The UNIC – FIFPro Initiative

At the core of the University of Nicosia Social Responsibility campaigns and initiatives is its concern and pursuit to bring about positive change in several different key areas.

Three of these areas, which reflect the value and importance of this initiative, are the following:

  • access to education
  • social sustainability
  • investment in people

FIFPro, the worldwide representative organisation for all professional footballers, is dedicated to addressing the issue of Dual Career for professional athletes and recognises the need for its members to have access to high quality education, while still in their professional capacity as athletes.

These two organisations, the University of Nicosia and FIFPro, have launched a global educational initiative, which aims at addressing these targets and concerns. This educational initiative will allow over one thousand professional footballers, from around the world, to study at the University of Nicosia.

The two programs to be made available to FIFPro member athletes, at the beginning of this educational initiative, are the following:

  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Sports Management
  • Master in Business Administration (MBA) online

The University intends on developing further online programs in the future, to better address the needs of athletes, as well as enrich and diversify its academic portfolio offered online.

This cooperation offers a series of educational benefits to the participating athletes, thus satisfying the FIFPro’s, as well as the University’s pursuits; additionally, it includes a Scholars Scheme that provides for full scholarships to active professional players, as well as hundreds of other partial scholarships. This Scholars Scheme is an additional element that satisfies the University’s pursuits in Social Responsibility and also enhances the initiative and promotes the cooperation with FIFPro.

Online (distance) learning is a perfect platform to encourage players to pursue an education, which is tailored to their requirements and is without disruption, should the need to move to a team in another country arise.

Members from all FIFPro player unions, worldwide, can apply for the education programmes offered by UNIC, as part of this cooperation.