Nikos Christodoulides (; born 6 December 1973) is a Cypriot politician, former diplomat and academic who is the eighth president of Cyprus since February 28th 2023. He was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022, and Spokesman of the Cypriot Government from 2014 to 2018. For much of his career, Christodoulides worked as a diplomat. In 2003, he received a PhD in political science from the University of Athens, and was a lecturer and researcher at the University of Cyprus between 2007 and 2010. Afterwards, he served in various roles in the second Anastasiades government, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In January 2022, he resigned from his post as Minister to run as an Independent in the 2023 Cypriot presidential election with the backing of centrist and right-of-centre parties. He was subsequently endorsed by the Democratic Party (DIKO), Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK), Democratic Alignment (DIPA) and Solidarity Movement parties. In the 2023 Cypriot presidential election, he won 32.04% of the popular vote in the first round and 51.92% in the second round, thus becoming president-elect. Christodoulides is to take office on 28 February 2023, becoming the first president born in an independent Cyprus. Early life Born in 1973 at Geroskipou, Paphos, to a Greek Cypriot family, Christodoulides' father hailed from the village of Choulou in Paphos' mountainous region, whilst his mother's family came from Geroskipou. Education Educated at the Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum in Paphos, he left in 1991, to study at Queens College, City University of New York, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics and Byzantine & Modern Greek studies, before pursuing further studies in political science at New York University (MA) and in diplomatic studies at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC), University of Malta (MA). Christodoulides earned a PhD in political science and public administration from the University of Athens in 2003. Career before presidency Diplomat Christodoulides entered diplomatic service in 1999, before joining government in 2013. He held various posts including Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Spokesman of the Cyprus Presidency to the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Cyprus to Greece, Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Consul-General of the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom.