Marina Neophytou elected as first female rector of the University of Cyprus

Professor Marina Neophytou, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, was elected the new rector of the University of Cyprus (UCY) on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. She is the first woman to hold this position in the university's history. Neophytou, an environmental engineering expert who leads the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, secured the victory in the fourth round of voting with 214 votes, emerging from a competitive field of five candidates. She will officially assume her duties on December 16, succeeding the outgoing rector, Tasos Christofidis.

Following the rector's election, the university community also chose the rest of the new leadership team. Georgia Panagiotou was elected Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, receiving 267 votes as the sole candidate. Marios Dikaiakos was elected Vice-Rector for International Relations, Finance, and Administration, defeating candidate Antonis Ellinas with 209 votes against 137. The electoral process, overseen by Savvas Christodoulou, saw 353 out of 486 eligible electors cast their ballots for these vice-rectorial positions. The new team is now set to lead the institution for its upcoming term.