The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) has announced the establishment of a branch campus in Cyprus, a move that is poised to strengthen the enduring ties between Greece and Cyprus and elevate the Cypriot higher education landscape.
This development is particularly significant given the university's long-standing connection to the island, where it has educated hundreds of thousands of Cypriot students since its founding in 1837. Many of these graduates have returned to Cyprus to become key figures in the country's intellectual and economic development.
The new branch, with campuses in Nicosia and Larnaca, is seen as a major milestone for academic cooperation in the region. It aims to become a leading hub for education, scientific research, and innovation in Cyprus and broader Southeastern Europe.
A recent poll by ALCO confirms strong public support for the initiative, with 87% of Cypriots surveyed holding a very positive view. The poll also highlighted the public's high regard for NKUA's reputation and the quality of its degrees, with 85% recognizing its history and reputation and 76% acknowledging the prestige of its degrees.
The new branch will initially offer programs across four schools and eight departments. All programs have been certified in Greece and have completed the certification process with the relevant Cypriot authority (DIPAE).
The departments are well-established, with decades of successful operation at the main Athens campus, and many consistently rank highly in international evaluations. For example, NKUA's Medical School, which was founded in 1837, is ranked among the top 100 medical schools worldwide.
The initial departments and schools are:
School of Health Sciences (Nicosia): Department of Medicine and Department of Nursing.
School of Economics: Department of Economics (Nicosia), Department of Business and Organizational Management (Nicosia), and Department of Port and Maritime Management (Larnaca).
School of Philosophy: Department of Psychology (Larnaca) and an English-language undergraduate program in Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece (Nicosia).
School of Education Sciences (Nicosia): Department of Primary Education.
This historic initiative has received strong support from both Greek and Cypriot leaders. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides praised the move as a "significant institutional, political and developmental development" that will strengthen the "indissoluble ties" between the two nations.
Similarly, Greek Minister of Education Sofia Zacharaki described the establishment of the branch as a "historic moment for higher education", emphasizing that Greece and Cyprus are jointly writing a new chapter of academic excellence and cooperation.