28 International Educator M AR+APR .06 formationof ethnic enclaves that forced and island the of division by followed of intervention the in by resulted dictatorship military Greece’s government Cyprus the against the nation from the get-go. A 1974 coup Greek and its between Unrest 1960. in pendence Britishcolony in1878 andgained inde namemeans copper in Greek became a pire in the 16th century, the island whose theinregion. Parttheof Ottoman Em has spawned itsoccupation bypowerevery historically wealth mineral and strip of land whose strategic importance Connecticut, is a horseshoe-crab-shaped complexhistory. of island,size The the tions in the schools.” to have been passed down to later genera in 2005. “Those emotional wounds appear didheCypruson Fulbright aas scholar conflict thedescribingresolution work 1974,”says arbitrator Edward Costello in ties committed by both between 1955 and tionsfelt on both sides about the atroci had been done to deal with the raw emo mediator,littlehowastunned by was I of milliona people that lies 45miles south an emotionally inflamed entity of lesseducation than on the divided island of Cyprus‚G T Cyprus’s wounds are born from its its from born are wounds Cyprus’s urkeyin the Mediterranean Sea. “As C nate conversations about higher These are the words that domi zone,suffocation, opportunity. buffer brainwashing, history, reeks T urkish communities plagued rossing , , Turks T urkish troops, troops, urkish , P , B oli y K t ics yna ------,
Cyprus ( young Cypriots continue to prefer these able Financially States. United the and it, to the United Kingdom (UK), Europe, respectively, and when they could afford abroad to study—to Greece and priot parents typically sent their children home-basedformanduniversities. Be T and relationshipsGreece politicalwith tied to this troubling backdrop. oldest university is only 26 years old—is island—its the on history short a have economic underdog North, which is rec little change to the trade-embargoed and andchallenges tosouthern Cyprus, but benefits both brought has that event (EU)—an Union European the joined The next month, the Republic of Cyprus plan. the approved had who Cypriots Plan,sparking ire on the part of unification initiative known as the Annan Cypriots rejected the United Nations re and 18 percent are Cypriots Greek are percent 77 people, itselfthe declared 1983 in which North, the in (ROC),from minority island, known as the Republic of Cyprus priotsinthe southern two-thirds ofthe runswestto east,separating Greek Cy T Cypriots on both sides from their homes. fore the 1980s Greek and and Greek 1980s the fore ognized by no nation but Ru oday a United Nations buffer zone still urkey and the 1974 war inhibited de inhibited war 1974 the and urkey The fact thatfull-fledged universities referendumGreek 2004 April an In bin T T RNC). Of the island’s 780,000 urkishRepublicNorthern of T urkish Cypriots. T urkishCypriots T urkey. T urkish Cy urkish T
T T angled urkish urkey, ------
the island of Cyprus Cyprus of island divided the on H political divide. political and cultural the across acute remain that difficulties the of reminder stark a times, at and, change of conduit a both is igher education education igher G reen L ine
MAR+APR.06 International Educator 29 - - - urkish Cypriot college college Cypriot urkish T Key to the island’s ability to sustain so so sustain to ability island’s the to Key hese now provide opportunities for
The Genesis of an Industry In the South, developmentregional a become priorities to goals included have high-tech, educational, medical, for hub aims These centers. service business and robust more a without met be not could now number almost 40, and two flagship flagship two and 40, almost number now public universities, one on each side. T home—par at education higher quality fields, business and technical in ticularly less traditionally in the increasingly but sciences. social and humanities popular and relative universities, colleges many factor same the is population, small its to centuries: for history its shaped has that geography. Cyprus’s proximity to the Syria— from miles 60 is East—it Middle coupled with competitive tuition rates the for destination attractive an it makes fees whose students, university region’s are sorely needed. Politicians on both sides of the island are keen to educate who, beyond students foreign revenue, home. return they once goodwill create Students from Muslim countries share northern with affinity a cultural special in enroll also them of plenty but Cyprus, institutions. Cypriot Greek destinations for university education. In education. university for destinations and Cypriot Greek all of half over deed, all of percent 15 students studied abroad in 2004-2005. prolifera a saw 1990s and 1980s the But tion of local which institutions, private
es imag etty g ine
L reen G the rossing C 30 International Educator M AR+APR .06 a 2005Fulbrighta scholarthisofphenomenonSomeCyprus. on is aSanta Monica College English professor who spent six months as education as they can be in the United States, found Karin Costello, received wisdom and authority are not as integral to loosen.Criticaltoaretryingthinking Cyprusedly skepticismand toward primary and hierarchal systems that some foreign facultyversities. on the Sharedisland byreport schools on both sides is an adherence to authority the North is in English. attract“inorderto foreign students.” universityAll instruction in mightrevisedtoincludebe English thelanguageas instructionof Education and Culture notes that the laws governing these schools 2007) and the Open University of Cyprus (2006). But the institutions—theMinistry of Culture.Greekthealsoinstructionis publiclanguagenewtwo of Educationandof ROC’s theforeignMinistry admitsstudents, to deterrent a is such, as and, department) English the to limited is ofCyprus are Greek and University the of languages official The English. to stick schools private prominent more the though Greek, in teach and system tutions operate on completely separate tracks. T lege,Cyprus College, andFredericks Institute of and the University of Cyprus (state-run), Intercol state-run) and Near East University in the North, MediterraneanEasternare University (whichis counterparts.seas Generally recognizedleaders of exchange or joint degree agreement with over foreignforeign-trainedor enjoyformandsome dustry. But many institutions hire faculty who are in young a in expected be to isvariable,which is Qualitynone.had ago long so thatislandnot universities, many still in their adolescence, on an our current isolation.” pillar of economic development, and a way out of Republicnorthernof Cyprus.“It’s industry,an a Ertug, Washington representative of the morethanjusteducationisus,”for saysOsman T T demand for higher education among students in these northern Cyprus institutions, and to excess to blossomingprivateofuniversities part in due is ferzone, higher education is one of the few eco higher education infrastructure. North of the buf South; nomic engines available to echnology in the South. These two sets of insti urkey, who occupy a large portion of slots on on slots of portion large a occupy who urkey, urkish Cypriot campuses. “Higher education education “Higher campuses. Cypriot urkish T The Ministry of Education and Culture accredits institutions in the university Greek the follow South the in colleges 30-plus The of plethora a is changes these of result The urkey’s recognition of degrees provided by by provided degrees of recognition urkey’s T urkey’s Higher Education Council recognizes northern uni T echnologicalUniversity(openingCyprus ofin T T urkish,but Greek is used most (English urkish Cypriots. The T urkish ------needed. needed. sorely are fees whose students, university region’s the for destination attractive an it makes rates tuition competitive with from miles 60 is East—it Middle the to proximity Cyprus’s S yria—coupled yria—coupled - - colleges lost part of their market share,” he says. But tempering this Cyprus’s young people. “This has in some ways meant that the local inghigher education inplaces like theeven UKmore attractive to fees for Cypriot students studying in EU countries, says Spyrou, mak says Spyrou, who received his Ph.D. from SUNY/Binghamton. big challenges for the country and for higher education institutions,”requiresettingnationalup quality assurance are agencies. “These dents taking courses in EU universities. Other regulations, he says, European Credit education. For instance, many schools are expected to introduceremaincompetitivetoimprovehelpare will higherthey follow if the sia,slewaof EU regulations that local institutions are expected to professor of anthropology and sociology at Cyprus College in Nico sion to the European Union. According to Spyros Spyrou, assistant benefits and obligations ensuing from the ROC’s May 2004ascen The biggest news for the Greek Cypriot academic community is the Stepping Upto theE U Plate and cooperative projects. within the buffer zone are channels for people-to-peopleare discussions not uncommon. Phone calls, e-mail, and neutral meeting spaces Cyprus’s EU membership has brought significant drops in tuition T communalists hope, also include increased prejudices, may slowly give way as Cypriotaca prejudices,as waymayslowlygive anced presentation of the island’s history. balmorecreateunderway,a to now notes, she revise these stereotypes.” Efforts on both sides are that would have encouraged them to moderatetion grew andup deprived of the firsthand experiences restrictions were lifted, she says, “an entire generacontact between 1974 and 2003, when checkpoint other as wrong.” Given the almost complete “Eachlack side of was taught to see their side as right, the temsonboth sides ofthe green line encouraged. “distortedperspective” thattheeducational sys answer,” she says. Education is also colored by the often prefer to be ‘lectured at’ and given the ‘right’ politics.“Cypriot college anduniversity students commontraditionalto todue issomesocieties, of the green line, and at conferences off the island, formallinks among researchers north andsouth and Greek between collaboration official preclude politics ish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot interaction. Cyprus Partof an opening process on Cyprus would, bi tunity, and on both sides to bolster national pride. in the North to engage in a precious trade oppor institutions—in the South to meet EU standards, demic officials seek to expand and modernize their ransfer System, which will facilitate Cypriot stu Old world mentalities, and perhaps politicalperhaps and mentalities,world Old T urkish Cypriot universities, but in but universities,Cypriot urkish T urk ------
MAR+APR.06 International Educator 31 ------urkey. Absent a sizeable sizeable a Absent urkey. T raditionally, however, most most however, raditionally, T urkish Republic of Northern of Northern Republic urkish T At the same time that more Cypriots are now now are Cypriots more that time same the At urkish Cypriot economy produces only a third of of third a only produces economy Cypriot urkish
at Intercollege for a month, notes that these stu these that notes a month, for Intercollege en at peaceful and safe a Cyprus southern find dents espe Cyprus, in live to expensive “It’s vironment. T cent international spring festival on campus high campus on festival spring international cent Pakistan, Iran, India, Africa, from students lights lectured who Costello, Karin East. Middle the and States. The availability elsewhere of high-quality, high-quality, of elsewhere availability The States. num those pushing been had options cost lower bers down even before Cyprus’s EU ascension. Culture and Education of Ministry to According statistics, of the 19,000 Greek Cypriot students 66 about percent in 2004-2005, abroad studying per 5 and UK, the to percent 20 Greece, to went last That States. United the to students) (925 cent total abroad study the of percent 8 been had figure 2002-2003. in Euro of numbers study, to Europe to head to likely Cypriot southern for planes hopping students pean grow. could campuses ranks of ROC institutions student of foreign the in For countries. less-developed from come have re a about story newsletter Intercollege an stance,
s i Corb urkish Cypriot counterparts, because of the ROC’s generally generally ROC’s the of because counterparts, Cypriot urkish T Job prospects for Greek Cypriot college graduates are good, relative relative good, are graduates college Cypriot Greek for prospects Job urkey to finance its government and infrastructure. The economic economic The infrastructure. and government its finance to urkey to their their to Cyprus functions in cut vacuum, offin an functions trade, Cyprus from economic its of because elsewhere and Europe to flights direct and vestments, except nations all by status unrecognized from the support on sector, heavily private relies North The GDP. capita per South’s the Fulbright One stark. are T island the of sides two the between disparities Mercedes new brand all wealth, “new as South the describes scholar squalor.” in living “people as North the and dent,” a without cially in the South,” she says, “but some of these international students students international these of some “but says, she South,” the in cially in than Cyprus” in are education better enrollees perhaps and varied 3,500 more a find College’s Cyprus of quarter A countries. own their on countries source that says Spyrou Spyros students. international Jordan, India, Nigeria, China, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, are campus that Lanka. Sri and Russia, Romania, Palestine, Nepal, lib dominate—and services financial and economy—tourism Cypriot Greek healthy Spyrou, to According climate. found investment have foreign eral traditionally example, for College, are Cyprus from technology—both graduates information and business in island the on work member EU Cyprus’s EU in Further, freely institutions. ROC work at to majors popular right the students Cyprus of Republic grants ship options. job their enhancing choice, their of countries Box in a Operating of Cyprus, the Republic the Unlike - - - - - urkey (to the north), (to urkey echnology—are echnology—are T yria (to the east), T the east), yria (to The Republic of Cyprus’s EU club card is likely to exacerbate a toexacerbate is likely card EU club Cyprus’s of TheRepublic Spyrou believes that these changes will result in the best colleges colleges best the in result will changes these that believes Spyrou he island of Cyprus is near S he island of Cyprus lege, Cyprus College, and Fredericks Institute of Institute Fredericks and College, Cyprus lege, six-year drop in number of Cypriot students studying in the United United the in studying students Cypriot of number in drop six-year two new universities in the next few years. Stronger institutions are are institutions Stronger years. few next the in universities new two college. for home stay to Cypriots some convince to likely gearing up to become universities. And the Ministry of Education Education of Ministry the And universities. become to up gearing reports and moves Culture government to enrich undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Cyprus, and to open improving their standards even more. A U.S. Embassy official in Cy in official Embassy U.S. A more. even standards their improving South—Intercol the in colleges private top the that observes prus education competition and improve quality is that EU membership membership EU that is quality improve and competition education island. the on shop up set to institution EU any allows new law, says another observer, results from EU pressure “to allow for for allow “to pressure EU from results observer, another says law, new be for penalties EU avoid to and education higher in practices fair higher enhance to expected is that spur Another restrictive.” too ing no longer have to apply to the Ministry of Education and Culture for for Culture and Education of Ministry the to apply to have longer no previ did they as time, a at department or program one recognition The Cyprus. of University the with par a on be now will they ously; right to university status. This means, says Daniel Hadjittofi, execu Hadjittofi, Daniel the says in means, This status. colleges university that to right Commission, Fulbright Cyprus will the of recognition director tive university for criteria legislation’s the meet that ROC ROC offer bachelor’s and graduate degrees,by impeded butwere and graduate bachelor’s ROC offer the another for what after Now, universities. apply themselves calling can from law institutions struggle,” political long “a calls observer trend trend is the long-awaited passage in 2005 of a law regulating the in A the of number colleges universities. of private establishment T reece (to the northwest). (to and Greece 32 International Educator M AR+APR .06 quality could improve. of local competition from some of not always match their fine infrastructure. Facedwith the prospect does education of qualitytheir that admits versity,Ertug Osman UniEastern Near and universitiesReferring toEMU otherthan fessor of international relations at Eastern Mediterranean Univer University, dot northern Cyprus. According to Erol Kaymak, a pro and contributes to social, cultural, and economic development.” locales, where their construction “changes the physical environmentcitiestownsandscattered acrossthesometimesNorth in remote PlanningOrganization calls these institutions “grow poles” forthe thriving on lush campuses with beautiful buildings. The “decent profits,” higher education—if not Cypriotthebusinessmen, economywho one informed as observer a says whole—isare making As the result of considerable investment on the part of local frastructure for the schools and provides incentives for developers. “islandanas universities.”of Government finances the in needed both, and therefore is treated as an essential industry, followingthe govoutside and for revenue. Higher education in the North provides heard. They feel locked out, invisible, and silenced.” book,”says Costello,be to“alllonging expressed a “Butstudents theinNorth who contributed tomy simply have fewer reasons to reach out to the North. versityofCyprus infall 2005. Most Greek Cypriots professorofAmerican Studies teaching atthe Uni bul,”observes Kenneth Rosen, poetaand Fulbright triptothe North comparableas toholidaya inKa the green line. “The kids in my poetry class regard a Greek Cypriot students have for making foraysity. across Another U.S. professor notes the general distaste concerns like materialism, conformity, and prosper ahead,shesays. They hold more middle-American togetherwithpeoplefromtheNorth. Greek Cypriots arelooking In contrast, she says, Greek Cypriots are not as interested in getting who moved to Cyprus], who are not allowed to cross the greenbecausetheyare from line). Northwerethrilledcome towere (thoughunable few attendato buffersaysthe zone, she that instudents room meeting from the areception for the book’s contributors that washeld in aFulbright dents, poets, academics, and civic leaders from both sides. Recalling Costelloedited eyesofforeign teachers. While inCyprus, English professor Karin dents seem to have such different values and priorities, at least in the branchcampusof sity (EMU), other high-profile ernmentand tourism. the The Five (mostly private) universities, as well as a recently opened a as well as Fiveuniversities,(mostlyprivate) This helps explain why T RNC State Planning Organization, promote northern Cyprus T RNC itself is longing for channels of communication with CypriotIdentities T urkey’sprestigiousEasternMiddle T T urkishCypriot policymakers, according to urkishsettler families [those from T urkishCypriot and Greek Cypriot stu T urkish universities may follow suit. , ananthology, ofwritings bystu T urkey’s best schools, however, - - - T RNC State T echnical T T urkish urkey ------EMU, located in Famagusta, an hour and a half east of Nicosia, was private universities; only elite students enjoyedT a university education. enrolled on all northern campuses in 2004-2005.) same (The general breakdownWhy applies to the 33,000 totalso students many from from thatEMU’sofroughly 15,000students, percentmore than60 are of their existence has been overflow from tion system. These universities’ main student source for the 25 years T Opportunities andC do not renounce their for purely practical reasons, not “to change loyalties,” because they 1970s, earlytheUniversity in StateConnecticut CentralFulbrightat scholarship a of recipient few thousand pounds, much cheaper than elsewhere.” Adds Ertug, port people can have their children educated in England for only a card,whichbirthcertificate.requires ROC an“With pass EU an an EU passport calls for has facilitated this process. According to Osman Ertug, applying for skills.The April 2003 lifting of restrictions greenon line crossings abroad opportunities for those with English or European language grant access to UK and European universities, thus expanding studyapply to the Republic of Cyprus for EU passports. Such documents ofresidencesubset island,the a on dint of the ROC’s EU privileges. Due to their families’ long-standing freedom than those in private institutions. the time on Cyprus was told that because of EMU’sin close association with zation statistics.) Kaymak compares EMU to a second-tier university T 400 in the United States or Europe, per Cypriotstudents studying abroad in 2004, 1,500 were in ing U.S. institutions via a Fulbright scholarship. (Of the 1,900 tlers from urkish Cypriot students may opt for education off the island, includ urkey?Until about a decade ago, he explains, urkish Cypriots, whose numbers include poor Kurdish farmer set T Study destinations for some T urkey, which “isn’t that bad overall.” A Fulbright scholar who spent RNC government, faculty and students there enjoy less academic T urkey, 30 percent from Cyprus, and 10 percent from overseas. T urkey, alone could not sustain the North’s higher educa dents prefer Cyprus to cater to the pent-up demand from knew it everybody was building a campus in savvynorthern soon caught on,” says Kaymak, “and before you T but increasing, he says), admits that student quality on northern Cyprus institutions, he believes. privateown universities willstill leave business for T recognizes EMU-granted degrees. “ degrees. EMU-granted recognizes abletoaccommodate thespillover because T ech ( urkey’sloosening ofrestrictions oncreation ofits RNC campuses is a concern. The best Kaymak, who earned his doctoratehisfromearned who Kaymak, T T urkish Cypriots with American Ph.D.s are rare T RNC passports or citizenship. urkish Cypriots to obtain an ROC identity T ompetiition urkey’s top schools, he says, and the best T T urkish Cypriots seek the passport passport the seek Cypriotsurkish urkish Cypriots have broadened by T T urkish Cypriots is eligibleurkishCypriotsisto RNC State Planning Organi T urkey. Kaymak estimates T urkeyhad very few T he business business he T T urkish stu urkeyand T T T urkey.” urkish T urkey exas ------
MAR+APR.06 International Educator 33 ------ur T RNC T urkish Cypri urkish T RNC, where the RNC,the where T urkish Studies program at the the at program Studies urkish T wo Meet wo urkish Cypriot communities, thanks thanks communities, Cypriot urkish T urkish Cypriot institutions would like like would institutions Cypriot urkish T urkish Cypriot community’s restricted urkish Cypriot community’s urkish Cypriots, and because of expecta of because and Cypriots, urkish T T Students intermingle across communities to across communities intermingle Students Some Some The The the extent that a small number of of number small a that extent the Bicommunal contacts are contacts growing between Bicommunal the and Greek crossings. zone buffer of easing 2003 the to part in At the same time, recalcitrance and toxic emo bifurcated island’s the how taint to continue tion world. the and other each view inhabitants South, the in colleges at enrolled currently are ots in a instance for University of Cyprus. According to the from 118 students Organization, Planning State the North attend institutions below the ad greentake to agency, state the says so, do They line. institutions southern that scholarships of vantage to offer there. education better a getting of tions of Cyprus, just University the with to cooperate as some private institutions in both communi bring that agreements informal enjoy already ties is is now a member of the European Political Re when cold the in are we “But Consortium. search cannot we so institutions, EU official to comes it Commu European the ERASMUS,” from benefit University of Mobility the for Scheme Action nity programs. ERASMUS-related from or Students, economy offers limited job prospectsfor local graduates. Ertug acknowledges unemployment in the underemployment and the and bloated, is government, employer, largest gaming—cannot and sector—tourism private tiny in jobs seek “Some graduates. college support problem a is drain “Brain says. he Europe,” and key Cyprus.” northern in so more but island, any on the T Where U A A large chunk of the between collaboration North and South yet moved in that direction. “There are many faculty on both sides of sides both on faculty many are “There direction. that in moved yet the on colleagues their with interact to eager are who line green the professor-to-professor informal of host A Costello. says side,” other as long as says, he continue, will ties department-to-department or visibility. low a keep they on-island so via does place and takes that professionals and Center, academics Fulbright the Nations, United who the as Mexico, such New of intermediaries University the of Childs Mark Embassy. U.S. the their faculties together. But the Greek Cypriot government puts a government Cypriot Greek But the together. faculties their Ed scholar Fulbright former says interactions, on formal damper not has Cyprus of University the why explains which Costello, ward - - - urk T orth to engage ld world outh to meet E standards, in the N in a precious trade opportunity, and on both sides to bolster national pride. Cypriot academic officials seek to expand and modernize their institutions—in the S O mentalities, and perhaps political prejudices, may slowly give way as urkish Cypri urkish T urkey, Pakistan, Pakistan, urkey, T - - - - - RNC’s RNC’s urkish urkey’s urkey’s T T T urkish. urkish. T RNC. They bring RNC. bring They T RNC’s higher educa higher RNC’s urkish, urkish, English, and Chinese. Its 3,000 RNC-based universities continue to be to continue universities RNC-based T T T urkish Cypriots who remain on the the on remain who Cypriots urkish T RNC higher education institutions. Kaymak Kaymak institutions. education higher RNC T Despite the ability to attract overseas students to shores, their overseas students to attract the ability Despite Students, and to some extent faculty, from Even though an overseas education is still urkey and elsewhere are indeed the main fuel ish Cypriot community. “ community. Cypriot ish shunned,” says EMU’s Kaymak. “This is not to say that that say to not is “This Kaymak. EMU’s says shunned,” ern ern town, can be read in T for the European University Association, he says, and his department department his and he says, Association, University European the ots do nothing in their own interest.” For instance, EMU has joined joined has EMU instance, For interest.” own their in nothing do ots higher education institutions higher in education institutions the North feel that the ROC has of the to lift isolation designed the measures been blocking students come from 30 different countries; its degrees, it states, are are states, it degrees, its countries; different 30 from come students in authorities education higher the by recognized Oman. of Sultanate the and Emirates, Arab United the European University of Lefke, a nonprofit small University European northwest remote relatively a in 1990 in opened university public Universities in the North aggressively market to market aggressively North in the Universities international students, touting low tuition and the of site Web the example, For expenses. living isolation. “They get education from us and learn learn and us from education get “They isolation. and local from our experiences unique culture.” foreign ministry. Ertug is proud of the presence of of presence the of proud is Ertug ministry. foreign the in students foreign 2,400 Eastern Mediterranean University recruits stu Azerbaijan, Balkans, the and Albania from dents these of Some Africa. of parts other and Nigeria, from scholarships receive may students says that aside from countries in the Middle East, East, Middle the in countries from aside that says the remove help and says, he revenue, in higher education enterprise in the North, are than English know to likely more students will have studied at the secondary level, level, secondary the at studied have will students to the so central students, he notes, and foreign eign student transcripts, the relative newness of relative the transcripts, eign student has Cyprus encouraged in northern institutions is the English running.” ground to the “hit them language that most university-bound says, in the middle of a “suffocating” blockade. Ac blockade. “suffocating” a of middle the in says, Credential Educational of Paulsen Greg to cording of for evaluator a Milwaukee-based Evaluators, in English was a deliberate decision,” explains Er explains decision,” deliberate a was English in world outside the to an opening provides tug. It he space,” “breathing universities these gives that campuses. The language of instruction across the the across instruction of language The campuses. because is English North “Instruction system. U.S. the after modeled is tion the more likely route for students with means or means with students for route likely more the home scholarships, on element linguistic global a find can island 34 International Educator M AR+APR .06 quakeresearch that brought ics and to encourage joint research. The expressly nonpoliticalaimis to facilitate group networking among Cyprus’s island-wide academ two weeks during the school year, says Faustmann.deanto do so. The organization’s proached him in late 2003 and he receivedconvening themeetings supportafter agroup of of Intercollege’s of the green line, refers to himself as a “neutral German”assistant who started professor for international relationsCyprus Academic at Intercollege, Forum (CAF), chaired just by Hubertsouth Faustmann. The has brought together hydrologists from both sidespumping of theand salificationisland. of groundwater, a hugeandGreek problemCypriot experts onto the Cyprus,North. Aswell, he says, the over Service. He participated in a UN programsays on Richardearth Wayne Harrison of thesides are U.S.willing to share Geologicaldata and work together,” ration.“My experience isthat geologists onboth forall Cypriots are promising targets for collabo real friendships are taking hold.” “dialogwhere andsays, he place, a is It ex-pats. workersU.S.UNand Europeando and tend, as at South and North both from Cypriots 2005. College American Studies professor in Cyprus in community, according to Peter Rutkoff, a Kenyon artistic and intellectual small Cyprus’s for spot gathering popular a Nicosia’s city,is in old line film-screening-salon one block south of the green zone” are fairly routine. The Weaving Mill, a café- societywalking backandforth across thebuffer “civil and artists, musicians, borders, without industry”of bicommunal events involving poets during his time there. What Childs calls “a minor solid” “booked werethat, to Institute doornext bright center next door, and the German Goethe Fulthehotel), former (a Palace Ledra UN-run These neutral meeting spaces, which include the peopletifyingfrom both sides about theevents. no quietly facilities, zone buffer in lectures up set who members faculty Cyprus of University ed Venetian walls, and restored old monuments. created pedestrian streets in the old town, startedrenovat out fixing the city’s sewer system; nextUN’stheondecades Nicosia Master Plan. They they sidesoftheisland have workingbeen closely for tecture program, says a group of experts fromhelping boththe University of Cyprus set up an archi spentthe first half of 2005 as a Fulbright scholar A bicommunal group of 30 to 40 academics belong to the unique Scientific fields with pressing practical relevance of knew Childs island the on was he While T ento 15 of CAF’s more active members meet every T urkishCypriot geologists to the South T urkishCypriot academics ap ------T G of groups mixed targets that training professional and workshops resolution conflict sponsored years many for has zone, buffer the in space meeting some and the in one S the in office an has which Commission, T urkish Cypriots. urkish he Cyprus Cyprus he outh, a smaller smaller a outh, reek Cypriots and and Cypriots reek - - - N complementaryU.S.-based activity, theCyprus-America Scholar mittedtobi-island contact andunderstanding. The Commission’s Cyprus’stheofranks bicommunalists—individuals arewhocom Cypriotsand shops and professional training that targets mixed groups of Greek buffer zone, has for many years sponsored conflict resolution work South,smallera one inthe North, and some meeting space inthe them to volunteer at island-wide nongovernmental organizations. gramcontinues after participants have returned home by requiring collaborativeleadership, civic engagement, and tolerance; the pro in Washington, D.C. for a three-week program. Its aimdents is to (halfpromote from each community) who gathersponsors a summer at program Americanthat brings together University30 university stu F orth, orth, ulbright ulbright The Cyprus in the Cyprus officeThe Fulbright an Commission, which has T urkishCypriots. These programs have helped form nan Plan in 2004,Planin nan vember CAF eventheldvemberCAFnorth the greenofline. was hoping as of fall 2005 to reverse with the No situationthegroupwentadown,in Faustmann a more neutral north Nicosia venue. involved Greek Cypriots crossing the green line to “interim”conference, held last November, which thebySouth). thegroupSo arranged instead an northern institutions, is not officiallying acknowledgedthat kind of recognition to EMU (which, CAFmembers likewere not comfortableall with grant Cypriot Greek But North. the in EMU at been one, says one CAF member, was supposed to have Intercollegeat secondSouth;was thetheing in havebeeninfused with politics. The first gather has held two conferences whose very arrangements ofcross-cultural dialogue. The U.S. Embassy also sician Daniel Pearl that reaffirmed the importance who organized a tribute to slain journalist andbicommunal musicmu groupuniversityof students academics on both sides. Another grant went to a cial Aspects of Reunification” that was attended projectsby such asaconference on the “Psycho-So theembassyprovides grants forlocallyinspired wide range of bicommunal activities. On Thethe U.S.island, Embassy, based in Nicosia, coordinates a U very small organization.” possible of this is the task of CAF, which is still a is a necessity. cooperation between academics from both sides and contact have, will island the future of kind easier,” says Faustmann. “But irrespective of what “The referendum outcome has not made our lives .S. Initiatives After the Greek Cypriots rejected the An the rejected Cypriots Greek the After T o convince as many academics as T urkishCypriotparticipation ------ship Program (CASP), is administered by AMIDEAST. Kate Ar- slots have been granted to Greek and Turkish Cypriot students on chambault, CASP’s program director, says that annually CASP pro- the basis of a demographic ratio on the island of four Greek Cypriots vides four-year and two-year scholarships, respectively, to about to one Turkish Cypriot. Starting with applicants for U.S. study in 30 Cypriot students for undergraduate and graduate study in U.S. 2006-2007, these traditional ratios have been abolished; applicants universities. The program requires participants to attend a week- will be selected on merit and need alone. Why the change, which long conflict resolution workshop during their stay. was bound to cause a stir? Several former Fulbright scholars attri- Christiana Varda, a Greek Cypriot CASP recipient who gradu- bute it to a U.S. government desire to level the playing field—and ated from Penn State in December with a B.A. in journalism and reward Turkish Cypriots for voting yes to the Annan Plan—by English, attended two of these bicommunal workshops. Although granting more aid to students from the North, who are typically getting to know North Cypriot students in an intimate setting im- more needy than those in the South. proved her views about Turkish Cypriots, she says the experience “rounded” rather than changed the views of the Greek Cypriots she What’s Ahead knows. “It says something that they attended the workshop at all,” Daniel Hadjittofi, the Greek Cypriot head of Cyprus’s Fulbright says Varda, who explains that her fellow Greek Cypriots have been Commission, has worked for years to bring the two communities “brainwashed” by history books with photos of northern Cyprus together. He says that Greek and Turkish Cypriots are “reinventing whose captions read “We will never forget.” Open minds about Cy- their traditional relationships” and, he wants to believe, rediscover- prus have to be formed early, she believes. She argues that CASP’s ing their common humanity. He argues that politically Cyprus is in summer camps for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot high school a transition period where global realities will bring about positive students probably bring the most bang for the buck by reaching changes in the local scene, with the catalyst being Cyprus’s EU as- young people “who may not be as influenced yet” in their thinking cension. Cypriots island-wide are extremely hospitable to millions about the Cyprus situation. of tourists every year, he observes. “It is only normal that they would That situation being what it is, even CASP is not immune to Cy- apply similar principles to each other.” IE priot politics. Up to now, says Kate Archambault, CASP scholarship KYNA RUBIN is a regular contributor to IE.
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