The British Council has been working with Cyprus since 1940. In 2020, we are marking our 80th anniversary with a series of events celebrating cultural relations and exchange between the UK and Cyprus, and the collaborative role the British Council has played in supporting and maintaining these.
Over the past 80 years, we have helped Cyprus’ emerging leaders in culture and education to develop new skills and international partnerships. We are recognised across Europe as a trusted representative for artistic and cultural connections with the UK. We broker opportunities for collaboration between the most important and innovative artists and cultural organisations in the UK and in Europe, positioning UK arts as a starting point for all countries to develop creatively.
We provide platforms for UK higher education and research institutions to connect and collaborate with their counterparts and with students and researchers in European countries. Many of the world's best universities are in the UK and the UK has the highest international student experience satisfaction ratings for English-speaking countries, with over 90 per cent of students happy with their experience (Universities UK - The UK's Competitive Advantage, 2017 Update). The UK education sector is one of the most international in the world, welcoming 438,000 international students each year.
The UK remains the top destination for Cypriot students, with approximately one per cent of the population studying there at any one time, and around 40,000 alumni of UK institutions in total.
According to the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), a total of 9,730 Cypriots were studying in Britain for the 2017/18 academic year.
Thousands of people in Europe who take English tests with us gain access to development, study and employment opportunities in their own countries and around the world. In Cyprus, we collaborate with about 50 highly recognised International exam boards, thus creating friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries.
Our anniversary is an occasion to celebrate cultural relations between all European countries, and the collaborative role the British Council has played in supporting and maintaining these over 80 years. Our 80th anniversary programme will recall highlights from our past, but it will also look ahead and reaffirm our commitment to the future. We invite the people we work with to recognise how cultural relations and exchange have changed Cyprus for the better in the past 80 years.