Department Overview

The economic, political and social issues surrounding Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the broader region, the European Union and the international arena are in a state of constant flux. Their understanding requires tools to be found in the social and political sciences, looking at the national, regional and international levels, especially their intersections but also the dynamics therein. The research produced by the Department of Politics and Governance at the University of Nicosia aims to address the nature, causes and impact of socio-political and economic phenomena by focusing on specialised areas of academic inquiry, using a broad range of conceptual and methodological apparatuses, and adopting both disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches. The Department has a senior-level faculty pool and the leading International Relations research team in Cyprus, while it has also established an international reputation on EU and Eastern Mediterranean studies. Its full range of expertise and activities include also Conflict and Negotiation, Political Economy, History, Comparative Politics, Diplomacy and Security, Public Administration and Governance.

Research complements and co-exists with a culture of high quality education, which is offered to the students studying in the (BA, MA and PhD) programs offered by the Department, in the fields of International Relations, European Studies and Public Administration. Graduates can follow careers in international organisations, government, the private sector as well as the non-profit sector, and educational (including research) institutions. On offer at our Department are remarkable opportunities for degree-`seeking students looking to specialise in the region, for study abroad/exchange students aiming to enhance their skills and capabilities in a concentrated manner, and more generally for rigorous engagement with the broad spectrum of social and political sciences.

The Department is also linked to research centers and publications, which further enhance its culture as a vibrant locus for lectures, conferences, seminars, public debates and workshops. Our diachronic commitment is to consistently pursue academic dialogue within the broader community, involving students, academics, policy-makers, civil society and other educational institutions.