President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, Addresses Event Marking the Founding and Operation of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Cyprus Branch

‘The founding and operation of a Cyprus Branch of the University of Athens—an institution whose academic and social tradition stretches back to 1837—marks the beginning of an important new chapter, further strengthening the brotherly ties between Greece and Cyprus. These are bonds forged in shared struggles, values, and aspirations. Generations of Cypriots—myself among them—encountered the light of knowledge within this intellectual nursery. The University has long been more than a place of study: it has been, and remains, a beacon of learning and a cradle of culture, steadfast in its moral and practical support for the struggles of the Hellenism of Cyprus. I feel a deep sense of pride that many of my compatriots, whether as students or scholars, secured a distinguished place in the history of this University, their names indelibly inscribed in our collective memory. The establishment of the Cyprus Branch of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the natural continuation of a long historical journey’, said, among other things, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in his address at the event marking the founding and operation of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Cyprus Branch.

He added: ‘The creation of the Branch constitutes an important milestone in our broader effort to further internationalise and upgrade higher education in Cyprus. It reinforces our strategic objective of transforming our country into a regional hub for knowledge, research, and innovation, with tangible, multi-layered benefits for society, the economy, and the international standing of the Republic of Cyprus’.

The full address by the President is below:

‘Before turning to any other matter, I wish to express my profound sorrow at the passing of Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler—a distinguished Greek scholar and a citizen of the world—who devoted her life to letters, to the discipline of history and, above all, to the pursuit of truth. From the podium of the University of Athens, where she herself once studied, I convey, on behalf of the Cyprus Government and the Cypriot people, our heartfelt condolences.

It is with genuine pleasure and pride that I take part in today’s event, as we formally mark here in Athens the recent establishment and operation of the Cyprus Branch of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Beyond the sense of joy and pride, I feel a particular honour and emotion in representing, at this dignified ceremony hosted by the oldest higher education institution of modern Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and its people.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The creation and operation of a Cyprus Branch of the University of Athens—an institution whose academic and social tradition stretches back to 1837—marks the beginning of an important new chapter, further strengthening the brotherly ties between Greece and Cyprus. These are bonds forged in shared struggles, values, and aspirations.

Generations of Cypriots—myself among them—encountered the light of knowledge within this intellectual nursery. The University has long been more than a place of study: it has been, and remains, a beacon of learning and a cradle of culture, steadfast in its moral and practical support for the struggles of the Hellenism of Cyprus.

I feel a deep sense of pride that many of my compatriots, whether as students or scholars, secured a distinguished place in the history of this University, their names indelibly inscribed in our collective memory. I recall, first, Konstantinos Koilaniotis, Michail Stivaros, and Petros Hadjiargyrou—three students of the University of Athens who fell fighting for Greece’s freedom during the Balkan Wars.

We also remember the medical students Loukis Liasidis and Varnavas Serifis from Famagusta, who lost their lives in the Greco-Italian War.

Dozens of eminent Cypriots were graduates of this University: among them the later Mayor of Limassol, Christodoulos Sozos, who fell at the Battle of Bizani during the liberation of Ioannina; his fellow student, the ardent political figure and fighter Nikolaos Cleanthous Lanitis; the pioneering journalist and publisher Giorgos Frangoudis; and many others whose degrees bore the signature of the great poet Kostis Palamas, who served for many years as Secretary of the University.

Of the dozens of Cypriots who taught at the University of Athens, allow me to mention in particular the constitutional scholar Nikolaos-Ioannis Saripolos, a founder of public law in Greece and Dean of the School of Law; his son, also a constitutional scholar, Nikolaos Saripolos; and Simos Menardos, Dean of the School of Philosophy and later Rector of the University.

I must also acknowledge those scholars whose work advanced Cypriot studies—Georgios Vizyinos, Philios Zannetos, Michail Volonakis, Konstantinos Amantos, and Ioannis Sykoutris.

These men, together with many others, form the living thread that binds Cyprus to the University of Athens. They are the custodians of a brotherly relationship centuries in the making—a relationship that does not rest solely on history but serves as a foundation for building a future that is sustainable, pragmatic, and resilient.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The material and intellectual support offered by the University of Athens and its people—and indeed by all our Greek brothers and sisters—to the people of Cyprus has been of immense significance.

At every turning point in our modern history, most notably during the defining struggle of Cypriot Hellenism, the historic liberation struggle of EOKA (1955-1959), which led to Cyprus’ independence, and again following the devastation caused by the brutal Turkish invasion of 1974, our Greek brothers and sisters stood by us. For that solidarity, our gratitude is enduring.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The establishment of the Cyprus Branch of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the natural continuation of a long historical journey.

This was by no means an easy undertaking. It has been made possible by the dedication of those who believed in this vision—first and foremost the Rector, our esteemed Professor Gerasimos Siasos, whom I wish once again publicly to congratulate and thank.

At the same time, the creation of the Branch constitutes an important milestone in our broader effort to further internationalise and upgrade higher education in Cyprus. It reinforces our strategic objective of transforming our country into a regional hub for knowledge, research, and innovation, with tangible, multi-layered benefits for society, the economy, and the international standing of the Republic of Cyprus.

The presence of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Nicosia meaningfully enriches Cyprus’s academic landscape, encourages synergies and partnerships, and expands opportunities for academic and research development.

It also lays the groundwork for a new institutional framework that will facilitate and encourage the establishment in Cyprus of branches of other internationally recognised academic and research institutions—to the benefit of the scientific community, our society, and our economy.

As a Government, we are investing in the strengthening of our country’s academic and research ecosystem, creating the necessary conditions for a dynamic scholarly community to flourish. In this context, we actively support every initiative that enhances higher education and broadens international cooperation with universities and research centres, with the clear ambition that Cyprus should emerge as a recognised hub of excellence and innovation on the global academic map.

Our policy over recent years makes it plain that higher education is viewed as a core pillar of development. We are working, among other priorities, to align higher education more closely with contemporary social, economic, and technological realities. Technological transformation—particularly artificial intelligence—geoeconomic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic change, and the green transition, whether individually or in combination, are among the principal forces expected to shape and transform our future in the years ahead.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We find ourselves at a particularly auspicious historical moment. Thirty-six years after the establishment of the University of Cyprus—the country’s first public university, which undeniably broadened the horizons of higher education in Cyprus—we have now inaugurated the Cyprus Branch of the University of Athens. At the same time, Cypriot universities themselves are expanding into Greece and other European countries, demonstrating the prospects opening up in the field of education in a constantly changing pan-European and internationalised environment.

All of this attests to the dynamism unfolding within the field of education, a dynamism that also serves as a magnet for further high-quality investment in both Cyprus and Greece.

It allows us to look to the future with confidence and optimism, drawing strength from the synergies we are cultivating through an outward-looking strategy grounded in realism and stability. Cyprus and Greece—Greece and Cyprus—move forward together along a path of predictability and progress.

The high-level work produced by our universities must find practical application, contributing to the development of our countries and to addressing the growing challenges we face internationally, always with the aim of improving the everyday lives of our citizens.

With these thoughts, I warmly welcome this initiative and take particular pride in representing the Republic of Cyprus and the Cypriot people at this dignified ceremony marking the establishment and operation of the Cyprus Branch of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. I am fully confident that it will enjoy a distinguished future, worthy of its rich legacy and the weight of its history’.