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.
Professor Ioannis Katakis is a Faculty Member at the University of Nicosia, where he is affiliated with the School of Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science. He has held various academic positions across multiple institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, Open University of Cyprus, Hellenic Open University, Athens University of Economics and Business, and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His educational background includes a PhD in Machine Learning for Automated Text Classification (2005-2009), a Master's in Information Systems (2005-2007), and a Bachelor's in Computer Science (2000-2004), all from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Professor Katakis specializes in several cutting-edge areas of computer science and data analysis. His primary research interests include Mining Social, Web and Urban Data , Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining , Data Streams , and Multi-label Learning . His work bridges theoretical machine learning approaches with practical applications in social media analysis, healthcare informatics, privacy protection, and smart city technologies. He has published extensively in top venues including CIKM, ECML/PKDD, IEEE TKDE, and ECAI. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward applying machine learning techniques to real-world problems with societal impact. He has focused on areas such as GDPR compliance in smart devices, sentiment analysis in crowd-sourced content, healthcare applications including drug reaction classification and brain disease monitoring, and privacy protection in wearable technologies. His work often involves multi-modal data analysis and addresses challenges in data streams and multi-label classification. Professor Katakis has made significant contributions to his field, with his research cited over 4,200 times. He serves as an Editor for the journal Information Systems and has edited four special issues in journals such as DAMI and InfSys. He regularly contributes to the academic community by serving on program committees for major conferences including ECML/PKDD, WSDM, DEBS, and IJCAI, and by reviewing for prestigious journals like TPAMI, DMKD, TKDE, TKDD, JMLR, TWEB, and ML. He has been actively involved in European research projects, notably serving as Quality Assurance Coordinator and Senior Researcher for projects such as VAVEL (www.vavel-project.eu) and INSIGHT (www.insight-ict.eu). His grant activities demonstrate a strong focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary research with practical applications in urban data management, social media analysis, and healthcare informatics. He has organized three workshops at major conferences (ICML, ECML/PKDD, EDBT/ICDT) and has extensive experience translating research into practical applications through his involvement in European projects.
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.
Professor Mohammed Salamah is a distinguished faculty member in the Computer Engineering Department at Eastern Mediterranean University's Faculty of Engineering. He maintains an office in room 114 and can be contacted at +90 392 630 1149/1334 or via email at muhammed.salamah@emu.edu.tr. His academic website provides additional resources for students and colleagues. Dr. Salamah earned his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Middle East Technical University in 1988, 1990, and 1996 respectively, establishing a strong foundation for his career in network communications and wireless systems. His research interests span multiple critical areas in modern networking, with particular expertise in Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things (IoT) security, Mobile Communications, and Energy Efficiency in network protocols. Professor Salamah has made significant contributions to the understanding of network security mechanisms, trust management systems, and optimization of wireless communication protocols. An analysis of his recent scholarly output reveals a strong focus on security challenges in IoT communication systems, controller placement optimization in software-defined wireless sensor networks, and trust-based malicious node detection schemes. His work demonstrates consistent attention to practical network performance issues while addressing emerging challenges in next-generation communication technologies. Throughout his academic career, Professor Salamah has demonstrated exceptional commitment to student mentorship, supervising numerous graduate students through their research journey. His administrative contributions include service as an associate editor, reviewer, and session chair for academic conferences. His laboratory work focuses on practical implementations of wireless communication protocols, with emphasis on energy efficiency, security mechanisms, and performance optimization for various network architectures including cellular networks, cognitive radio systems, and wireless sensor networks.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıltan Bitirim is a faculty member at the Computer Engineering Department of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. With over two decades of academic experience, he has served in various roles including Vice Chair (2014-2022), Academic Affairs Coordinator (2025-), and committee member for ABET assessment, curriculum development, and faculty recruitment. Current academic rank: Associate Professor Active administrative roles: Senate Member (2023-), Information Technology Commission Member (2023-) Professional memberships: ACM, IEEE Senior Member, Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Computer Engineers Research Interests focus on four primary areas: Information Retrieval Systems – evaluating search engine effectiveness and reverse image search performance Machine Learning – applied to emotion classification, gender recognition, and medical diagnosis Data Mining – used in Turkish word-stemming analysis and user behavior studies Biometrics – specializing in hand/wrist/palm vein recognition systems and voice-based identification Publications demonstrate consistent contributions across disciplines, with recent works (2023-2025) emphasizing: Deep learning applications in biometric authentication Advanced emotion recognition systems Medical AI for diabetes management and retinopathy diagnosis Biometric spoof detection mechanisms Turkish language processing challenges Recommendation system innovations Awards & Recognition : Research Incentive Awards (2020, 2021) Best Paper Award at ICIW 2007 IEEE Senior Member status As an educator, he has supervised numerous thesis committees and taught foundational courses in computer engineering, including CMPE 112 and CMPE 342. His certifications (MCTS, MCITP) reflect technical expertise in Microsoft technologies.
Prof. Dr. Zeki Bayram is a full Professor and current Chairman of the Computer Engineering Department at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). He has served as the founding chairman of the Internet Technologies Research Center (2006) and chaired the departmental ABET committee from 2010 to 2023. His academic contributions span semantic web services, mobile payment systems, and XML-based technologies. Founded Cybersoft Bilişim Teknolojileri Limited, a dormant software company in North Cyprus Active in academic service, including thesis supervision and editorial roles Teaches courses on programming languages, automata theory, and software tools Research focuses on semantic web service composition, secure payment schemes, and declarative programming paradigms. His work integrates logic programming, constraint solving, and ontology engineering. Prof. Bayram has published extensively in journals and conferences since the 1990s, with notable contributions to formal methods in service-oriented architectures.
Maria K. Michael is an Associate Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE), University of Cyprus, and a cofounding faculty member of the KIOS Center of Excellence. She leads the Center’s Education and Training activities and coordinates the MSc program in Intelligent Critical Infrastructure Systems, a collaboration between UCY, KIOS CoE, and Imperial College London. Her expertise spans dependability, security, and reliability in cyber-physical systems, embedded systems, and AI/ML optimization for edge intelligence. Education: BSc in Computer Science MSc in Computer Science Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences (Computer Engineering), Southern Illinois University, USA Research Focus: Hardware-enabled security, cyber-security in intelligent embedded systems, reliability of edge-based accelerators, and applications in smart grids, UAVs, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. Her work emphasizes safety-critical systems and resource-constrained environments. Grants & Team: Leads a 15-member research team (postdocs, PhD/MSc/BSc students). Funded by EU FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe, NSF, Intel Corp., and the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation. No scientific awards listed explicitly in provided text. Labs & Initiatives: Director of Education/Training at KIOS CoE; core contributor to the MSc program in Intelligent Critical Infrastructure Systems.
Michael Sirivianos is an Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), where he serves as Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Duke University (2010) and leads research in cybersecurity, disinformation detection, and social media analysis. He coordinates multiple EU-funded projects including ReCRED (Horizon 2020) and ENCASE (Marie Curie RISE), securing over €3M in research funding. Research Focus His work spans: Cybersafety : Detection of cyberbullying, hate speech, and inappropriate content targeting children Trust Systems : Device-centric authentication and blockchain applications Disinformation Analysis : Graph-based detection of fake news and state-sponsored manipulation Scalable Systems : Distributed databases and network infrastructure Achievements & Recognition Best Paper Award (2019) for work on state-sponsored disinformation Distinguished Paper (2018) for fringe web community analysis Spotlight Session recognition (2020) for child protection research Featured in NYT, Washington Post, and Wired for YouTube content analysis Leadership Co-directs the Network Systems Research Lab, serves on the Board of CYENS Centre of Excellence, and coordinates the Fact-check Cyprus Centre against Disinformation.
Prof. Dr. Fadi AL-TURJMAN serves as the founding Dean of the Faculty of AI and Informatics at Near East University (NEU), Cyprus. He holds multiple leadership roles including Head of the Software Engineering Department and Director of the AI and Robotics Institute and the International Research Center for AI and IoT. With a PhD in Computer Science from Queen’s University (2011), he specializes in AIoT systems, wireless networks, and blockchain integration. Affiliation: Near East University Leadership: Founding Dean for AI and Informatics, Director of AI & Robotics Institute Research Focus: His work bridges Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) , Blockchain Applications , and Smart Networking . He explores cybersecurity frameworks for smart cities, quantum state optimization techniques, and novel AI-driven solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and energy systems. Key Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize Transformer models for environmental monitoring, blockchain-enabled security protocols , and evolutionary algorithms for resource optimization. His research spans interdisciplinary domains including medical diagnostics, vehicular networks, and sustainable infrastructure. Scientific Awards: Lifetime Golden Award of Dr. Suat Gunsel (2022) Multiple Best Research Awards at International Venues Labs & Teams: Directs the International Research Center for AI and IoT at NEU, leading multidisciplinary teams in developing advanced networking technologies and AI-driven solutions for global value chain applications.
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.
Klitos Christodoulou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Digital Innovation at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), affiliated with the School of Business. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester (2014), along with a BSc and MSc in Computer Science from the same institution. His research focuses on Distributed Ledger Technologies, Blockchain, Machine Learning, and Data Integration. He is a research faculty member at UNIC's Institute For the Future (IFF) since 2018 and actively contributes to ISO/TC 307 standards for Blockchain. Christodoulou has led projects like the Ripple grant and participated in EU initiatives such as EUNOMIA and DLT4ALL. He teaches blockchain courses in UNIC's MSc in Digital Currency program and serves on editorial boards, including Frontiers in Blockchain. His work explores blockchain governance, consensus algorithms, and ethical applications in supply chains. Education: BSc in Computer Science, University of Manchester (2006–2009) MSc in Advanced Computer Science, University of Manchester (2009–2010) PhD in Computer Science, University of Manchester (2010–2014) Research Interests: Blockchain and DLT architectures Machine Learning applications in finance and security Decentralized governance models Blockchain adoption frameworks Awards/Grants: Principal Investigator of the Ripple grant; EU-funded projects (EUNOMIA, DLT4ALL); contributor to Cyprus National Blockchain Strategy. Labs/Teams: Institute For the Future (IFF), University of Nicosia
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.
Dr. Michael Georgiades is an Assistant Professor at Neapolis University of Pafos, specializing in computer networks. He holds a BEng (First Class Honours) from King’s College London, an MSc from University College London, and a PhD from the University of Surrey. His career includes roles as R&D Manager at Primetel PLC, Research Fellow at the Centre of Communication Systems Research (CCSR), and Systems Development Engineer at INSIG Ltd. He has contributed to EU-funded ICT projects, holds patents, and authored IETF standards. His research focuses on Tactile Internet, Mobile Edge Computing, Vehicular Networks, IoT, and Edge Intelligence. Research Interests: Tactile Internet Mobile Edge Computing Vehicular Networks IoT Edge Intelligence Awards: Nokia Prize for Research Excellence Primetel Awards for Excellence EPSRC and British Council Studentships Publications span cutting-edge topics like adversarial ML attacks on IoT networks, cryptocurrency market analysis, and satellite-backhauled 5G systems. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in healthcare, agriculture, and transportation systems.
