History of the University of Nicosia

The University of Nicosia has established itself as a dynamic and respected international institution of higher education in just 30 years, evolving from a college into the largest private university in Cyprus, with over 5,000 students.

The history of the University begins with the establishment of Intercollege in 1980 as a private institution preparing students for the examinations of recognized British professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Communication, Advertising and Marketing Foundation (CAM).

In 1981, Dr Nicos Peristianis, the present President of the Council of the University of Nicosia, was appointed Director and the College began expanding its programmes towards academic degrees. In its first decade of operation, Intercollege developed and modified courses of study in accordance with its growing constituencies, the needs of the Cypriot labour market, and its founding mission to provide quality higher education at a reasonable cost. Intercollege continued its steady development in the 1990s by awarding its own Diplomas, Bachelor degrees and Masters degrees on three campuses in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, becoming the largest college in Cyprus.

In September 2007, Intercollege gave rise to the University of Nicosia as one of the three first private universities approved by the Cyprus Government. In a nationwide survey in 2009, it was ranked as the best private educational institution in Cyprus, offering Bachelors degree programs in a wide range of fields including Human Biology, Nursing, Architecture, Law and Business, as well as postgraduate degree programs at the Masters and PhD levels.

2010 marks another milestone: the launch of the first medical programme in Cyprus, which will be offered by St George's, University of London in association with the University of Nicosia.