Starting with 81 students and 45 staff in 1997, CIU has shown a phenomenal growth by reaching to 18,000 students and over 1000 staff in only 24 years.

The strategic geopolitical location of the island of Cyprus and its proximity to the birthplace of civilization has played an important role in what Cyprus is today; a small but very international island. This international identity became the inspiration for our name. Cyprus International University has its roots in the vision of Mr. Özer Boyacı who set out to establish an institution that would make a mark on higher education in North Cyprus.

After 24 years, the fulfillment of his vision can be seen in the countless success stories that came out of CIU, an educational infrastructure second to none on the island, a campus encompassing over a million square meters, an increasing focus on research, social responsibility, environment and culture and an ever growing number of graduates in over a hundred different countries.