A Historic Moment for Greek–Cypriot Relations in Higher Education

A historic milestone in Greek–Cypriot relations in higher education will be marked by the inauguration of Cypriot Studies at the Law Faculty of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The ceremony will be attended by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, who will officially open the new academic initiative on Sunday, 26 October 2025, at 17:00. It should be noted that this is the first programme of Cypriot Studies to be established within a Greek higher educational institution.

The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus, Mrs. Athena Michaelidou, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Vassilis Palmas, the Government Spokesman, Mr. Constantinos Letibiotis, the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President, Mr. Doros Venezis, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens, Mr. Stavros Avgoustidis, and the Consul General in Thessaloniki, Mr. Constantinos Polykarpou.

The Greek Government will be represented by the Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Nikos Papaioannou, who, as former Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, played a key role in the creation of the programme. Mr. Papaioannou told Proto Thema:

“The Aristotle University, in the context of extroversion and internationalisation, is moving forward with the establishment of Cypriot Studies—an effort that began in previous years and is now being completed. It is an academic process closely linked to the history and culture of our Cypriot brothers and sisters. This initiative once again demonstrates how close we are to Cyprus. Congratulations to all those who contributed to its completion.”

Cypriot Studies is fully funded by the Republic of Cyprus, following two decisions of the Council of Ministers (4 November 2021 and 18 December 2024). It was formally established on 23 February 2022 by a decision of the Senate of the Aristotle University, and a Memorandum of Cooperation between the University and the Government of Cyprus was signed on 24 June 2025 by the current Rector, Professor Kyriakos Anastasiades, and the Minister of Education of Cyprus, Dr. Athena Michaelidou.

The Law Faculty is responsible for the operation and coordination of Cypriot Studies. On 10 October 2025, the Faculty Assembly elected Dr. Harris Alexandrou to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum and guide the programme’s academic development.

According to the Memorandum, the programme focuses on the study of the Cyprus Issue and the ongoing consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation, the promotion of the Greek Cypriot dialect and literature, and the research and dissemination of Cypriot history, culture, and society. It will also encourage cooperation with universities in Cyprus and with diplomatic missions of the Republic of Cyprus.

As part of this initiative, the Faculty of Law has introduced two new courses — “Cyprus History” and “The Cyprus Issue” — which will be open to all students of Aristotle University starting next semester.