Our Commitment to advancing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

The University of Cyprus (UCY) is proud to announce that we have been awarded the Athena Swan Bronze Award, recognising UCY’s commitment to advancing gender equality and fostering an inclusive environment across its academic, professional, and student communities. This important distinction also reflects the extensive institutional work on equality undertaken by the university during the 2023-2026 Athena SWAN Cyprus pilot programme, internally coordinated by UCY’s UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality.

The award was conferred following UCY’s successful evaluation during the first evaluation cycle of the Athena SWAN Cyprus programme, offered by the organisation Advance HE, provider and administrator of the internationally recognised accreditation framework programme Athena SWAN Charter.

What the Athena Swan Bronze Award Means

The Athena Swan Bronze Award acknowledges that the University of Cyprus (UCY) has met the core expectations of the Athena Swan Cyprus framework by:

  • Reviewing and assessing structures, processes, and culture to understand gender equality matters and wider equality grounds across the institution;
  • Identifying the institution’s main evidence‑based priority areas for action grounded in the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative findings;
  • Ensuring broad engagement through wide consultation among the members of the university community and governance bodies; and
  • Setting out a comprehensive institutional Action Plan to address identified gaps and build future capacity in the promotion of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).
About the Athena SWAN Charter Framework and the Cyprus Pilot (2023-2026)

The Athena SWAN Charter is a globally recognised framework developed by the UK-based organisation Advance HE to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research. Originally established to encourage excellence and promote women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM), the charter has evolved to embrace a broader agenda of gender equality and wider EDI objectives in universities and research centres around the world.

The Athena SWAN Cyprus pilot programme (2023-2026)

The Athena SWAN Cyprus pilot programme (2023-2026) was formally launched through a collaborative initiative among several Cypriot universities under the guidance of the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA) and the initiative of its former Council President and UCY’s Professor Emerita Dr. Mary Koutselini. The pilot began with an inaugural meeting in September 2023 at the CYQAA premises and was officially launched in May 2024 with workshops delivered by Advance HE staff and institutional engagement across participating institutions in Cyprus.

The pilot was implemented during the 2023-2026 period and aimed to adapt and implement the Athena SWAN framework in the Cypriot context, fostering systemic reflection, evidence-based actions, and institutional change for gender equality and wider equality grounds across academic and professional functions. The conferring of the first ‘Bronze’ awards to Cypriot universities, including to UCY, marks the successful completion of a rigorous process of adapting the international evaluation framework to the Cypriot academic context. At the same time, this successful conclusion recognizes the development and implementation of policies and practices that foster equitable and inclusive work and learning environments in Cyprus’s higher education and research sectors, while also reflecting the commitment of the participating institutions to continue their valuable efforts.

UCY’s Athena SWAN Journey

UCY joined the Athena Swan Cyprus pilot as part of its broader institutional commitment to the principles of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI). The process was internally coordinated by the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality, in close partnership with the Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity (DEI) Office, and in collaboration with the central services and academic and administrative units. This collaborative governance approach underlying UCY’s Athena SWAN journey has ensured that the process and all deriving actions have been grounded in robust data and meaningful engagement across the university, thus ensuring gradual positive change.

The Athena Swan Cyprus Charter is underpinned by seven core principles that guide all participating Cypriot institutions in their equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work.

These principles provide the framework that informs our institutional priorities as a Bronze‑awarded university and shape the commitments we have adopted throughout our self‑assessment and action‑planning process.

 
 
UCY’s Submission and our Athena SWAN Institutional Action Plan 2026-2029

The UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality played a key role in the successful completion of the process, taking the lead in coordinating the overall endeavour and process in close collaboration with UCY’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity (DEI) Office and all the other competent services. The data collection and analysis process and the preparation of the application were based on the work of UCY’s dedicated Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team (SAT). The team’s members worked methodically at all stages of the process, contributing decisively to the formulation of evidence-based initiatives and the development of an ambitious, yet realistic Action Plan for the enhancement of gender equality, to be implemented during the period 2026-2030.

Our institutional Athena SWAN Action Plan (AP) 2026-2029 sets out the actions UCY will take in the next few years towards advancing gender equality and wider EDI matters on different levels. The AP was developed as part of UCY’s Athena SWAN application at the Bronze award level and formed part of our submission. It is the outcome of a rigorous institutional self-assessment, through which key gaps, challenges, and opportunities in relation to gender equality (and wider EDI grounds) were identified and translated into concrete priorities and planned actions.

Building on our self-assessment work at an institutional level, UCY’s Athena Swan Action Plan is structured around the following four priority axes:

  1. Enhancement of EDI Governance, processes, and promotion
  2. Optimize gender (and wider equality) data mapping and mainstreaming
  3. Promote a Safe Environment and Inclusive Culture
  4. Promoting Equal Opportunities through Work-life balance and Caring Support
Acknowledgements

The support of UCY’s senior leadership was particularly significant, as it contributed substantially to the progress and successful completion of the entire project, thereby demonstrating the University's commitment to the principles of equality and inclusion. This accomplishment is the result of collective work and collaboration among various academic and administrative units of the University. The conferral of the Athena SWAN Bronze award is a significant achievement for the University of Cyprus and, at the same time, a starting point for the continued implementation of the Action Plan and the consistent integration of practices that foster a more equitable and inclusive university environment.

In a statement, the co-directors of the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and coordinators of the self-assessment process, Associate Professors Dr. Alexia Panayiotou (Department of BPA) and Dr. Miranda Christou (Department of Education), stated:

The distinction of our university with the international Athena SWAN Bronze Award would not have been possible without the invaluable contribution of the members of our Self Assessment Team (SAT), to whom we extend our warmest thanks, as well as without the continuous support and trust of UCY’s senior leadership. This process has been complex and demanding, but it has evolved into a highly beneficial exercise for our university, as it has sparked productive reflection and critical self assessment of existing institutional processes and policies related to equality matters. Although we are very proud of this significant achievement, we recognise that the journey towards it was in many ways the most meaningful and rewarding aspect of the entire endeavour. The process allowed us to identify shortcomings, highlight best practices, and develop a deeper understanding of the real needs within the university community. The most important lesson we have learned is that equality is not a static state, but a continuous process of improvement, reflection, and collective commitment.

Assoc. Professors Dr. Alexia Panayiotou & Dr. Miranda Christou, UNESCO Co-chairs on Gender Equality, UCY

The Athena SWAN Bronze Award, valid until April 2030, confirms the University of Cyprus’s steady progress toward continuously improving its policies and practices relating to equality and inclusion. UCY remains committed and goal-oriented to creating a modern, fair, and supportive academic and professional environment for all the members of the university community.

 

More information:

Last Updated on May 18, 2026