Stelios Timotheou is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and faculty member at the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, University of Cyprus. He holds a Dipl-Ing from National Technical University of Athens, and MSc/PhD from Imperial College London. His research focuses on developing real-time distributed methodologies using mathematical optimization, machine learning, and computational intelligence to enhance efficiency in critical infrastructure systems. Research interests center on data-driven decision making for urban mobility management, traffic control systems, and energy optimization. Key areas include: Intelligent UAV-based sensing for traffic monitoring Cooperative control algorithms for multi-agent systems Optimization of renewable energy integration Robust infrastructure protection strategies Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on traffic state estimation (76%), energy system optimization (16%), and UAV applications (8%). Awarded the Cyprus Research Award (2017) and ERC Consolidator Grant for URANUS project. Secured multiple research grants focusing on real-time control systems.
Marios Polycarpou is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence at the University of Cyprus. He holds honorary positions at Imperial College London and is a member of Academia Europaea. His expertise spans intelligent systems, adaptive control, machine learning, and critical infrastructure. Education: B.A. Computer Science (Rice University, 1987) B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (Rice University, 1987) M.S. Electrical Engineering (University of Southern California, 1989) Ph.D. Electrical Engineering (University of Southern California, 1992) Research Focus: Polycarpou’s work emphasizes fault diagnosis in cyber-physical systems, water distribution networks, and adaptive control. He pioneers digital twin technologies for infrastructure resilience and develops algorithms for real-time anomaly detection and system optimization. Article Trends: His recent publications address adaptive control strategies, cybersecurity in networked systems, and AI-driven solutions for water management. Key themes include distributed control, event-triggered mechanisms, and transformer-based anomaly localization. Awards: 2023 IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Technical Field Award 2016 IEEE Neural Networks Pioneer Award Fellow of IEEE and IFAC Grants & Leadership: He secured prestigious grants including ERC Advanced and Synergy Grants. He led KIOS CoE’s Horizon 2020 projects and served as IEEE Computational Intelligence Society President (2012–2013). Labs & Teams: Directs the KIOS CoE, a hub for AI in critical infrastructure. Collaborates on projects like ERC Water-Futures, focusing on long-term water system transitions and contamination mitigation.
Panayiotis Kolios is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus (UCY). Previously, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (2013–2024) and a Visiting Lecturer at UCY. He holds a BEng and PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from King’s College London (2008 and 2012, respectively). His research focuses on networked intelligent systems, emergency management using AI and UAV technologies, and cyber-physical systems. Education: BEng in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2008 PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2012 Research Interests: His work centers on autonomous systems, intelligent transportation, and emergency management. Key areas include AI-driven disaster response, UAV-based surveillance, and algorithmic optimization for critical infrastructure. He develops solutions for real-time situational awareness and decision-support in emergencies. Recent work trends show a focus on multi-UAV coordination, disaster management platforms (like AIDERS), and AI applications in emergency response. His team’s 2023 win in the Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge highlights advancements in UAV inspection algorithms. Scientific Awards: First Prize in Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge (CDC 2023) Grants and Advising: He has secured over €40 million in EU and industrial grants, leading projects like PREDICATE, SWIFTERS, and AIDERS. His team advises on emergency response strategies and has trained first responders through EU-funded programs such as the Exchange of Experts training. Labs and Teams: He leads the Security and Emergency Response Group at KIOS CoE and established the Cyprus Civil Defence Aerial Observation Unit. His team collaborates with institutions like the Cyprus Police and Fire Service to operationalize UAV technologies in disaster scenarios.
Ali Akdoğan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at Final University. His academic career spans over two decades with doctoral studies completed in 2014, following a Master's degree in 1995 and Bachelor's degree in 1992. Educational Background: Doctoral Degree: 2014 Master's Degree: 1995 Bachelor's Degree: 1992 Research Interests: Dr. Akdoğan's work explores educational psychology, teacher development, and the impact of global educational frameworks like the International Baccalaureate program. His research analyzes school culture, emotional intelligence in educational settings, and pandemic-induced distance learning challenges. Publication Trends: Recent work (2021-2022) focuses on psychological impacts of the pandemic on students, effectiveness of international educational programs, and teacher emotional intelligence. Earlier research (2002, 1995) examines social capital and personnel selection in educational institutions.
Petros A. Ioannou is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering-Systems at the University of Southern California (USC), where he has been since 1982. He concurrently serves as Director of the Center of Advanced Transportation Technologies. His research focuses on adaptive control, neural networks, nonlinear systems, and intelligent transportation systems. Education: B.Sc. (First Class Honors) from University College London (1978), M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (1980, 1982). Awards include the IEEE Outstanding Transactions Paper Award (1984) and the Presidential Young Investigator Award (1985). He is an IEEE Fellow. Roles: Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems and IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. Served as Dean of the School of Pure and Applied Science at the University of Cyprus (1995). Visiting Professorships at the University of Newcastle (Australia), Australian National University, and Technical University of Crete. Research Themes: Dominant areas include control system applications, transportation systems, and nonlinear dynamics. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations in vehicle dynamics and intelligent transportation infrastructure.
Zenonas Tziarras is a Lecturer in the Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cyprus. His academic work focuses on Turkish foreign policy, contemporary Turkish politics, and the international politics and security dynamics of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean region. He holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick, UK, with a specialization in Turkish Foreign Policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Dr. Tziarras earned his BA in Mediterranean Studies from the University of the Aegean, Greece, and his MA in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK. He has also attended specialization seminars in International Security at the University of Delhi, India, and in Leadership and Conflict Resolution at Koç University, Turkey, along with obtaining a certificate in Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills from the Northern Ireland Open College Network. His research interests span Turkish foreign policy, contemporary Turkish politics, international politics and security of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, political Islam, and more recently, political theology, apocalypticism, and the relationship between religion, ideology and politics. Dr. Tziarras employs Neoclassical Realist theoretical frameworks in his analysis of foreign policy behavior, with particular attention to ideational factors. His scholarly output demonstrates a clear evolution from analyzing Turkish foreign policy in the Middle East toward examining broader regional dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, with increasing focus on Cyprus's foreign policy and strategic position. The publications reveal a methodological consistency in applying international relations theory to concrete regional cases, particularly examining how systemic pressures interact with domestic factors to shape foreign policy outcomes. Dr. Tziarras is the co-founder of the platform Geopolitical Cyprus and serves as a member of the editorial board of the New Middle Eastern Studies Journal. He has previously worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Cyprus and as an Associate Lecturer in Security & Diplomacy Studies between 2015 and 2017.
Theodoros Zachariadis is a Professor and Interim Director of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) and the Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Centre (STeDI-RC) at The Cyprus Institute. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Geotechnical Sciences and Environmental Management at the Cyprus University of Technology (2015–2020), and as Assistant/Associate Professor there (2009–2020). His expertise spans energy and environmental policy, climate change mitigation, and environmental taxation. He holds a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. **Research Interests:** Techno-economic analysis of energy, environmental, and transport policies; environmental taxation; climate policy integration with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); decarbonization strategies; and green tax reforms. His work emphasizes cost-effective climate policies and equitable transitions. **Awards:** 2009 Research Prize of Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus) and 2019 Environmental Prize (President of Cyprus). He has been ranked in the top 2% of globally cited academics in Energy (2020s). **Affiliations:** Vice Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency, Manager of SDSN Europe, Leadership Council member of SDSN Cyprus, and former Visiting Professor at Aarhus University. He advises on EU climate policies and sustainable development. **Grants & Projects:** Extensive research on Cyprus’ energy policies, EU climate frameworks, and decarbonization pathways. Key outputs include analyses of the EU’s 'Fit for 55' package, green recovery strategies post-pandemic, and cross-border energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. **Labs/Teams:** Leads research teams at EEWRC and STeDI-RC focusing on policy design, climate adaptation, and techno-economic modeling. Collaborates with international networks like Green Budget Europe and the Journal *Energy Economics* (associate editor).
Christos Nicolaides is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Business and Public Administration within the School of Economics and Management at the University of Cyprus (UCY), holding a secondary appointment as a Digital Fellow at MIT's Initiative on the Digital Economy. Previously, he spent three years as a James McDonnell Foundation-funded Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT Sloan School of Management. His educational background includes a PhD in Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014), SM from MIT (2011), MSc in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London (2009), and BSc in Physics from University of Thessaloniki (2008). Nicolaides' research applies mathematical, statistical, and computational tools to large-scale empirical questions in social influence mediated by digital technologies. His work spans Data Science , Machine Learning , Social Networks , and Computational Social Science , with significant contributions to understanding human mobility patterns, disease transmission dynamics, and social contagion effects. His research has established novel methodologies for analyzing complex network structures in mobility data and social interactions. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent focus on applying network science to real-world problems, particularly in pandemic response (12 publications), human mobility analytics (9 publications), and social contagion dynamics (7 publications). His work demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary integration, combining computer science, epidemiology, and organizational behavior since 2020. Marie S. Curie Fellow Two Highly Cited Papers by Web of Science (2017, 2020) Best Paper Award by Risk Analysis Society (2019) Professor of The Week by Poets & Quants (2020) As principal institutional investigator, Nicolaides has secured over €1 million in research funding from the European Commission, industry partners, Cyprus Innovation and Research Foundation, and Cyprus Ministry of Health. His current teaching includes Social Networks and Entrepreneurship, Introduction to Operations Management, and Quantitative Methods in Management. Media coverage of his work spans major outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Nature, and Science, with significant impact on public health policy discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Angelos Georghiou is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at the Department of Business and Public Administration, University of Cyprus. He previously held academic positions as Assistant Professor at McGill University (2016–2019), Post-Doctoral Researcher at MIT (2012–2013), and Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH Zurich (2013–2016). His work bridges computational methods in stochastic and robust optimization with applications in healthcare, energy systems, and operations management. Ph.D. in Operations Research, Imperial College London (2012) M.Sci. in Mathematics, Imperial College London (2008) His research focuses on stochastic optimization , robust optimization , and decision rules , addressing challenges in healthcare analytics , energy-efficient control systems , and machine learning integration . Recent publications in Management Science and Operations Research highlight his contributions to decision-dependent information discovery and computational frameworks. Key trends in his 15 most recent articles include: Advancing robust optimization techniques for multistage problems Applications in healthcare (psychiatric risk prediction) and energy systems Integration of machine learning with stochastic programming Development of tractable algorithms for complex decision environments Scientific Awards : Esdras-Minville Best Student Paper Award (2023) He serves on editorial boards of Operations Research Letters (Area Editor) and Management Science , and collaborates with institutions like MIT, ETH Zurich, and McGill University. His work with undergraduate students includes a 2021 paper in SIAM Undergraduate Research Online .
Christodoulou Chris is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus. He joined in 2005 and holds a Visiting Research Fellowship at Birkbeck College, University of London. His educational background includes a BEng in Electronic Engineering from Queen Mary and Westfield College (1991), a PhD in Neural Networks from King's College London (1997), and a BA in German from Birkbeck College (2008). His research focuses on Computational Neuroscience, Neural Networks, and Machine Learning, with specific interests in neural coding, self-control modeling, computational neuronal modeling, multi-agent reinforcement learning, and practical machine learning applications. Recent publications (2013-2025) demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, computer science, and optimization techniques, with emerging emphasis on protein structure prediction and biomedical applications. Scientific awards include: Best Paper Award, ICSR 2015 Best Paper Award, MODELS 2008 Doctoral Symposium He leads the Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience (CIN) research group and has secured funding from European projects (SocioCoast, CYberSafety, TAMIT). He mentors students through Google Summer of Code and collaborates internationally.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wayne FULLER is a faculty member at Near East University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Genetics. He earned his BSc in Zoology from the University of Oxford before pursuing doctoral research at Exeter Universities' Centre for Ecology and Conservation in North Cyprus. Specializing in Mediterranean marine turtle conservation and ecology, his work spans climate change impacts, plastic pollution, and stable isotope applications. Education: BSc in Zoology, PhD in Marine Ecology Current Roles: Head of Department of Genetics, Near East University Key Projects: IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (2017-present), EU Nature 2000 implementation in Cyprus (2008) His recent research explores phenological shifts in sea turtle offspring under climate change, macroplastic ingestion patterns, and avian conservation in Mediterranean forests. Publications emphasize ecological monitoring, habitat connectivity, and conservation technology applications like GPS and stable isotopes. Scientific recognition includes: Member of IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group
Professor George Giaglis is a prominent academic in the School of Business at the University of Cyprus, serving as Director of the Institute for the Future. He holds a PhD in Information Systems from Brunel University and a BSc (Hons) in Information Systems from the Athens University of Economics and Business. His academic journey includes roles such as Professor, Vice Rector, and Associate Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2002–2017) and prior positions at the University of the Aegean and Brunel University. His research focuses on blockchain technology, IoT, digital currencies, and pervasive information systems. He has contributed to over 200 publications, exploring topics like blockchain integration in marine systems, NFTs, CBDCs, and social network dynamics. His work bridges technology and business, addressing digital transformation challenges and ethical implications of emerging technologies. Giaglis has organized major conferences like Decentralized 2019 and contributed to EU blockchain policy discussions. His research emphasizes practical applications of technology in sectors like healthcare, finance, and urban logistics. Despite prolific output, no specific awards are noted, though his h-index of 25 reflects significant academic impact. His current roles involve advancing the Institute for the Future’s projects, advising on digital innovation strategies, and mentoring researchers in decentralized systems. Ongoing work includes exploring AI-blockchain synergies and regulatory frameworks for digital currencies.
Professor Edna Yamasaki is the Head of the Department of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Nicosia's School of Sciences and Engineering, and serves as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. Her career spans roles in academia, research, and administrative leadership. She holds a Medicine degree from Federal Fluminense University (Brazil), followed by MSc/PhD in Biophysics (Neurobiology) from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and postdoctoral training at institutions including Harvard Medical School (USA) and the University of Cyprus. Her research focuses on nervous system development/degeneration, public health implications of climate change, and biomedical materials. Notable projects include the CYPHEW initiative (identifying Cyprus's heat-related health risks), polymer development for biological applications, and Erasmus+ programs promoting health-enhanced physical activity. She has contributed to environmental hydrodynamic modeling, health information systems evaluation (DIPSA framework), and disaster risk assessments for oil spills. Her work bridges neuroscience, environmental science, and public policy. Recent studies highlight aging populations' health challenges and the impact of extreme weather on mortality and hospital admissions in Cyprus. She actively collaborates on EU-funded projects addressing work safety, healthcare informatics, and climate adaptation. Professional milestones include coordinating interdisciplinary teams across multiple continents and transitioning between laboratory research to institutional leadership roles. Her leadership emphasizes fostering curiosity-driven research while addressing societal health challenges.
George Pallis is a Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of Cyprus, affiliated with the School of Science. He holds a BSc and PhD from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research focuses on Distributed and Network Computing, Big Data Analytics, and Cloud/Edge/Fog Computing. He leads the Master's Program in Data Science and has secured over €5.5M in research funding from the EU, Cyprus, and industry partners like Google. Education: BSc (2001), PhD (2006) from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Research Interests include Internet technologies, large-scale network environments, and cloud computing. He has published over 100 articles in top-tier journals and conferences (e.g., IEEE TKDE, ACM TOIT, WWW, ICDCS) and contributed to international standards (DIN, CEN). His work spans topics like fake news detection, edge computing frameworks, and energy-efficient micro-data centers. Key Achievements: Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of IEEE Internet Computing, recipient of multiple best paper awards, and contributor to projects like RAINBOW (H2020), UNICORN, and ICARUS. His research explores cutting-edge areas such as LLM manipulation, polarization detection, and carbon-aware computing. He has supervised five PhD students and served as General Chair for IEEE/ACM SEC 2024 and IEEE IC2E 2024. His work bridges academia and industry through collaborations on AI, IoT, and sustainable computing.
Dr. Angel Nikolaou-Konnari is a Professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus, appointed as Assistant Professor in 2009, promoted to Associate Professor in 2015, and elevated to Professor in 2024. She specializes in the history of Latin-dominated Hellenism, focusing on Cypriot society under Frankish and Venetian rule. Her research explores cultural interactions, identity formation, and historiography. She leads several projects, including GraMiC (mill heritage documentation) and the Digital Library of Medieval Cyprus Sources. She coordinates international collaborations with King’s College London and the Cyprus Scientific Research Center. Education: PhD in Medieval History (University of Wales, Cardiff, 1999); earlier degrees from Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier. Research Interests: Medieval Cyprus, cultural contact, Cypriot historiography, gender studies, and opera’s portrayal of medieval Cyprus. Projects: Directed projects on Cypriot mills, digital editions of historical chronicles, and prosopography of medieval Cyprus. Advising: Supervised 11 Master’s and 5 completed PhD theses, with 3 ongoing. Labs/Teams: Leads the Prosopography of Medieval Cyprus and collaborates on Digitising Medieval Cyprus .
