The University of Nicosia, abbreviated as UNI, is the oldest university in Cyprus. Established in 1881, it is located on the southern part of the island and provides education to students from 42 countries. Additionally, the university also serves as a centre for research and development.
Originally named the College of Nicosia, the University of Nicosia was established in 1881 by a decree of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. The college initially had 17 professors and 101 students; by 1920, the number of students reached 1,500. In 1938, the college underwent a major reformation, becoming independent from the British government and changing its name to University of Cyprus. At this time, it also changed its statutes to allow women to study at university level for the first time.
The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in science, engineering and arts. It also confers degrees in law and business administration and has an institute for post-graduate studies. The university also has a department for distance learning and training through correspondence. Its library system comprises more than 200,000 volumes drawn from its own collections and accessions as well as international donations.
The university is based in three urban areas: Lefkohori, Kyprianou Street and Akamas Avenue— all located on the south coast of Cyprus. Its main buildings occupy nearly one square kilometer of land on these streets and avenues. These main buildings include eight residential halls for male and female students living on campus. In addition to these halls, there are also three hostels for male students— each accommodating 138 male students on campus at any given time. There are two female hostels as well as an administrative building with faculty offices and a library. There is also a canteen with a variety of food options available throughout the day for students’ meals.
Many Canadian university students learn about the opportunities provided by universities overseas through programs sponsored by their respective provinces or colleges. For example, University of Nicos from Canada has a long history of involvement with the education of Canadians in other countries. During World George VI commissioned the university’s first chancellor in 1931; Sir Alexander Cunynghame was this man’s name. Another memorable fact about this university is that Nicosia is its name— not just one city but all of Cyprus’s capital city is called Nicosia.
There are many benefits associated with having a world-class university such as attracting top-quality researchers, boosting innovation and creating talented citizens to take part in society’s development process. As such, people around the world seek opportunities to attend top educational institutions such as those found at the University of Cyprus in Cyprus.
1
