2020 Cyprus Country Report

Cyprus has steadily
established itself as a
hub for quality higher
education (HE). Over the
last decade, the sector
has grown by more
than 80% in student
numbers, exceeding
47,000 students
during 2017-2018
Cyprus’ impressive handling of the pandemic
is also highlighted in the island’s forward planning.
As far as the upcoming academic year is
concerned, many institutions have already prepared
to offer teaching on campus and online for
students who may be unable to travel until the
situation becomes clearer.
CUTTING-EDGE CURRICULA
There is stiff competition for places at Cyprus’
public universities, which enjoy growing international
prestige and levy no charge on undergraduates
from EU countries and very competitive
fees for postgraduates. However, many Cypriots
continue to choose to study abroad, a trend that
has long ensured fresh ideas are successfully imported
back to Cyprus with returning local talent.
This international outlook has been increasingly
strengthened with the growing number of both
international students and faculty at universities.
The public universities, which mainly instruct
in Greek, have persuaded the government to allow
them to offer more courses in English to attract
more foreign students. Unlike the private universities,
which teach mostly in English, their aim is
not to generate revenue through tuition fees but to
ensure they become truly international.
Underlining the state’s commitment to lifelong
learning is the government-funded Open
University (OU), founded in 2002 and which now
has over 4,000 students. It has flexible, modular
learning programmes that provide career and
personal development opportunities for students
already in the workplace. The OU developed 37
programmes of study for the 2020-2021 academic
year. The official teaching language is Greek,
but currently offers five Master programmes in
English.
All of Cyprus’ universities design programmes
to meet current business trends and
future employment needs. Many of these focus
on the island’s status as one of the world’s leading
shipping centres and the discovery of significant
gas reserves in Cypriot waters.
UCY’s new Larnaca-based Faculty of Marine
Sciences and Technology began its first classes
in 2018, all in English, and according to Lloyd’s
Register, is set to provide the local and global
maritime industry with high-quality human
capital and research capabilities. In 2016, UNIC
launched the Cyprus Maritime Academy, which
collaborates with renowned shipping companies
and supports the local industry by providing
qualified crew. UNIC also offers the island’s first
BSc programme in energy, oil and gas management
and was the first university in the world to
accept Bitcoin for tuition payments and to offer a
master’s degree course in digital currency, available
in English both on campus and online.
Online higher education is a significant and
still relatively untapped opportunity for Cyprus,
with the potential value of the global market estimated
anywhere between €1 billion to €4 billion,
for which Cyprus will be competing against anglophone
countries such as Australia, Singapore,
and Ireland.
The European University of Cyprus (EUC), a
private institution also in Nicosia, offers a master’s
degree in civil and environmental engineering,
a course which incorporates the impact on
construction of climate change and earthquake
risk.
Frederick University, based in Nicosia and
Limassol, is also attempting to maximise the
potential of Cyprus’ natural geographical advantages.
Its existing course in maritime studies
now offers a new combined MA/LLM master’s
degree in maritime law and shipping business.
Meanwhile, the University of Central Lancashire
Cyprus (UCLan Cyprus) offers a degree in cyber
security.
A key aspect of the rapid development and
recognition of Cyprus universities has been the
strategic partnerships they have forged with
top institutions around the world. For example,
UCY’s successful collaboration with London’s
Imperial College – ranked one of the 10 best universities
in the world – is set to be expanded this
year with a new MSc programme that began in
September 2019 to teach highly innovative and
intelligent systems from emerging ICT to tackle
challenges in monitoring, control and security in
critical infrastructure systems. The collaboration
of the two institutions in several research projects
has already produced more than 900 joint publications
over the last five years.
Sector Profile
Country Report CYPRUS 2020 77