Six €5,000 scholarships offered to Cypriot women for postgraduate studies

Nicosia, Cyprus. Six government-funded scholarships of €5,000 each are being offered to Cypriot women undertaking postgraduate studies in shipping, innovation and technology. The Gender Equality Commissioner’s Office and the Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation announced the scheme on Monday.

Funding and eligibility

The announcement said the awards, totalling €30,000 for the academic year 2026-2027, honour the memory of Dr Christiana Kouta. Eligible programmes may be full-time or part-time but must involve attendance in person at universities either abroad or in Cyprus.

Applicants must be Cypriot citizens who hold a university degree. The minimum qualifying grade is 6.5 on a 10-point scale, or an equivalent result: Upper Second-Class Honours at 60 per cent, a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or 13 on a 20-point scale for French university graduates.

Assessment beyond academic results

According to the announcement, selection will consider academic achievement alongside applicants’ social circumstances. These include coming from a single-parent or large family, or having lost a parent.

The assessment will also consider health circumstances, including disability and serious illness.

Women’s participation in maritime careers

The scheme builds on previous initiatives encouraging women to enter shipping and technology careers, especially occupations with low female representation.

During a campaign in January 2025 encouraging women to consider maritime careers, Gender Equality Commissioner Josie Christodoulou drew attention to the sector’s gender imbalance. She said women accounted for only 20 per cent of maritime workers worldwide and just 2 per cent of seafarers.