THOUSANDS of students from across the country already study here in Worcester.

But numbers have been boosted by three triplets who have travelled all the way from their home in the Mediterranean to the Faithful City.

Charalampis, Giorgos and Chrysovalantis Papaioannou are nearing the end of their first semester at the University of Worcester, having each completed two years’ compulsory military service in their home country of Cyprus.

Giorgos is studying biology, Charalampis computing and Chrysovalantis human nutrition.

“When we decided to study in England, the University of Worcester stood out from the other institutions by offering the courses that suited our different interests,” said Giorgos.

“The education system is really different.

"Here at Worcester, the technology is more advanced and the range of modules that we can select from and add to our curriculum is impressive - this way we can combine our main course with any other subject that is an interest of ours.

“I really enjoy the wide range of practical tasks and the field trips that we have as part of the course.

“Being able to try new things helps me develop a better understanding of the things I am reading about.”

Charalampis, meanwhile, said the brothers are enjoying life in the city.

“It took us a while to adjust to the language and the culture, but everyone is so friendly and supportive here, which made settling in a lot easier,” he said. 

The brothers’ parents run a plant nursery back in Cyprus with the triplets all interested in running their own businesses in the future.

Giogros says he would like to develop the family business, Charalampis hopes to run his own computing firm while Chrysovalantis’ ambition is to start a nutrition consultancy for professional athletes.