The University of Nicosia (UNIC) is one of the four private academic institutions—and the first from Cyprus—to secure a license to operate in Greece, as announced by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The University of Nicosia will open its doors in Athens in October. It will initially operate six schools: Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business Administration, Science and Engineering, Life and Health Sciences, and the Law School.
In the first phase, nine undergraduate programs will be offered under these six schools, with the necessary procedures underway to certify two postgraduate programs as well. Specifically, the undergraduate programs in Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, Computer Science, Data Science, Psychology, Business Administration, Accounting, and Marketing Management have been submitted to the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education for certification and offering at UNIC Athens in 2025. The two target postgraduate programs are the MBA and a PhD in Medical Sciences, with a goal of starting in 2026.
The language of instruction will be a combination of Greek and English.
When asked to comment on this development, the Chairman of the University of Nicosia Council, Nicos Kartakoullis, described it as a historic day for the evolution, progress, and development of the University of Nicosia. He expressed his gratitude to the people at the university and the institutions that supported this step. “A titanic effort was truly made to achieve this,” said Kartakoullis, expressing his satisfaction and excitement about the new chapter opening in the university’s history. He also emphasized that this development is not only positive for the academic institution but for Cyprus in general.
When asked about the university’s infrastructure in Greece and whether its schools and services would be centralized in one area or scattered, Kartakoullis replied that to serve the needs of the university—all of its programs—a renovated building with a total area of 12,500 square meters has been secured in the Elliniko area of Argyroupoli. “It is a jewel of a building,” said the Council Chairman, which has been LEED-certified, providing a framework for healthy, efficient, and green buildings.
The interest from prospective students is considered high, primarily from Greece.
The other universities that have secured their operating licenses in Greece are The Open University, Anatolia College of Thessaloniki, The University of York City in Thessaloniki, and The University of Keele, Greece in Athens.