Cyprus

The Republic of Cyprus is a small island-country in the Mediterranean, with a population of around a million. The higher education system, which is governed by the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, is aligned with the direction provided by the European Higher Education and the Bologna Process. The Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA) is the local authority that is responsible for monitoring the quality of the education provided by all higher education institutions in Cyprus. There are three public universities in Cyprus and five private ones, and all of them grant PhD degrees. The structure and implementation of the doctoral studies programs may vary across institutions, with the three publicly funded universities being more closely aligned than the PhD degrees offered by private universities. This document is focused on the PhD processes characteristic of the public university programs in Cyprus.

PhD positions are publicly announced twice a year, and students can begin their studies in the fall or spring semester; those selected should have already successfully completed, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in a related field, and preferably a master’s degree. Studies are usually face-to-face for the two of the public universities in Cyprus (and not the Open University that focuses on distance learning), even though a combination of methods are used to meet and support students.

Completing a PhD in Cyprus takes about four to five years, with a minimum residency of three years, while the upper limit of the duration of studies is eight years. In this time period the candidates usually have to attend a number of courses, pass a comprehensive qualifying exam, present a research proposal, and design, implement and report their research through their thesis. All these stages usually run under the auspices of the graduate school of the university, which in the end is responsible for granting the PhD degree. (However, not all universities have organized Graduate Schools.)

The PhD thesis is the culmination of the higher education preparation for intellectual work. The thesis can follow a variety of models, which should represent the innovative and original work of the candidate: it can either be a monograph or it can take the form of

The first graduation ceremony and the first oath ceremony of the University of Cyprus Medical School.

“Most of the theses are written in Greek, but they can also be written in English.”

a series of journal-style papers, which have been, or will be, submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Most of the theses are written in Greek, but they can also be written in English.

As part of their PhD graduation requirements, PhD candidates often undertake teaching responsibilities, which may be part of their formal requirements for graduation. Many are also employed as research assistants in funded research projects during their PhD studies.

The thesis is supervised by a faculty member (who can belong to any of the four tenure-track positions, from lecturer to full professor) from the PhD student’s department. This faculty member acts as a mentor and a supervisor throughout the PhD studies of the candidate, along with two other members of the department, or one member of the department and one member from another department of the same university, who evaluate the candidate’s proposal and advise the candidate as part of the supervising committee, up until the completion of the thesis.

The gowns used by University of Cyprus graduates were inspired by the Byzantine years.

When the PhD thesis reaches maturity, as assessed by the supervisor and the supervising committee, the aforementioned three-member committee has to formally approve the work. This is usually done after a four- to five-year intensive supervision period, with many revisions. Once the thesis is approved by the three-member supervising committee, an examination committee is formed. At UCY this committee consists of five members, whereas at CUT it currently consists of three members. External members of this examination committee should be at the rank of full professor and should have prior experience in supervising PhD students. The members of the committee receive the thesis and have four to six weeks to give written feedback and decide whether the thesis is “defendable.” Right after the thesis is deemed defendable, a date is set for the final defense.

During the defense, the candidate has 45 minutes to publicly present his/her work, followed by questions from the examination committee and, if time permits, the attending public. The process is strictly academic, with no particular rituals attached to it. After all questions are answered, the examination committee decides whether the thesis is accepted as is or whether further revisions need to be made. The committee may also invite the candidate for further questions during their deliberations. In the case of revisions, the candidate needs to make the necessary

The Cyprus University of Technology PhD gowns have been designed to emphasize intellectual victory, perseverance and reward, using ancient Greek symbols such as the olive branch.

changes and receive approval from the examination committee that the revisions made were sufficient in order for the process to move forward.

After the thesis is approved, it is printed, and along with the necessary paperwork it is forwarded through the Graduate School to the Senate of the university for the final approval. The diploma is received at a ceremony organized for all graduate students. This ceremony is formal.

Both academics and graduates wear gowns, which were inspired based on the history of Cyprus. For example, the gowns used by University of Cyprus graduates were inspired by the Byzantine years (see pictures on page 37 ), whereas the gowns of the Cyprus University of Technology were inspired by the ancient Greek times, with olive branch patterns at the center, which signify the concepts of victory and reward, symbolic of the effort, rigor, and perseverance of the PhD candidate (see pictures on page 38).

SOURCES

Picture on page 36. Retrieved from: https://twitter.com/UCYMedical/ status/1149287389694713857/photo/4

Top picture on page 37. Retrieved from: http://ucy.gownhirecyprus.com/index. php?route=product/product&product_id=51

Bottom picture on page 37. Retrieved from: https://ucy.ac.cy/fem/en/ home/272-kothari-honorary-doctorate

Picture on page 39. Retrieved from: https://www.cut.ac.cy/news/article/?contentId=186970