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.
Prof. Bahire Efe Özad is a Professor in the Department of Television and Film Studies at Eastern Mediterranean University's Faculty of Communication and Media Studies. She holds a PhD and multiple master's degrees in education and English language teaching. Her research focuses on media studies, social media impact, communication theory, environmental sociology, cinema analysis, and intercultural communication. She has supervised over 80 PhD and Master's theses, reflecting her extensive academic mentorship. Her notable works include analyses of sacred defense cinema, pandemic governance in Northern Cyprus, and systematic reviews on fake news scholarship. She has conducted impactful studies on marital sustainability during the pandemic, Nigerian election media framing, and digital natives' social media use. Her research spans diverse areas including ICT's environmental impact, romantic relationship dynamics, and blog reader engagement. Prof. Özad has led projects like analyzing communication barriers for African students and exploring original scores in film. She maintains an active academic presence through Google Scholar and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed journals. Her teaching and research activities emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to media, communication, and social dynamics.
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.
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).
Thomas Nektarios Papanastasiou is an Associate Professor of International Economic Law and Law of Energy at Neapolis University Pafos. He holds a PhD in International Investment Law and advanced degrees in International Relations and Law from Waseda University and the University of Athens. Currently, he serves as Coordinator of the Distance LLM in International & European Business Law and Director of the Legal Clinic. His professional experience includes roles at the World Bank, OECD, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as research positions at Waseda University and Mitsubishi Research Institute. Research Interests: Prof. Papanastasiou specializes in international investment law, political risk management, energy law, and the intersection of human rights with investment arbitration. His work emphasizes legal frameworks governing foreign investments in energy sectors across Asia and Europe, with a focus on Japan’s public insurance agencies and EU bilateral investment treaties. Publications: His recent work explores the role of human rights in arbitration, implications of political risk insurance for energy projects, and the post-Achmea landscape of intra-EU investment disputes. He has published in journals such as The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals and contributed chapters to edited volumes like Public Actors in International Investment Law . Teaching & Leadership: Beyond research, he lectures at the Police Academy of Cyprus and oversees interdisciplinary academic programs. His work bridges legal theory with practical governance challenges in international development and infrastructure 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.
Dr. Theodoros Tsakiris is an Associate Professor of Geopolitics and Energy Policy at the School of Business, University of Nicosia . He serves as an International Research Associate at ESCP's London-based Research Center for Energy Management and leads the Energy & Geopolitics Program at ELIAMEP, Greece's leading foreign policy think tank. Dr. Tsakiris contributes to the Horizon 2020 research program FEUTURE , analyzing EU-Turkish relations, and teaches courses on oil & gas geopolitics, economics, and markets. He coordinates energy-related study programs at UNIC and is seconded to the Department of Engineering and the Department of International & European Relations . PhD , Faculty of International & European Studies, Panteion University of Athens (2008) Master , School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University (2002) Bachelor , Faculty of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1999) Dr. Tsakiris' research focuses on energy security , geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean , and EU energy policy . His work explores Turkish revisionism , cross-border energy infrastructure , and regional cooperation mechanisms , particularly regarding natural gas reserves and export routes. He has authored 1 book , 10 monographs , 14 book chapters , and 13 peer-reviewed articles in multiple languages, with citations from institutions like Harvard University's Belfer Center and MIT Energy Initiative. His recent publications analyze the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian War on EU gas supplies , the geopolitical significance of the EastMed Pipeline , and the role of Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt in EU energy diversification . Dr. Tsakiris has held high-level policy advisory roles, including Director for International Policy Planning for the Greek Minister of Energy and member of Cyprus' Council for Geostrategic Studies (2014–2015). He is a research associate at UNIC's Center for European and International Affairs and leads the Energy Geopolitics Committee at the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics.
George N. Papageorgiou is a Professor of Management & Information Systems at the Gregoriou School of Business Administration, European University Cyprus. He serves in leadership roles including Deputy Dean (2012–2017) and PhD Programme Coordinator (2015–2017). He holds a PhD in Systems Modelling and Simulation from City University, London (1997), along with an MBA (1994) and First Class Honours in Engineering (1992). His research focuses on digital marketing competencies, smart urban mobility systems, entrepreneurship education, and system dynamics modeling for healthcare and sustainability. Notable projects include the SPN (Smart Pedestrian Network) system, funded by Horizon 2020, and the DIMAS project addressing digital marketing frameworks. Awarded the IEEE Best Paper Award (2017) and Innovation Distinction (SPARKS 2019), his work spans over 50 publications in journals like IEEE and Emerald. He actively reviews for IEEE, Emerald, and the System Dynamics Society. His consulting roles include EU research proposal evaluation and editorial work for Emerald. Key achievements include developing frameworks for sustainable urban mobility and green entrepreneurship education. He has led EU-funded projects totaling millions in grants, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to innovation and education.
Athanasios Vionis is an Associate Professor in Byzantine Archaeology and Art at the University of Cyprus (UCY), where he has served since 2009. He previously held roles including Director of the Archaeology Research Unit (2020–2024) and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Catholic University of Leuven (2007–2008). His academic journey includes a PhD in Medieval and Post-Medieval Aegean Archaeology from Leiden University (2005) and a BA in Ancient History and Archaeology from Durham University (1997). Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, UCY Previous Roles: Lecturer (2009–2013), Assistant Professor (2013–2018) Research focuses on landscape archaeology, spatial analysis of built and sacred landscapes, and the application of digital technologies (e.g., GIS). He studies Byzantine, Medieval, and Ottoman ceramics, as well as daily life and nutrition through material remains. His work includes the monograph A Crusader, Ottoman and Early Modern Aegean Archaeology (2012) and co-edited volumes on topics like sacred landscapes and glaze technology. He leads the ArtLandS Lab (Artefact and Landscape Studies Laboratory), established at UCY in 2010, which conducts field research in Cyprus and Greece. Key projects include the Settled and Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus (2014–present), funded by the EU and Cyprus Research Foundation. He coordinates international initiatives like the Unlocking Sacred Landscapes network (2014–present) and has collaborated with institutions such as the Cyprus Institute and Trinity College Dublin. His awards include UNESCO prizes for cultural documentaries and Marie Curie fellowships. Teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including “Land and Underwater Field Archaeology” and “Medieval Archaeology.”
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.
Professor Angelika Kokkinaki is Dean of the School of Business and MBA Director at the University of Nicosia. With a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1995), a M.Sc. from Northeastern University (1991), and a Diploma from Patras University (1987), her academic credentials are rooted in Information Systems and Computer Science. PhD in Computer Science (1995), University of Louisiana at Lafayette M.Sc. in Computer Science (1991), Northeastern University Diploma in Computer Engineering and Informatics (1987), University of Patras Her research spans e-business, e-government, e-learning, and smart city technologies, focusing on semantic search engines, distributed systems, and circular economy applications. Recent work emphasizes Smart Cities through projects like OpenDCO, CRISIS, and DEVOPS. Key article trends include smart city resilience, AI applications in education, e-learning adoption, marine sensor networks, and open data workforce development. Her scholarly output aligns with 6 UN Sustainable Development Goals , particularly in education, sustainability, and urban innovation. Scientific Awards : Innovation award by the Republic of Cyprus (for quality management system) She leads over 30 EU/national projects and contributes to the Center of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (CEDI) and OECD policy monitoring. Her work integrates Petri Net modeling , software agent systems, and 100+ publications in information systems.
Prof. Dr. Selim ASLAN serves as Professor, Head of Clinical Sciences, and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Near East University in TRNC, demonstrating active leadership in medical academia and research coordination. His educational background includes: Graduation from Uludağ University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (1983) His research integrates human and veterinary reproductive science, spanning obstetrics, gynaecology, animal reproduction, and herd management systems, with extensive international collaboration across Europe, North America, and South America driving practical applications in clinical and agricultural settings. Key recognitions include: ÖAAD Scholarship from Austrian Government DAAD Fellowship (awarded twice) Though student supervision details are unreported, his consultancy for twenty international journals and execution of multinational scientific projects—including herd management programs in South America—highlight significant research leadership beyond standard academic duties. Prof. ASLAN actively shapes global discourse through presentations at over 70 international conferences across 15+ countries and continuous involvement in designing international research initiatives, maintaining vigorous scholarly engagement.
