Cypriot universities dominate the number of degrees that are recognized Interdisciplinary Organization for Academic Recognition and Information (DOATAP)demonstrating the dynamics of the universities of Cyprus, as well as the loss of Greece.

“DOATAP deals with Cypriot diplomas for six months of the year”, a high-ranking official of the leadership of the Ministry of Education commented with humor to “K”. The vast majority of the titles of recent years from Cypriot universities are postgraduates and many of them are in the field of pedagogy. In fact, it is believed that Greeks choose Cypriot educational institutions for the degrees they will use for their quota for the Greek state.

The numbers are indicative. One of the two degrees that DOATAP achieves for recognition is from the University of Cyprus. In 2022, 9225 applications were submitted to the Greek organization, of which 4459 – 48.3% – were from Cyprus. The dynamics of the flow from Greece to Cypriot universities is also evidenced by the fact that the increase in the number of DOATAP degrees in 2022 compared to 2020 is due to Cypriot degrees. In 2020, 7061 applications were submitted, of which 3226 were from Cyprus. That is, in the period from 2020 to 2022, the number of applications increased by 2,164, of which more than half – 1,233 – came from Cypriot universities.

Higher education in Cyprus has made a big leap since 2005 and the adoption of a law on the possibility of creating non-state universities. “Now they represent a strong sector of the Cypriot economy”, This was reported to “K” by a representative of the Greek government.. According to the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus, 54,235 students studied in 10 (3 public, 7 private) Cypriot universities in 2020-2021, and in recent years their number has been constantly increasing. Of the 54,235 students, 23,812 were citizens of Cyprus (percentage 43.91%), 8,812 were citizens of third countries (percentage 16.25%) and 21,611 were citizens of European Union countries (39.85%). Of the 21,611 EU residents, the vast majority – 20,546 – were Greeks, who made up 37.9% of all university students on the island.

Consistently, most of the titles of Cypriot universities that achieve DOATAP are PhD students. In 2022, there were 3635 out of 4459 degrees (81%), with 807 undergraduates and 17 PhDs. The subjects of study chosen by the Greeks are law, engineering schools, pharmacy, psychology, biology, and now there is a demand for medicine. “Cyprus is dominated by private universities and is expected to be further strengthened by the UK’s exit from the European Union. Moreover, for the Greeks, the Cypriot university environment is clearly familiar, also because of the language.” “I have an image of a good organization. There are no dropouts on campus, teachers have high standards, attendance is mandatory, schedules are strictly enforced, which is very important for a working student.” Aristos Markakis reports to K. from Crete, who holds an M.Sc. from the Public Univ. Cyprus after studying economics and pedagogy at AUTH and the Univ. Aegean Sea. “Everything is in order in Cypriot universities. Here are images of the OUT premises, where you were afraid to spend the evenings. As for student factions, Cypriot students are politicized but respectful of space,” he adds. “Studying is different from Greek universities. Classes are small – about 60 people – there is good interaction between students and teachers, attendance is mandatory”, – says Maria Stamata “K”. from Greece, who, after studying at the Pedagogical University of Athens, studied undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Law of the Univ. Cyprus.

Private universities quickly organized study programs based on the needs of the labor market and demand from Greece. For example, they teach Greek law in jurisprudence, in addition to Cypriot law. In addition, many postgraduate special education programs were created when a strong demand was found in Greece. This was a period when many special education institutions were assigned to the Greek public schools.

However, the increase in the number of masters in Cyprus is of concern to the competent authorities of Greece. “We need well-trained civil servants, teachers, etc. But many seem to make masters only out of honor.” This was reported to “K” by representatives of ASEP..

They ask for an extension

Both the current and the previous government indicated that many Greek graduates are asking for extended deadlines for submitting supporting documents to ASEP so that they can complete their degree at universities at the end of the academic semester. . In addition, the submission of supporting documents must be done after graduation, and the completion time of academic semesters must be respected so that there is no distrust of the context of study.

Bulgaria is gaining strength

Bulgaria has seen a significant increase in the number of degrees submitted for recognition in DOATAP. In 2020 there were 353 degrees and in 2022 the number reached 768. Their subjects are mainly medicine. Bulgaria “pulls itself together”, remembering the 90s, when many Greeks studied in the Balkan countries, and membership in the European Union. Also, Dutch universities have been gaining strength in recent years thanks to the organization of English-language programs. The number of UK higher education institutions in 2022 was 1522 (stable compared to 1520 in 2020), with the UK losing ground due to Brexit, most likely due to Cyprus. Italy and France show slight growth.