EU Scholarship Programme for Cypriot Youth to study at UWC – study visit to Brussels

In their first ever joint study trip, 17 EU high school students from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities studying at the United World Colleges (UWC) in Germany and in the Netherlands are visiting Brussels on 13 and 14 March to learn about the EU institutions, policies and programmes. The study visit is organised within the framework of the EU Scholarship Programme for Cypriot Youth to study at UWC, a bi-communal peace programme that aims to build trust and mutual understanding between the communities with the overarching goal of contributing to reconciliation and Cyprus’ reunification.

With the slogan Back to the Roots: Cypriot Youth for a Peaceful and United Future, the study visit is an opportunity for the high school students to familiarise themselves with the functioning of EU institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament and have meetings with Commissioner Ferreira’s Cabinet and the European Commission department in charge of Cyprus settlement support. They will also visit the Experience Europe Exhibition Centre and the House of European History and will meet with a youth-led NGO promoting peace and human rights in Europe.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira had the opportunity to meet UWC students during her visit to Cyprus in July 2022.

The Director-General of the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, Mario Nava said: “Cypriot youths can have a great influence to foster stronger ties between the people of Cyprus, by showing that peaceful coexistence and friendships are possible across the dividing line, as demonstrated by this group. I hope that their entire academic experience at the UWC and their visit in Brussels today, will inspire the Cypriot students from both communities to bring a message of cooperation and unity to the whole island”.

The EU Scholarship Programme for Cypriot Youth to study at UWC is funded under the EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, which aims to facilitate Cyprus' reunification. The programme started in 2019. Since then, 46 EU scholarships have been awarded to Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot students to complete together the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a two-year high school programme, at a UWC school in Europe (UWC Adriatic, UWC Maastricht, UWC Mostar, and UWC Robert Bosch College in Germany). UWC also organises youth engagement activities in Cyprus, such as short courses, mentorship programmes and workshops, which bring together young people from Cyprus, Europe and the Mediterranean region. The UWC’s transformative educational model is based on principles of peace and intercultural understanding, in line with the European Union founding values.

This scholarship programme is now one of the most important peace programmes in Cyprus, fostering reconciliation, understanding and trust amongst the younger generations of both communities.