‘Greece and Cyprus form one homeland—the place where the heart of Hellenism beats. Warm congratulations are therefore due to Rector Professor Siasos and to the University’s leadership for the courage, foresight, determination, and effectiveness with which they have brought this undertaking to fruition. It is an initiative that both symbolises and strengthens the unity of Hellenism. The Cyprus Branch is now called upon to become a point of reference for progress, innovation, and international academic collaboration at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean. If we are to preserve and deepen the ties between Greece and Cyprus—ties stretching back through the centuries—we shall do so only by opening new paths for the generations to come’, said, among other things, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Constantine An. Tasoulas, in his address at the event marking the founding and operation of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Cyprus Branch.
The full address by the President is below:
‘In 1805, a young boy from Cyprus left his Ottoman-ruled homeland and travelled to Corfu. He presented himself before the Inspector of Schools and asked for help in acquiring a Greek education.
Having met the boy, the Inspector wrote to the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands requesting 63 thalers for his upkeep, noting that one day he might return to Cyprus as a teacher of the Greek language. Once the funds had been secured, the Inspector entrusted him to the Headmaster of the Corfu Public School, a precursor to the Ionian Academy.
The Inspector was none other than Ioannis Kapodistrias. This story was first recounted in 1987, during an event marking the 150th anniversary of the University of Athens, by the then Rector and now Member of the Academy of Athens, Michalis Stathopoulos.
It is a moving episode, one that captures the enduring bond between Greece and Cyprus. We are united by a shared struggle for freedom—and freedom, ladies and gentlemen, if it is to be meaningful, depends upon education.
The tireless effort to preserve and uphold Hellenism has been the deeper spiritual force shaping relations between Greece and Cyprus long before the establishment of the modern Greek state. Many Cypriots had been initiated into the Filiki Eteria (the Society of Friends), affirming that Cyprus took an active part in the national call to liberty. Through harsh trials and successive violations of its rights, Cyprus preserved its Hellenic identity without ever severing its ties with Greece.
From its inception, the University of Athens carried a distinct vision: national fulfilment and the close alignment of scholarship with the ideals of the nation. Its first Rector, Konstantinos Schinas, described it as an “amphictyonic bond that unites all Greeks who revere knowledge, throughout the world”, a spiritual link transcending the narrow frontiers of the state.
Cyprus became closely associated with the University of Athens, particularly after the Crimean War, when increasing numbers of Cypriot students filled its lecture halls. Thousands later returned to the island, bringing with them the values of classical Greek education and contributing decisively to its intellectual and economic development.
Others, whether of Cypriot origin or having served in Cyprus as teachers and headmasters, later distinguished themselves as members of the University’s academic staff: Nikolaos Saripolos, Simos Menardos, Michalis Volonakis, Ioannis Sykoutris, and many more.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Greece and Cyprus form one homeland—the place where the heart of Hellenism beats. Warm congratulations are therefore due to Rector Professor Siasos and to the University’s leadership for the courage, foresight, determination, and effectiveness with which they have brought this undertaking to fruition. It is an initiative that both symbolises and strengthens the unity of Hellenism.
The Cyprus Branch is now called upon to become a point of reference for progress, innovation, and international academic collaboration at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean.
If we are to preserve and deepen the ties between Greece and Cyprus—ties stretching back through the centuries—we shall do so only by opening new paths for the generations to come’.
