Eastern Mediterranean University
The Eastern Mediterranean University is a public university in Northern Cyprus, was established in 1979, led by Onay Fadıl Demirciler, who was then the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education. Initially founded as a technology-focused higher-education institution for Turkish Cypriots, it was granted state university status in 1986. The university's campus is situated within the city of Famagusta.
The university boasts 141 programs across 12 Faculties and 4 Schools, offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, supported by substantial research infrastructure. Instruction is provided in both Turkish and English, with an English Preparatory School available to help students enhance their English proficiency.
Campus
Faculties and schools
The university has 13 Faculties and 5 Schools. The Faculties are as follows, in order of their establishment:- Faculty of Arts & Sciences
- Faculty of Business & Economics
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Communication & Media Studies
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Tourism
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Computer & Information Sciences
- School of Computing & Technology
- School of Tourism & Hospitality Management
- School of Justice
- School of Health Services
- School of Information Technologies
Library
Sports
The campus boasts a variety of sports facilities, including tennis and basketball courts, AstroTurf football pitches, and an outdoor athletics stadium. Additionally, the Lala Mustafa Pasha indoor sports center, another key facility on campus, hosts major sporting and cultural events.Social activities
Eastern Mediterranean University owns a radio station on 106.5 FM called Radio EMU broadcasting to the whole island.International outreach
Eastern Mediterranean University is a full member of several international associations of universities, including the European University Association, the Caucasus University Association, and the International Association of Universities. It has gained accreditation for Turkish students from the Council of Higher Education and the Turkish Cypriot higher education organization, while maintaining its independent status through its non-profit foundation.Eastern Mediterranean University has ranked in the top 50 universities of the world in the Times Higher Education International Student Table, reaching 4th place in the world in 2024 with 74.8% international students. It also boasts international faculty members from countries including the UK, Russia, Hungary, Iran, and Pakistan.
16 Scientists across the Eastern Mediterranean University feature in Stanford/Elsevier's latest Top 2% Scientist Rankings.
Accreditations
At least 55 programs at Eastern Mediterranean University and the associated English preparatory school have received accreditations, from 13 different international bodies. These include:- ABET accreditation of several bachelor's programs at the Faculty of Engineering
- accreditation of associate degree programs in Biomedical Equipment Technology, Computer Programming, Electrical and Electronics Technology, Mapping and Cadastral Survey and Construction Technology, bachelor's programs in Information Systems and Technologies, Information Technology and Molecular Biology and Genetics, and master's programs in Information Technology and Medical Biotechnology.
- AQAS accreditation of bachelor's programs in Pre-School Teacher Education, English Language Teaching, and Interior Architecture.
- FIBAA accreditation of bachelor's programs in Banking and Insurance, Finance and Banking, International Finance, Business Administration, Human Resource Management, International Trade and Business, Management Information System, Marketing, Public Administration, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and a master's program in Tourism Management.
Rankings
Eastern Mediterranean University was included in the 601-800 band in the 2025 Times Higher Education [World University Rankings] of global universities, featuring over 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories across the world. This made it the top university in Northern Cyprus on this list, a position it has held consistently for many years. It also ranks in equal fifth place among Turkish universities on this list, after Koç University, Middle East Technical University, and Sabancı University and Istanbul Technical University. Also, the 2025 QS World University Rankings evaluated Eastern Mediterranean University within the 611-620 band, among more than 1,500 universities from 105 countries.Notable people
Notable alumni
- Sonnia Agu — Nigerian social entrepreneur
- Plestia Alaqad — Palestinian journalist
- Birsen Bekgöz — Turkish athlete
- Ese Brume — Nigerian athlete
- Obi Emelonye — Nigerian film director
- Ann El Safi — Sudanese journalist and writer
- Oytun Ersan — Turkish Cypriot bass guitarist and composer
- Buğra Gülsoy — Turkish actor, author, director, producer, and screenwriter
- Mehmet Harmancı — Mayor of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality
- Murat Șenkul — Mayor of the Kyrenia Turkish Municipality
- Mehmet Muş — Turkish MP and Minister of Trade
- Ebru Polat — Turkish singer
- Diane Russet — Nigerian actor and producer
- Rahama Sadau — Nigerian actor and filmmaker
- Hripsime Stambulyan — Armenian politician and member of the National Assembly
- Bülent Turan — MP in Turkey
- Hasan Zaidi — Indian actor
Notable faculty
- Raif Denktaş — Turkish Cypriot composer, politician, and writer
- Tufan Erhürman — Lawyer and President of Northern Cyprus
- Arran Fernandez — British mathematician
- Halil Güven — Academic and former rector
- Özdil Nami — Turkish Cypriot politician
- Skip Norman — African American filmmaker, visual anthropologist and educator
- Zehra Şonya — Turkish Cypriot sculptor