3 Signs You Should Study Abroad in Cyprus

Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, has the cleanest waters in the Mediterranean, and is one of the world’s safest countries. It’s home to pristine beaches, outdoor activities galore, ancient myths, and delicious staples of the Mediterranean diet (hello halloumi cheese). It’s no wonder that students flock to regions along the Mediterranean sea to study abroad.

If you’re looking for a destination more off the beaten path, and steeped not just in the culture and history of southern Europe, but the Middle East as well, then study abroad in Cyprus is for you.

As a European country with Middle Eastern influences and home to universities with growing international student populations, Cyprus is both hyper-connected to high-traffic countries and a known getaway destination for tourists. The pace of life in Cyprus is documented as restorative, expansive, and rejuvenating.

The natural beauty of Cyprus folds and unfolds into its forests of Calbrian pine, loops around the Kyrenia Mountain Range freshened by Mediterranean Cypress trees, and makes its presence known in the unmistakable wild sweetness of blooming jasmine and the bright pop of wildflowers that wash over the island.

Truly, the benefits of studying in Cyprus go on and on. If you’re not convinced this is the right study abroad destination for you, let’s take a look at some of the top signs that you’re making the right choice.

3 signs you should study abroad in Cyprus

Site of the Edro III shipwreck near Pafos. Photo courtesy of Paphos_Cy on Instagram.

In Cyprus, it’s tradition to insist on the comfort of guests. The welcoming Cypriot spirit is informed by the Greek ethos of philoxenia meaning “a friend to strangers.” Cypriots wish for their island travelers to feel utterly at home. As a student studying abroad in Cyprus, you’ll quickly understand such a sentiment.

If you’re looking for a sign to study abroad on an island on the Mediterranean, then here are three that studying abroad in Cyprus is right for you.

1. You want to live that good, clean island life

We don’t need studies to know we feel good by the water. However, there are plenty of studies to prove and affirm as much.

According to marine biologist and ocean conservationist extraordinaire Wallace J. Nichols, “when we get near, in, on, or underwater, it moves us into this blue mind state, which turns out is a place that's very good for creativity and connection and collaboration. Being calm, being curious, and even being courageous, it's a place of contentment.”

Enjoy active weekends (like hikes on Aphrodite Trail) while studying abroad in Cyprus. Photo courtesy of AUB Mediterraneo professor Dr. Anthi Chrysanthou.

Furthermore, island life is FUN! See how many trails you can hike while you study abroad in Cyprus, bask in the turquoise waters of The Blue Lagoon, and bike through Akamas National Park.

Surf in Pafos, scuba dive in the underwater Amphorae Caves, swim at every beach to find your favorite spot, snorkel in Cape Greco to spot green sea turtles, and picnic under the Adonis Bath Waterfalls. (And for the days you don’t possess the same ambition, study abroad students like their mopeds, electric scooters, and bikes to get around town!)

One of the many ways Cyprus cares for its shores and its residents is through frequent and detailed beach clean-ups. Families, friends, local businesses, and universities, such as the American University of Beirut – Mediterreaneo, come out to pick up and properly discard litter washed ashore or left in the sand.

Beyond beach clean up, the organization Let’s Make Cyprus Green records and analyzes data on the trash they collect and present their findings to the public, local businesses and government officials. This collective work shapes decision-making that will generate long-term solutions and protect the life and livelihoods of all Cypriots and their interdependent ecosystems.

Snorkeling with a majestic green sea turtle in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo courtesy of Kalliopi Dive College.

This commitment and resolve to uplift life extends to our aquatic elders, the ancient green sea turtle. These creatures have been around for 110 million years, and many species are endangered due to climate change, loss of nesting habitat from coastal development, and getting caught in commercial and recreational fishing gear.

While there are far more causes of threat, the real empowerment here is the resolve of the many local Cypriot organizations dedicated to turtle protection and conservation. Organizations work with local fisheries to raise awareness and collaborate on solutions.

They restore habitats and protect nesting sites so baby turtles have a better chance at survival. They successfully include local communities, and thus, Cypriots feel a sense of responsibility and duty to protect what they love.

It’s a sign in and of itself that there’s so much dedication, and participation across the strata of the country. Inside this level of frequency and engagement lives the momentum necessary to counter the inertia of threats to the ocean and therefore human life. Otherwise, as author Mary Ann Evans asked, “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?”

2. You want a world-class education

A glimpse of the magnificent gradient of sunsets in Cyprus. Photo courtesy of AUB Mediterraneo student Shane Bernard.

As a brand-new twin campus of the American University of Beirut (AUB), AUB Mediterraneo opened its doors in Fall 2023 to a small but incredibly diverse cohort representing 12 countries with plans to increase its student population to 2,000 over the next decade. The campus was established to deepen AUB ties throughout the eastern Mediterranean region and facilitate easier access to an AUB education.

Degree-seeking AUB Mediterraneo students maintain their AUB connection through a period of residency at AUB in Beirut. This can be done in one of three ways: conduct a project on community-based learning in Beirut, complete an internship in Beirut, or spend one or two academic terms in Beirut.

As first in their intrepid class, current students have 158 years of a world-class AUB education guiding them as they set the tone for their environment. Their raison d'être is to generate connection, cultivate a sense of belonging, and have fun. They know that these conditions are required for a high quality of life. They create their own clubs and societies, partner with the city of Pafos to bring joint projects to life, and—this is key—they get out and enjoy Cypriot culture.

Students head to Limassol, home to a vibrant nightlife for partygoers and the historic Limassol Carnival; they learn how to make halloumi cheese, a staple of the Mediterranean diet; and while English is readily spoken, students make the effort to learn Greek, the local language of Southern Cyprus.

They look to those who have gone before them by tapping into AUB’s extensive alumni network, by soaking up the undivided attention they receive from compassionate and ambitious AUB Mediterraneo faculty and staff, and they take radical responsibility in considering the impact they want to have on future generations. This Gen Z cohort isn’t just thinking about the future, they are actively shaping it.

3. You want to wax philosophical

Ancient Kourion Archaeological Site, Cyprus. Photo courtesy of AUB Mediterraneo professor Dr. Anthi Chrysanthou.

To view a solar eclipse, we need special lenses. If we don’t use them, we miss the majesty of the eclipse, risk burning our retinas, and limit or destroy our vision altogether. Alternately, those of us with limited vision unrelated to eclipses require corrected vision via contact lenses or glasses.

Light passes through our retinas and our minds make sense (or not) of what’s before us through the known and unknown filters we have in place.  Higher learning is investigating those filters.

Canadian novelist Robertson Davies suggests “the eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” AUB Mediterraneo prepares students for such comprehension through its unique and multidisciplinary Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) degree.

Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, truth, and knowledge. The pursuit itself, and lack thereof, is expressed politically and economically worldwide. The PPE program casts light on how these three fields of study converge.

Protaras Beach, one of the cleanest in Cyprus. Photo courtesy of AUB Mediterraneo professor Dr. Anthi Chrysanthou.

For instance, students look at how businesses and countries generate income and examine the corresponding ethics and morals, or absence of. PPE considers the associated rights and justices within countries, who is and is not privy to said rights and justice, and question what is necessary for justice when political legitimacy has vanished.

What’s the exchange rate of a human life according to military and policy choices? Do the words and actions of companies align with their spending? What does solidarity look like in the face of grave injustice? In what ways can social power be a catalyst for a paradigm shift? Whose realities do markets reflect? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg in a PPE endeavor.

Thinking about existence and our relationship to reality prepares the mind to explore. A PPE degree illuminates our known and unknown filters so that we can make better sense of our world, and open our range of vision.

Explore ALL Study Abroad Programs in Cyprus on GoAbroad.com

Next steps to study abroad in Cyprus

Are you seeing the signs and reasons to study abroad in Cyprus? If you’re convinced that this is the right move for you and your education, get ready to take the next step!

• Choose what to study. Study abroad programs in Cyprus cover a large range of subjects and fields of study. Decide whether you want to pursue your academic schedule abroad, or if you want to dip your toes into something new!
• Decide when to go. Fall, spring, summer? There’s never a bad time to study abroad in Cyprus. Talk to your study abroad advisor and program coordinators to figure out what kind of timing makes the most sense for your academic career.
• Get matched with programs. GoAbroad’s Online Advisor can match you with study abroad programs based on your preferences. Peruse your matches, compare them side-by-side, and pick the one you like best. Then apply!
• Apply for scholarships. International education should be accessible to everybody. If you need financial assistance to make your travel dreams come true, take advantage of scholarships and grant opportunities.
• Get your visa and book your flight. Things are about to get real. Once you’re accepted to your program, it’s time to get the ball rolling on visas and flights! You’ll find plenty of visa assistance if you need it, as well as resources for connecting you with flight deals.

Don’t miss out on the benefits of studying in Cyprus!

Are you ready for your study abroad adventure? Photo courtesy of AUB Mediterraneo student Mireille Guirgis.

Students who study abroad transform their ability to consider what’s before them. To consider is to not neglect. Neglect isn't always intentional, yet therein lies the conundrum: it is not intentional.

Consideration is intentional. We can cultivate consideration with awareness. To study abroad is to be confronted with norms and values and ways of doing things that are different from what we know. Ideally, it becomes a mirror to reflect on all that goes unconsidered in our own culture.

The consideration of culture is the most valuable compass one could possess to navigate the world and problem-solve more fluidly. People make entire careers as corporate trainers teaching companies what to consider in culture, as it can make or break business deals. Consideration of culture is the difference between successful international student enrollment and programming or disastrous retention. Consideration of culture is not just that it’s the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.

At its core we are really talking about thoughtfulness and welcome born through curiosity and listening. Humans are hardwired to separate each other by way of “us and them.” Studying abroad anywhere, but especially in the island country of Cyprus, is an opportunity to deliver ourselves from the illusion of isolation and to do it in good, considerate company.

Take this as your sign within a sign that Cyprus already has its arm extended. It’s just waiting for you to show up and take its hand.

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This article was written with help from the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo. AUB Mediterraneo is based in Pafos, Cyprus,​ a twin campu​​s of the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Beirut, Lebanon. Students at AUB Mediterraneo will enjoy access to creative and critical thinking, leadership, civic responsibility, and more.