University of Cyprus

The University of Cyprus (UCY) was established in 1989 and admitted its first students in 1992. UCY is aThe University of Cyprus (UCY) was established in 1989 and admitted its first students in 1992. UCY is avigorous community of scholars engaged in the generation and diffusion of knowledge. Despite its brief history,UCY has earned the respect of the international academic community and the appreciation of the Cypriot society. During the fall semester, the academic year 2016-2017 there were 6659 enrolled students (undergraduate and postgraduate). UCY has 8 faculties, 22 departments and 11 research units. UCY has significant involvement in the implementation of European grants. The University participated in 145 such programmes securing €10.726.914,58 in 2015. The European programmes in which the University participates include: Horizon 2020, EU Seventh Framework Programme and the ERASMUS+ and Lifelong learning programme of the European Commission, ERC frontier research programmes, COST programmes, JIP and Teaming as well as Interreg programmes. A major portion of the University's external funding comes from the Research Promotion Foundation, since a significant number of research programmes are supported financially by the RPF. In 2015, the University secured €5.153.576.82 for 55 research programmes from the RPF. In 2008 UCY received the EFQM “Committed to Excellence” Award. UCY is one of the 52 European universities to which the European Commission awarded the DS Label in May of 2009. UCY has endorsed the Charter and Code(C&C) for researchers in December of 2010 and implemented the HRS4R project which aims to the development of a Human Resources Strategy for Researchers. As a result, the European Commission approved the UCY's Strategic plan on June 11, 2012 and since UCY is acknowledged with the "HR Excellence in Research"logo. As a proof of its dedication in European integration teaching, it held a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellenceand three Jean Monnet Chairs. It has an UNESCO Chair for Equality and Gender Empowerment. UCY is also member to many European and International Networks and Associations, namely: EUA, IAU, UNICA, SantanderGroup, UNIMED, EAEC etc. In 2010 the first Nobel Prize winner, Prof. Pissarides Christoforos also joined the academic community of UCY.

University of Cyprus Library is currently the biggest Library in Cyprus in terms of volumes, computer facilities, in access to electronic sources of information, specialized personnel and knowhow.

Due to OPENAIRE, OPENAIREplus, OpenAIRE2020 and OpenAIRE-Advance activities there has already been established a collaboration mechanism among researchers, institutions, funding organizations, EC OA National ReferencePoint, repository managers, librarians and the librarians’ association – a real human network that ensures that the idea, spirit, approach and practices compliant with Horizon 2020 Open Access (OA) mandates will continue to spread and be served. Also, the Library acted as Key Node in project PASTEUR4OA. The involvement of the library in these two projects resulted the coordination and the leading role for the adoption of the Cyprus National Open Access Policy. The University of Cyprus Library as a Cyprus NOAD constitutes major research infrastructure in the country. The participation of the Cyprus NOAD in relative future projects will ensure the continuation of establishment of the EC Open Access policies. It will reinforce and facilitate the ability of UCY Library NOAD to influence the rest of the research institutions and the policymakers, ministries and funders towards the establishment of a regional Open Science agenda.

Related work infrastructures

• INTRA project is in progress by the Library of the University of Cyprus to aggregate and record all scientificpublications by the academic staff of UCY.

• Berlin declaration has been signed by all the public universities of Cyprus.

• The Cyprus Academic Library Consortium (CALC) has a nationwide subscription contract with BMC(Biomed Central) for an open access model to the BMC journals.

• All institutional repository initiatives are OpenAIRE compliant.

Contact persons