The Cyprus Pedagogical Institute was founded in 1972, as Pedagogical Academy, after an instance of the Ministry of Education and a resolution of the Cabinet Council and, in a way, it is considered a “harbinger” of the University of Cyprus, as well as the first theoretical state “University” in our island, since - until a few years after the foundation (1992) of the University of Cyprus - many teachers graduated from it. The Pedagogical Institute was initially housed at the present University of Cyprus grounds in Aglandjia, but for some years now it is housed in Latsia, along with a branch of the University of Cyprus, while a branch of it operates in Limassol.

The Pedagogical Institute's mission is developmental, covering all levels of education. The main activity keynotes are the following:

a). Pedagogical proficiency
b). Generic and specific educators' training.
c). Educational research and evaluation.
d). Educational documentation.
e). Modern technology applications in education.

The Pedagogical Institute actively contributes into the compilation of analytical programmes for the schools of primary, secondary and tertiary education in Cyprus and is dividend into four (4) departments, the Department of Tutorial Education, the Department of Educational Research and Evaluation, the Department of Educational Technology and the Department of Educational Documentation. Since 2002, the Programmes' Development Service of the Ministry of Education and Culture falls under the Institute.

Under the aegis of the European Union, and as part of the educational policy of the Council of Europe, the Pedagogical Institute participates in the SOCRATES programme (a programme for the promotion of co-operation, common educational plans and the consolidation of the European aspect in Education), the ERASMUS programme (a programme for inter-University co-operation and exchange of students) and the COMENIUS programme (as part of the development of European plans to train educators).

More information about the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute can be found at the Institute's official web page, http://athena.pi.ac.cy/pedagogical/index.html (available in Greek only).