.S. government recently designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, a decision later challenged by CEO Dario Amodei.

Despite that designation, cloud providers including Amazon, Microsoft and Google continue to support Anthropic’s AI products for commercial use. Palantir and Amazon Web Services have also worked on integrating Anthropic’s Claude models into certain defense and intelligence applications.

Sector Rebound And Industry Trends

The broader software sector recorded gains during the week. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF increased by about 8% as markets adjusted following earlier declines linked to concerns about the pace of artificial intelligence adoption. Companies including CrowdStrike, ServiceNow and AppLovin also posted weekly gains of more than 15%.

Looking Ahead

Analysts at Piper Sandler noted that Palantir’s model-agnostic approach could support the integration of multiple artificial intelligence systems over time. Continued demand from government and defense clients remains a key factor in the company’s growth outlook.

eCredo
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
Uol
Aretilaw firm

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter