Cyprus and the University of Athens: Strengthening Two Centuries of Ties

*By Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the University of Athens. ‘The University of Athens’ newspaper, issue 5, distributed with the Greek Sunday newspaper ‘To Vima tis Kyriakis’ on 23 November 2025

Since its foundation in 1837, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has served, in the words of its first Rector, Konstantinos Schinas, as ‘the amphictyonic bond that unites Greek scholars—and all Greeks who revere knowledge—throughout the world’.

The ties between the University of Athens and Cyprus run deep, forged above all through the education of hundreds of thousands of Cypriot students in its lecture halls over two centuries. Many of these graduates—men and women alike—returned to the island to play a pivotal role in shaping its intellectual and economic landscape. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that some of modern Cyprus’ most influential figures have walked the halls of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Throughout the struggles of Cypriot Hellenism, the University of Athens has consistently stood as a steadfast and multifaceted ally. A striking example of this commitment was the 1974 resolution by the Senate, addressed to Universities worldwide, boldly affirming the Institution’s unwavering support for Cyprus and its people.
In response, Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus, himself a graduate of the University of Athens, sent a heartfelt letter to the Institution, expressing profound gratitude for a partner that ‘significantly strengthens the struggle of the Cypriots and enriches their just cause with invaluable moral capital’. In a further gesture of appreciation, Glafcos Clerides, the then acting President of the Republic of Cyprus, sent a letter to the Rector of the University of Athens, Athanasios Chastoupis, warmly acknowledging the Senate’s decision. He wrote: ‘We are confident that the courageous voice of Greece’s higher education institution will move and rally the liberal world in support of Cypriot Hellenism’.

Today, the University of Athens is taking the most significant step in its internationalization by establishing a Branch in Cyprus, encompassing four Schools and eight Departments across the cities of Nicosia and Larnaca. This bold initiative adds a new chapter to the University’s long history, making it the first—and still the only—Greek higher education institution to operate a branch beyond Greece, with Cyprus chosen as the site for this landmark venture.

Classes at the Medical School of the Cyprus Branch began on Monday, 3 November 2025, with seven additional Departments set to welcome their first students in 2026: in Nicosia, the Departments of Nursing, Economics, Business Administration, Paedagogy & Primary Education, and the English-taught Programme in Classics; and in Larnaca, the Departments of Psychology and Ports Management & Shipping.

The University’s next strategic goals include attracting students from other continents, expanding undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, fostering cutting-edge innovation, and strengthening educational and research ties with Cyprus’ leading higher education institutions. This type of collaboration between Greece and Cyprus is poised to serve as a lasting engine of growth and development for both countries.

Universities drive knowledge. They are pillars of progress and agents of change, shaping the future of our society. It is within Universities that tomorrow is born. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens leads the way in the internationalization of higher education, standing as a beacon for the future of academia.

Κύπρος και Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών: Δεσμοί δύο αιώνων