Christoforos Fokaides

Christoforos Fokaides is an academic and a former minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus. He is a holder of a BSc in Economics (with minor in Political Science), as well as of a BA in Turkish Studies from the University of Cyprus. He has also received an MA in European Politics and Democracy Studies and a PhD in Politics and Government from the University of Kent in UK. Ηe has been actively engaged in politics and public affairs since his student years. He has served, among else, as President of the Youth of the Democratic Rally (DISY), as Head of DISY’s School of Political Training and member of the Executive Office. He has worked for several years as a researcher and as a university lecturer in politics. In March 2014 he was accepted for a visiting fellowship at the University of Yale in the United States. In April 2014 he was appointed by President Anastasiades as Minister of Defence, a post which he held until February 2018. During his office, he implemented a comprehensive plan for the modernization of the Cypriot armed forces, including the transformation of the National Guard into a semi-professional army while a new defence diplomacy policy was promoted, resulting in a number of military cooperation agreements with a number of neighbouring and other states. After the end of his term in office, he was appointed as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the European University Cyprus. He is the founder and the president of the Institute of Studies for Politics and Democracy.