04/06/2026 04:45 AST
PureHealth, a major healthcare group in the Middle East, has announced the opening of its University of Nicosia campus in Athens through its Greek subsidiary.
The university introduces a GenNext model of healthcare education, embedding AI, data analytics and digital health into core clinical training to develop a workforce equipped to operate in integrated, technology-enabled healthcare systems.
The inauguration ceremony of UNIC Athens was attended by senior government and institutional leadership, underscoring the strategic significance of the initiative at a national and regional level.
Attendees included Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports of the Hellenic Republic, and Athina Michaelidou, Minister of Education, Sport and Youth of the Republic of Cyprus.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr Ali Obaid Ali Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the UAE to the Hellenic Republic, Shaista Asif, Group CEO of PureHealth, Panagiotis Skandalakis, President of the Council of UNIC Athens, Philippos Pouyioutas, Rector of the University of Nicosia, and Antonis Polemitis, CEO of University of Nicosia and Chairman of the Board of Directors at UNIC Athens, alongside other senior members of PureHealth Group, government stakeholders, and leaders across the education and healthcare sectors.
The university is a direct extension of PureHealth's global strategy to integrate care delivery, research and education within a single operating model.
Drawing on its international clinical network and scale across multiple markets, PureHealth is actively shaping a new approach to medical education that reflects how modern healthcare systems are designed and delivered. This enables the transfer of expertise, clinical standards and operational capabilities from UAE, Cyprus, and Greece, supporting the continued advancement of its healthcare ecosystem.
Dr Al Dhaheri said: "The establishment of this medical university demonstrates the strength of the strategic partnership between the UAE and the Hellenic Republic, and our shared commitment to advancing innovation in vital sectors such as healthcare and education. The initiative also represents a forward-looking investment in fostering talent, knowledge exchange, and achieving sustainable development."
Speaking on the occasion, Asif said: "Healthcare is entering a new phase, where clinical practice, data and technology are becoming increasingly interconnected. This requires a fundamental shift in how we develop talent. This university reflects our strategy to invest in the long-term foundations of healthcare, strengthening our ability to develop tech enabled talent, advance research and integrate education more closely with care delivery."
"As we expand across Europe amid a growing shortage of healthcare professionals, this allows us to build scale, develop talent across markets and ensure greater consistency in clinical standards across our network, while unlocking operational efficiencies," she stated.
Students will be trained within an integrated environment where research, technology and clinical practice are closely aligned, with exposure to real-world 'living lab' environments. Students will also benefit from access to PureHealth's clinical infrastructure in Greece, which serves more than 1.3 million patients annually, providing hands-on clinical training opportunities within an established healthcare network.
Zacharaki said: This marks an important milestone for the future of higher education in Greece. It reflects a broader national effort to strengthen the international outlook, quality and competitiveness of the Greek education system."
"Through a robust and transparent framework, we are enabling internationally recognised institutions to establish a meaningful presence in our country, reinforcing Greece's position as an emerging hub for academic excellence, innovation and knowledge exchange in the wider region," stated the minister
Skandalakis said UNIC Athens's ambition is to set a new standard for how medicine is taught. "By embedding artificial intelligence into the core of the curriculum and integrating learning across both clinical and real-world environments, we are preparing doctors to operate in healthcare systems where data, technology and clinical practice are fully connected," he added.
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