Cyprus’ Education Minister, Athena Michaelidou, has issued a strong response to explosive claims by Paphos Mayor Faidonas Faidonos, who publicly alleged that academic institutions in Cyprus are selling degrees. Speaking to Politis, the minister urged the mayor, and anyone else with evidence of wrongdoing, to submit it directly to the police or to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA).
“Anyone who has evidence of illegal activity in the awarding of degrees must hand it over immediately to the competent authorities so the matter can be investigated and resolved,” Michaelidou said, stressing that public accusations without proof undermine both universities and the work of the accreditation body.
Accreditation Authority Pushes Back: “Proof, Not Assumptions”
CYQAA President Mary Koutselini echoed the minister’s stance, calling on Faidonos to stop making broad claims and to provide hard evidence. “Anyone can spin a story or create their own science fiction scenarios. But if there is real evidence, it must be submitted to us for investigation,” she said.
Koutselini revealed she will personally contact the mayor to assess his allegations, warning that such statements damage years of efforts to build Cyprus into a higher education hub. She also criticized his approach: “Instead of causing noise in public, he could have simply sent us a letter or made a phone call with the evidence, and we would investigate immediately.”
While she admitted that CYQAA is under-staffed, Koutselini rejected the notion that oversight is failing, saying regular checks are still carried out on universities.
Faidonos’ Allegations: Distance Learning, Work Permits, and Public Servants
Mayor Faidonos has repeatedly insisted that “degree-selling” is taking place, outlining three categories of abuse:
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Distance-learning programs where students register but never participate.
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Third-country nationals who enroll in institutions as a pathway to obtain work in Cyprus.
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Public servants allegedly purchasing degrees, mainly postgraduate qualifications, for promotion purposes.
The mayor further questioned how some universities in Cyprus maintain unusually high numbers of postgraduate students. He also claimed that after one of his recent interviews, rectors from two universities, the University of Cyprus and Frederick University, contacted him privately to express agreement with his concerns, though they have not publicly taken action.
University of Cyprus Rector: Higher Education Risks Becoming a “Bubble”
Responding to the controversy, University of Cyprus rector Tasos Christofides acknowledged that he has also heard similar claims but has never received concrete evidence to act upon. “Whoever has proof should report it,” he said.
Christofides also raised a broader concern: “Higher education in Cyprus risks becoming a bubble. It is questionable how 12 universities and dozens of colleges can survive in a country with a population of just one million, when international studies suggest at least one million people are needed to sustain a single viable university.”
