Marina Neophytou, Dean of the School of Engineering, has become the first woman to hold the post of Rector at the University of Cyprus, after securing 214 votes in the fourth round of the 2026 Rectorial Elections on Wednesday. "The community has decided, it has spoken. We begin together for the next day," she said after the result, thanking everyone "for their trust", CNA reports.
Turnout and ballots
The results were announced shortly before 15:00 at the University of Cyprus Sports Centre by Savvas Christodoulou, Returning Officer for the 2026 Rectorial Elections. He said there were 486 electors, of whom 437 voted. There were 432 valid ballot papers and five invalid ones.
Results by round
In the first count, Ioannis Giapintzakis received 121 votes, Marina Neophytou 106, Eleni-Tatiani Synodinou 89, Sofronis Kliridis 68 and Fofi Constantinidou 44, with four blank ballots.
In the second count, Giapintzakis received 128 votes, Neophytou 118, Synodinou 95 and Kliridis 82, with five blank ballots.
In the third count, Giapintzakis received 145 votes, Neophytou 136 and Synodinou 133, with nine blank ballots.
In the fourth round, the Returning Officer said, Neophytou received 214 votes and Giapintzakis 183, resulting in her election as Rector.
Call to change the voting system
In her remarks, Ms Neophytou said the voting system should be changed to make it faster, more effective and more modern. She also thanked the election committee.
Visibly moved, she received congratulations from the outgoing Rector, Tasos Christofides, and other colleagues.
Vice-Rector elections
Voting began at around 15:15 for the posts of Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Vice-Rector for International Relations, Finance and Administration.
A single candidacy was submitted for Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Georgia Panayiotou, Professor in the Department of Psychology. The candidates for Vice-Rector for International Relations, Finance and Administrationare Antonis A. Ellinas, Professor in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, and Marios D. Dikaiakos, Professor in the Department of Computer Science.
Source: CNA
