Over the past two decades, Cyprus has steadily expanded its role as a regional educational hub, attracting international students from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, while forging partnerships with foreign universities. Although this internationalisation drive has largely been led by private universities for commercial purposes, the country’s public universities, several of which perform well in global rankings, have also intensified their efforts in this area.
As part of this broader initiative, Cypriot public universities and research centers have established ties with Chinese institutions, including the establishment of two Confucius Institutes (Cis) and the signing of numerous bilateral agreements. In 2022, the Cypriot and Chinese governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation in higher education and research, suggesting that collaborative projects are likely to deepen in the coming years. However, this growing cooperation appears to be evolving with limited structured oversight and without adequate consideration of key risks associated with partnerships involving authoritarian states, particularly regarding transparency, academic freedom, and research security.
Academic engagement and institutional partnerships
Our analysis focused on the three public universities in Cyprus, examining 23 bilateral agreements with foreign universities. Of these, six were signed with Chinese institutions that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s China Defence University Tracker classifies as posing a “Very High” or “High Risk” due to their links with China’s military-industrial complex.
However, due to limited transparency and a lack of available information, we were unable to determine the specific research focus or priority areas of these agreements, such as whether they involve sensitive fields like artificial intelligence (AI), STEM disciplines, or semiconductors. This opacity raises concerns about the potential risks involved in such collaborations.
Furthermore, among the 23 agreements, only four provided clear details about the scope or focus of cooperation. The remaining lacked any specific information on the nature of the partnership.
While this study focuses on public universities, it’s also important to note that Chinese partnerships extend to private Cypriot institutions. For example, in 2023, the European University Cyprus inaugurated a Chinese Studies Centre in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. However, aside from a single conference held that year, little public information is available regarding the Centre’s activities or its broader academic impact.
Transparency challenges
Despite the steady expansion of Sino-Cypriot academic cooperation, there is no overarching framework to guide these partnerships in a way that accounts for the fact that China is an authoritarian state that restricts academic freedom and grants the party-state broad access to university research.
In most cases, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Cypriot and Chinese universities are listed on the official websites of the Cypriot institutions. However, the contents of these MoUs, including their terms, objectives, and duration, remain undisclosed. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to Cypriot universities seeking access to these details received no response. This lack of transparency raises additional concerns about the potential risks such agreements may entail.
Risks to academic freedom and research security
China’s academic outreach in Cyprus aligns with its broader global strategy of leveraging higher education to enhance its soft power and strategic influence. However, questions persist regarding the impact of these partnerships on academic freedom and research integrity. Chinese universities are under direct state control, with Communist Party committees embedded within their governance structures.
In Cyprus, awareness of these dynamics appears limited. In one instance, a university redirected our information request about its Chinese partnerships to its local Confucius Institute, which failed to respond.
There also appears to be a limited understanding of the connections between some Chinese partner institutions and China’s military-industrial complex. It remains unclear whether Cypriot Research Ethics Committees assess the risks associated with collaboration with institutions from authoritarian states. This raises serious concerns for the future of research involving sensitive data, particularly in high-tech areas such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and biomedical sciences.
The role of Confucius Institutes
CIs play a central role in facilitating academic engagement with China. Many of the agreements between Chinese institutions and the two Cypriot universities that host CIs appear to be channelled through these entities. As elsewhere in Europe, CIs serve as vehicles of cultural diplomacy—but their presence also raises questions about the extent of their influence on China-related academic discourse and research collaboration. That said, it is worth noting that Cyprus has not witnessed any significant public controversies involving Cis to date.
Recommendations
Cyprus must develop a robust research security framework that addresses the risks inherent in academic partnerships with authoritarian states. This framework should include strong transparency requirements and be developed in close consultation with both Cypriot and international academic stakeholders. Special consideration should be given to the oversight of Cis and other foreign entities operating within Cypriot universities.
At the institutional level, more awareness is needed about the legal obligations and structural ties that bind Chinese universities to the Chinese party-state and military. For instance, China’s cybersecurity laws give the state unrestricted access to data held by Chinese institutions and companies. Cypriot universities must consider how to manage this risk.
Research ethics committees will play a crucial role in assessing these challenges. As Cyprus follows in the footsteps of other European countries developing academic ties with China, it must also strengthen institutional awareness and regulatory safeguards to ensure the protection of academic freedom and the integrity of research.
Explore more data on Cyprus-China academic engagements here.
