The Senate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has made the strategic decision to establish a branch in Cyprus starting this year, marking the first and largest institution in the country to leverage existing legislation and provide Greek students, Cypriots, and international students from around the world the opportunity to obtain a recognized degree in Cyprus from the largest university in Southeast Europe, which holds top positions in global rankings. Notably, tuition fees will be very affordable, ranging from just €6,000 for all schools and reaching €20,000 only for the Medical School.
The application submitted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens to the Republic of Cyprus provides for the operation of 4 Schools and 8 Departments in the initial phase of the branch in two cities, Nicosia and Larnaca. The launch of the first three Departments is scheduled for October 2025 (Department of Economics, Department of Business Administration and Organizations, Medical School), while full operation of all branch Departments will begin in October 2026. The rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Gerasimos Siasos, explains to “PARAPOLITIKA” the entire planning and rationale behind this historic decision, which has academic, national, cultural and social characteristics, noting that “the tremendous prestige, credibility, reputation and acceptance of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, combined with the common language and geographical proximity, will benefit both states and naturally the entire Greek world.”
As he explains in his statement, “the unanimous decision of the Institution’s Senate was not simply the product of strategic planning, but also an expression of respect for the historical and cultural importance of Cyprus, as well as for the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood, friendship and mutual respect that have connected the Greek and Cypriot people for centuries.” Additionally, as he reminds us, “the University of Athens has unbreakable two-century ties with Cyprus in the field of Education, as tens of thousands of Cypriot students have studied in its halls, while the university has contributed to all Cypriot struggles and its course is intertwined with Cyprus’s history.”
4 schools and 8 departments
Specifically, the related application submitted includes the operation of 4 Schools and 8 Departments in the initial phase of the branch in two cities, Nicosia and Larnaca:
a) School of Health Sciences (Nicosia):
î Department of Medicine
î Department of Nursing
b) School of Economic Sciences:
î Department of Economics (Nicosia)
î Department of Business Administration and Organizations (Nicosia)
î Department of Port and Maritime Management (Larnaca)
c) School of Philosophy:
î Department of Psychology (Larnaca)
î English-language Undergraduate Program with subject “BA Program in the Archaeology, History and Literature of Ancient Greece” (BAAG) (Nicosia)
d) School of Education (Nicosia):
î Department of Primary Education
The branch headquarters was established in Nicosia, where six of the eight Departments will operate, utilizing a building provided by the Archbishop of Cyprus and the municipality. The Department of Psychology and the Department of Port and Maritime Management will be established in Larnaca. In December 2023, the Senate of the University of Athens unanimously decided to include the establishment of a university branch in Cyprus in its strategic plan.
This was the first decision by a Greek public university to implement the regulations of Law 4957/2022 and establish its branch, extending its academic presence to another country. Following the submission of the application file in early 2025, the evaluation process was smoothly carried out by the competent Quality Assurance and Certification Authority for Higher Education (DIPAE) of the Republic of Cyprus. Simultaneously, a team of distinguished professors and administrative executives was formed to participate in the certification process to ensure the integrity of related procedures, while dozens of Cyprus organizations (Archbishop of Cyprus, municipalities, scientific bodies, etc.) enthusiastically participated in supporting the request.
“With the approval decision for the branch operation, the University of Athens becomes the first public university to establish a branch outside the country, making the biggest internationalization leap as the first, most historic and most internationally recognized university in Greece, wanting to provide Cyprus with very high-level education and research and thus benefit Cypriot society and economy, the Cypriot citizen and Hellenism more broadly, while simultaneously strengthening national and historical ties with Cyprus,” emphasizes Ger. Siasos.
Before submitting the application to the Republic of Cyprus, a poll was conducted throughout free Cyprus to record the opinion of the island’s citizens regarding the branch establishment. As recorded in a Cyprus-wide poll conducted by Alco, Cypriot society views very positively the launch of the University of Athens branch operation. With universally positive opinion for creating a University of Athens branch in Cyprus, 87% of respondents position themselves positively and only 6% position themselves negatively. The particularly positive opinion is found in all demographic categories and in different regions of Cyprus. Additionally, 85% of respondents recognize the University of Athens for its history and reputation, 76% for high degree prestige, and 72% for study quality, characteristics that Cypriot citizens seek.
“Trust toward the Cypriot State and the Cypriot people is given and indisputable, and the successful establishment and operation of Greece’s first and largest public university constitutes an act of credibility in Cyprus’s Education and Health sectors,” notes Mr. Siasos and adds that “establishing a University of Athens branch in Cyprus will offer significant opportunities for educating Cypriot students in their own country and will function constructively at an academic level for existing established academic institutions in Cyprus (such as the public University of Cyprus) through possible joint study programs.”
Long tradition
It should be noted that the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the first and largest university in Southeast Europe, an internationally recognized Higher Education Institution with a long two-century tradition in research and teaching. At the same time, it has tremendous acceptance from Greek and Cypriot society and a decisive and leading role in society. Having five campuses, 1,700 professors, approximately 8,000 research, teaching and administrative staff, and more than 800,000 sq.m. of buildings, it is Greece’s oldest, largest, most important university, with top positions in global rankings. Very recently, the University of Athens rose to the world’s best universities, while simultaneously receiving the honorary distinction of being Europe’s most improved university.
Furthermore, the University of Athens has made internationalization leaps in recent years with agreements for joint educational programs with top universities such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Exeter, California and the Sorbonne. Additionally, the modern role of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in a forming global Tertiary Education is to develop further and play a decisive and leading role, focusing on Hellenism everywhere.
Support
As Mr. Siasos mentions, crucial was the support for the University of Athens branch from the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios, who from the first moment attributed high importance to establishing in Cyprus the university that for two centuries has been the first choice of Cypriot students. Also significant was the contribution of Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos, Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras, regional governors and all institutional bodies of the island.
Nikos Christodoulides: “Cyprus a regional academic center…”
With the formalization of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens branch operation in Cyprus, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, stated in his written declaration: “I welcome with particular satisfaction the certification of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) programs for branch operation in Cyprus. This development strengthens the government’s strategy for Education internationalization and makes Cyprus a regional academic center with significant benefits for society, economy and the country’s international image. Cooperation with international universities and research centers strengthens Cyprus’s position, expanding academic and research development possibilities. With the certification of NKUA operation, foundations are laid for establishing a new institutional framework that will facilitate the establishment of other international academic and research institutions in Cyprus,” concluded Mr. Christodoulides.
It is well known that the University of Athens has been educating thousands of Cypriot students for decades, who have distinguished themselves internationally and today staff all services and educational institutions. Distinguished National and Kapodistrian University of Athens graduates included the first President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, former President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, Archbishop of Cyprus Georgios, and many others. It is estimated that 25% of active doctors (out of approximately 7,500 total), according to the Cyprus Medical Registry serving in the Republic of Cyprus, are graduates of the University of Athens Medical School.
Archbishop of Cyprus Georgios: Great joy and gratitude
The Archbishop of the island, Georgios, also received the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens branch establishment in Cyprus with particular warmth. “I express my particular joy because after many hardships and unjustified delays in my opinion, the relevant permit was granted and the National Kapodistrian University of Athens comes with its branches to Cyprus. My joy comes not only from the fact that I am also a National and Kapodistrian University of Athens graduate, but mainly because in this way we declare our gratitude toward this university, which for many decades accepted Cypriot high school graduates without examinations in its various schools. This, especially during the colonial period, protected our national consciousness, preventing English plans for studies at English universities, which would have dulled our national self-awareness. We wish every progress to the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which is also our university,” he characteristically stated.
Published in Parapolitika newspaper
