The Department of Higher and Tertiary Education (DHTE) is the competent authority within the Ministry of Education and Culture responsible for Higher Education (HE) regarding all sectors and issues linked to HE. The Department aims at the creation of the appropriate conditions for the provision of higher education and training in academic and professional programmes of studies to the larger possible number of people.
Legislation on Tertiary Education
The absence of legislation on tertiary education created a number of problems and it affected this level of education adversely. For this reason, the enactment of relevant legislation was considered an urgent and imperative necessity. Among the first priorities was the establishment of an ad hoc committee to prepare a draft Law that would govern the establishment and operation of public and private tertiary education institutions. The Bill was formulated according to the fundamental right of providing education and its provisions were determined in accordance with article 20 of the Constitution which notes that every Cypriot citizen has the right to be educated and to provide education, provided that the appropriate quality of education is ensured.
Bearing in mind the principle that the already existing institutions in the field of tertiary education could not be ignored, reasonable, fair, and practical solutions were sought to solve the existing problems. Under the provisions of the Bill, the private initiative in the field of tertiary education was not to be impeded, but the protection of the students’ interests and of the good reputation of Cyprus were also safeguarded.
The basic provisions of the Bill were:
(a) The establishment of an Advisory Tertiary Education Committee (SETE) which is a consultative body to the Minister, with a wide composition of all the social partners. Thus the public and the private sector as well as the employers’, the students’ and the trade union organisations are represented in the Committee.
(b) Issues regarding the establishment and operation of public tertiary education institutions and the operation of the State University will be regulated under special legislation.
(c) The regulation of issues related to the establishment, operation and educational evaluation - accreditation of private tertiary education institutions, and (d) The regulation of issues which arise from the need for compliance of the already existing tertiary education institutions with the provisions of the Bill.
Establishment of the University of Cyprus
The Government’s objective at this point was the establishment of a University of high standards that would respond to the needs and the uniqueness of the character of Cyprus as a whole. The country needed quality tertiary education that would be provided to the Cypriot citizens by the state itself and in line with the economic development of the country.
Student Register – Student Card
Another priority for the academic year 1984 - 1985 was the computerisation of the Student Register. This goal was attained and created new information and data for the competent authorities.
The issuing of a student identity card, by which students can easily prove their identity as students when they are in Cyprus, was an old demand of student organisations. The fulfilment of this goal was also regarded as a priority matter. Thus, a limited number of identity cards were issued to students who were registered in the Student’s Register for the academic year 1983 - 1984.
Entrance Examinations - Scholarships
The positions which are allocated to Cypriots for studies in the higher and tertiary education institutions of Greece are distributed among the candidates on the basis of the results of the competitive Entrance Examinations which are held every year by the Department of Higher and Tertiary Education.
Scholarships are awarded by the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (IKY) on the basis of the results of these examinations. Based on the same examination results candidates were admitted to the Pedagogical Academy of Cyprus to be trained as teachers of Elementary Schools. Through the years Entrance Examinations procedures were considered by the interested candidates as being objective and impeccable in every respect.
Student Affairs Service
The Student Affairs Service was responsible for the students’ archive, the evaluation of programmes of study and the issuing of certificates for the purpose of exporting foreign exchange currency by students. In addition, it was responsible on issues regarding the programme of subsidization of Cypriot students in Greece as well as the scholarships programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece. It provided information to state services and semi-governmental organizations as regards to studies and titles of study obtained abroad. Finally, it had the responsibility for the issuing of student identity cards.
Main goals and challenges of Higher Education in Cyprus
Enhance quality assurance in HE through keeping up with the Bologna Process
Active involvement in Bologna Process and its implementation in Cyprus Education
Develop Cyprus into a regional centre for education and research
Increase the number of people attending HE in Cyprus
Increase the number of students attending programmes related to science, technology and communication
Promote the knowledge triangle (education, research and innovation) and excellence in research, technology and innovation in Higher Education
Make Cyprus’ HE more attractive and accessible to international students
Enhance the governance and funding of the HE Institutions
Promote mobility of students and staff
Cyprus’ accession to the European Union (EU) has brought forward new challenges for the Department of Higher and Tertiary Education which has taken significant steps towards the establishment of Cyprus as a regional educational and research center and has also implemented a series of measures regarding the alignment of the Cypriot educational policy and vision with that of the European Union. The Lisbon Strategy, which has been adopted by the European Union, aspires to turn the EU into the most competitive knowledge-based economy with more work positions and social cohesion.
EU 2020 benchmark as far as early leavers from education and training is 10% . Regarding higher education attainment the respective benchmark is 40%. Cyprus early school leavers for 2008 is 13,7% while for higher education attainment is 47,1%. The effort for Cyprus, is therefore, to lower the percentage for early leavers to 10% and keep the current percentage regarding higher education attainment. Education and especially Higher and Tertiary Education will become a catalyst toward the achievement of this goal.
Cyprus has joined several organizations and committees in an effort to comply with the development of the necessary paneuropean platform of “Quality & Assurance” of European Higher Education. In addition Cyprus has reinforced the motives in increasing the number of people involved in “Research”. Cyprus is classified as one of the countries with the least contribution in “Research” but it is one of the few countries with the most rapid increase in expenditures in this sector.
The number of students in Cyprus is increasing rapidly over the last ten years. The following graph shows the number of Cypriot and foreign students in Cyprus from 1990/91 until 2008/09. The graph illustrates also the number of Cypriot students studying abroad. It is obvious from the graph that the rate of students increase is very rapid.
Graph 1: Cypriot and foreign students in Cyprus and Cypriot students studying abroad
Higher and Tertiary Education is provided through a wide range of means and methods in public or in private institutions, through full-time, part-time, distance and other forms of attendance.
Research Public universities aspire to become centers of excellence in research, which is at the centre of their academic activities. The universities have adopted a dynamic and proactive strategy on research, aiming to reach out to all stakeholders and to work with them in developing ideas for academic and applied research, for the betterment of the community, country and wider region. Aiming at the advancement of scientific knowledge and at facilitating the study and solution to real life problems, a wide collaboration network is established, between research centers and universities in Cyprus and abroad.
Research is one of the main activities of the academic staff at the three public universities in Cyprus. Postgraduate students as well as Postgraduate Assistants are also important contributors to research conducted at the universities. Research Programmes are funded either from the budget of the universities or by various organizations in Cyprus and abroad, and especially, by research funding programmes of the EU. Collaborations, through inter-state or inter-university agreements, with universities and research centers abroad, are promoted in order to enhance scientific research, cooperation and exchange of information. Research is also partly funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (CRPF), which allocates public funds on a competitive basis.
Web Services - Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture
The Department of Higher and Tertiary Education (DHTE) is the competent authority within the Ministry of Education and Culture responsible for Higher Education (HE) regarding all sectors and issues linked to HE. The Department aims at the creation of the appropriate conditions for the provision of higher education and training in academic and professional programmes of studies to the larger possible number of people. 