A total of 17 young Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot senior high school students that are attending United World Colleges (UWC) in Germany and in the Netherlands with a scholarship by the European Commission are visiting Brussels in a study visit.

The visit, this Wednesday and Thursday, is intended to help the students familiarise themselves with the functioning of EU institutions as well as its policies and programmes. They were going to meet with members of the cabinet of Commissioner for Cohesion, Elisa Ferreira, whose file includes the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and the support to reunification and solution efforts. 

The educational trip, under the title “Back to the Roots: Cypriot Youth for a Peaceful and United Future”, also included a visit to the Experience Europe Exhibition Centre of the European Commission as well as the House of European History museum, and a meeting with a youth-led NGO promoting peace and human rights in Europe.

“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” said Director-General of the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, Mario Nava in a written statement.

“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” he added.

Students attending UWC schools with EU scholarships had met with Commissioner Ferreira during her visit to Cyprus in July 2022.

The EU Scholarship Programme for Cypriot Youth started in 2019 and 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