www.cyi.ac.cy NEWSLETTER ISSN 1986-4019 Issue 8 Doctoral Programs Accredited
Contents In Focus 3 Updates 4-6 Research 7-9 Feature 10-11 Highlights 12-13 Community 14-15 Opinion 16 In Focus Doctoral Programs Accredited As part of its educational mission, CyI offers three Doctoral Degrees to a selected number of candidates each year. Its programs, following an evaluation by the Cyprus Council of Educational Evaluation-Accreditation (CEEA/SEKAP), are now accredited by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus. 3 Updates Racing with the sun: CyI s 2015 Solar Car Challenge The sixth Solar Car Challenge organised by The Cyprus Institute in cooperation with the Municipality of Nicosia took place in June 2015. Inaugurated in 2010, the Solar Car Challenge aims to raise awareness, especially within the younger generations, for the use of alternative energy sources, the potentials of solar energy and to promote science and innovation. Research CyI secures multi-million Euro grant CyI brings Cyprus to the forefront of Solar Thermal Energy research with its related pioneering research activities. A European Research Area (ERA) Chair grant of 2.5 million, recently secured by the Institute, highlights the international recognition of these activities. 9 6 2
In Focus PhD students Katerina Charalambous and Hakan Djuma working at the Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory Doctoral Programs Accredited The Institute s education remit is a key part of its activities. Three doctoral programs are on offer, to a limited number of candidates, with the students actively involved in research. The PhD canditates take advantage of the outsdanding research environment of CyI and have direct access to world-class experimental and computational facilities. The challenging curricula include mandatory subjects aimed at creating a common basis between students from different disciplines and electives that provide insight into a variety of important and more specialized topics. The programs are offered by the Graduate School of CyI, with the necessary resources coming from the relevant research center for each program. The Doctoral candidates admitted can expect to become members of a vibrant, truly international research community operating from Cyprus and partnered with some of the leading Universities and Research Centers of the world. All three programs are now accredited by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, following a formal evaluation by the Cyprus Council of Educational Evaluation-Accreditation. Computational Sciences (CoS) The program focuses on Computational Science, allowing specialization in important fields that require High Performance Computing such as climate modeling, high-energy and nuclear physics, materials science, computational chemistry, 3D visualization and computational biology. Future researchers are trained in mathematical modeling and computational methods and techniques needed to solve complex scientific and engineering problems, as well as in the management and visualization of complex data sets. Digital Cultural Heritage (DCH) The program lies at the cross-section of Digital Technologies and Information Society Technologies with the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Advances in digital technology have offered significant opportunities to enhance the scope and depth of research in Cultural Heritage and Archaeology. Building upon its state-of-the-art research infrastructure, the program trains students in a truly interdisciplinary academic environment. It is designed to attract students from the Humanities and Social Sciences, and from digital and computer technologies; appropriately, doctoral students are expected to pursue research that both advances as well as applies the advances and the tools of the Digital Age. Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) The program focuses on significant issues in environmental and atmospheric sciences, particularly with regard to global changes and their impacts. The student curriculum includes courses in atmospheric chemistry, climate system and hydrological processes, remote sensing and marine sciences. 3
Updates A Future for our Past: Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus The Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus is one of the most important projects of the Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center of CyI, and is carried out in the framework of the center s activities for the documentation and preservation of the rich cultural heritage of Cyprus. The project is sponsored and supported by the A. G. Leventis Foundation. The innovation of the Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus lies in the ability to interact with the cultural material. Apart from the intelligent search of ancient words and concepts, Modern Greek translation, philological commentary, hyperlinking with electronic dictionaries and bibliography, it incorporates innovative digital technologies, applications and visual material to enrich the exploration of ancient texts. Under the guidance of Prof. Vassos Karageorghis, digital maps and images, chronologies and three-dimensional representations incorporate archaeological material and historical knowledge. The project was presented during an official ceremony in the presence of the Minister of Education and Culture, Dr Costas Kadis. The completion of the Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus project has offered the first module to Dioptra: The Edmée Leventis Digital Library for Cypriot Culture. Other modules will follow, with projects such as on the History and Culture of Cypriot Medieval Coinage, Cypriot Archaeological Collections in Foreign Museums and the work of Byzantine Artist Theodore Apseudis. Dioptra is named in honor of CyI s Honorary Trustee Mrs. Edmée Leventis as a small recognition of her invaluable support to the Institute s research efforts in archaeology, the arts and cultural heritage. http://akg.cyi.ac.cy/ Dr Anastasios Paul Leventis at the official launching of the Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus project 4
Updates Scientists join forces to address the environmental and energy challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean region Tackling the Grand Challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean: The EWACC2015-Building Bridges Conference More than 100 participants attended the EWACC2015-Building Bridges Conference (Energy, Water and Climate Change in the Mediterranean - Building Bridges between Europe, the Middle East and North Africa) that was jointly organized by DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Hamburg, Germany) and CyI. The conference addressed topics such as climate change and its impact, water availability and scarcity and related challenges for food production as well as renewable energy production and hybrid conventional (natural gas) and solar energy installations. One of the major results of the intense discussions is the clear realization that the challenges facing the MENA countries can only be tackled through integrated and holistic research into addressing the Energy-Water-Food Nexus. The Young Scholars Forum, a summer school involving some 30 students from MENA and Europe, preceded the EWACC2015-Conference. The forum provided a particulary promising platform for the young generation of researchers to realise and jointly address the challenges facing the region. 5
Update Racing with the sun in Nicosia Solar vehicles displayed at Nicosia Town Hall The Cyprus Institute Solar Car Challenge, now in its sixth year, has become a popular annual summer event. Co-organized by CyI and the Municipality of Nicosia, this year s spectacular event took place in late June 2015. The aim of the race is to generate interest in science, technology and engineering amongst young people and to raise awareness of environmentally friendly renewable energy and alternative transport methods. Participants designed and built vehicles that were powered using solar energy collected from photovoltaics. The vehicles began the race at Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue and drove to a designated route on the central public roads of the capital. This year s winner was the Famagusta Solar Car Team from the Technical School of Avgorou. The countdown for the 2016 Solar Car Challenge has begun. Winner of the race was the Hyperion 1, of the Famagusta Solar Car Team, Technical School of Avgorou 6
Research Discovery of an ancient parasite: Humans role in the spread of disease The 6.200 year-old grave where scientists found the parasite egg in the pelvic area of a skeletonized body The discovery by scientists of a Schistosomiasis parasite egg in a 6.200 year-old grave in Syria may be the earliest evidence that agricultural irrigation systems in the Middle East contributed to a vast spread of disease. In a study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, scientists said it might have been spread by the introduction of crop irrigation in ancient Mesopotamia. The discovery, at Tell Zeidan archaeological site in Syria, was made by a team of archaeologists and biological anthropologists working at The Cyprus Institute, the University of Cambridge, and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Dr Kirsi Lorentz of CyI, who leads the bioarchaeological investigation of human burials at Tell Zeidan, said that the egg was found in the pelvic area of a buried skeletonized body, where the intestines and bladder of the person would have been. We took soil samples also from the head and foot areas of the grave to act as control samples and found they contained no parasitic eggs. This suggests the grave was not contaminated with the parasite more recently, said Dr Lorentz. The oldest Schistosomiasis egg found previously was in 5.200-yearold Egyptian mummies. Dr Kirsi Lorentz from CyI with a colleague collecting samples at the Tell Zeidan burial site in Syria 7
Research Risk from the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides by the Akkuyu nuclear power plant Researchers from CyI, in collaboration with scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, have calculated the risk from potential emission of radionuclides by the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is under construction. The scientific climatechemistry atmospheric transport model was used for the simulations on CyI s Cy-Tera Supercomputer. The risk was calculated for gas (Iodine-131) and aerosol (Caesium-137) radionuclides for a representatively large range of possible meteorological conditions, in high spatial and temporal resolution. Caesium and iodine radionuclides can negatively affect human health through the contamination of air, water, soil and agricultural products. The results are considered precise, taking into account the accuracy of the underlying scientific models. The simulations show that the risk for surface-level concentration, deposition and human dose in the Eastern Mediterranean region is relatively large due to the prevailing northwesterly winds that affect the island. The risk exhibits seasonal variability, with the highest concentrations of radioactive gas during the winter months. The studies were published in peer-reviewed journals. Geographical proximity puts Cyprus at a primary danger zone in the event of an accident at Akkuyu 8
Research Multi-million Euro grant from the European Union for solar energy research The Cyprus Institute has been awarded a European Research Area (ERA) Chair grant of 2.5 million in the field of Solar Thermal Energy (STE). The grant is intended to allow CyI to develop excellence on a European level in the relevant field; it constitutes recognition for the successful research work being carried out at CyI in this very important research area. Following a highly competitive process, the Institute secured one of the 13 grants awarded, out of the 88 proposals submitted from 15 countries. Part of the European Commission s Horizon 2020 research funding program, the ERA Chairs are intended to support research organisations in countries with low research and development investment to attract and maintain high quality scientists from across the European Union and implement the structural changes necessary to achieve excellence in specific fields of research. The secured European funding will enhance and upgrade the already existing substantial activity in solar energy at the Institute, establishing the organisation as an innovation hub for Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The principal focus of this work will be on Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies for electricity production, desalination, air conditioning and heating, either in isolation or in cogeneration modalities. Of particular importance is the research being pursued at the Institute in thermal energy storage and the design of high efficiency solar receivers with integrated storage capability. Pentakomo Field Facility: The rotating heliostats collect the light of the sun as it moves across the sky and redirect it onto a receiver on the top of the tower A significant part of the research program will be carried out at the unique Facility for Solar Energy and Desalination, which is being developed at the south coast of Cyprus (Pentakomo). The Pentakomo facility and the ERA chair program hold the promise to allow Cyprus to distinguish itself as one of the few countries in Europe and the world with pioneering facilities and research in the emerging innovative field of solar thermal energy. 9
Feature Students at CyI Andri Pyrgou Enrolled in PhD Program: Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Admission Year: 2014 I received a Bachelor Degree in Physics with Medical Physics and an MSc degree in Energy Systems and Built Environment. My main research interest is on the general topic of heat transfer and its specific applications of energy efficiency, energy smart regions and urban heat island phenomenon. After graduation, I wanted to continue my studies obtaining the necessary knowledge to either pursue academic or research related administrative positions. The Cyprus Institute, a well-established institution, offers several opportunities to interact with people of different research backgrounds in several fields. The professional staff and the PhD course structure, which is perfectly designed to help me and other students to expand our horizons and knowledge, are the key reasons for my decision to enrol to this particular PhD Program. Despina Papacharalambous Enrolled in PhD Program: Digital Cultural Heritage Admission Year: 2014 Before coming to The Cyprus Institute, I was a graduate student focusing on the art in Cyprus during the Medieval Period. I am interested in pursuing research in the history of art (Byzantine/Medieval Art in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean) and local phenomena with trans-regional implications, while utilizing advanced technological applications to produce knowledge, accessible to the scientific society as well as to the next generations. The academic research on Byzantine art of Cyprus was to a large extent limited to theoretical approaches ignoring new technological methods, which could offer to the field a new and useful approach. I was introduced to The Cyprus Institute s vision, and I thought that this was the academic environment I was looking for. Utilizing the advanced technologies and the sophisticated scientific instruments of CyI I will now continue the research on the field, for the documentation of byzantine art works. 10
Feature Rana Abu Alhaija Enrolled in PhD Program: Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Admission Year: 2014 Prior to my engagement with the CyI I was studying Biology (BSc in Biology). I was then employed by the Marine Sciences Group at CyI, as a research assistant while concluding my Master of Sciences in Ecology and Biodiversity. I am interested in marine ecosystem studies which reveal information about past environmental conditions and the expected trends of tomorrow, Plankton taxonomy, alien invasions, changes in community composition due to natural or anthropogenic disturbances, the link between benthic communities and fisheries to plankton. The Cyprus Institute has excellent infrastructure and an interdisciplinary environment, guiding and assisting young researchers without discrimination towards gender, religion or nationality. The faculty and researchers related with my field have tirelessly and consistently helped me develop and realize my own research ideas and grow as a professional and as a person. Christos Lemesios Enrolled in PhD Program: Computational Sciences Admission Year: 2013 Before joining CyI, I completed my Master s studies in Physics and Cosmology. My research interests are Reconstruction algorithms in Medical Physics, including their parallelization and acceleration on Clusters. I am also interested in modeling Astrophysical and Cosmological phenomena. The demanding program, the professionalism and mostly the research environment led me to start my PhD work at CyI. 11
Highlights European Commission s Vice President Jyrki Katainen visits CyI The Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness of the European Commission, Mr. Jyrki Katainen, visited The Cyprus Institute in March. During the meeting he was briefed about the pioneering research carried out at the Institute. Special emphasis was given on the Mobile Archaeological Laboratory STARLab, the Unmanned Aircraft Research Facility, and the CyTera Supercomputer, three research laboratories that received funding from the EU Development Funds, through the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation. Mr. Katainen praised CyI, stating that it should be an integral part in the restructuring and growth of the local economy. He added that the Institute s international nature provides the potential to further development and success and noted that its strength lies in its focus on key research areas. Earlier in the year The Cyprus Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration with the European Commission s in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The MoU aims to further strengthen the collaboration of CyI with JRC on a number of scientific areas of common interest. Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, CyI President and Mr. Vladimír Šucha, JRC Director General signing the Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, the then European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth From left to right: Mr. Georgios Markopouliotis, Dr Petros Kareklas, Mr. Jyrki Katainen, Dr Andreas Pittas, H.E. Dr George Vassiliou, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, Dr Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis 12
Highlights Scientific Day in honor of Prof. Herwig Schopper s 90th birthday CyI organised a Scientific Day to honor Prof. Herwig Schopper, Former Director General of CERN and Honorary Trustee of The Cyprus Institute, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Prof. Schopper s role in world science is considerable and diverse in frontier fields such as nuclear and particle physics as well as other areas of advanced scientific research. He has been one of the driving forces for the creation and establishment of The Cyprus Institute and he is still actively involved with its endeavors. During the Scientific Day many of his colleagues from around the world honored his long scientific career and highlighted scientific areas to which he has made decisive contributions. Renowned international personalities from the scientific and academic world were present to honor Prof. Schopper. CyI President presents a commemorative gift to Prof. Herwig Schopper for his invaluable contributions to the Instititute Nobel Laureate Prof. Carlo Rubbia presents his views on the Future of Energy Nobel Laureate Prof. Carlo Rubbia delivering his Lecture This year s Hubert Curien Memorial Lecture, was organised as part of CyI s celebrations for Prof. Herwig Schopper s 90th birthday. Nobel Laureate Prof. Carlo Rubbia, Scientific Director of IASS Potsdam and Former Director of CERN presented the lecture entitled The Future of Energy. The lecture examined the challenges facing our current energy systems in the context of global warming. Prof. Rubbia presented an innovative approach to sustainability studies as well as research activities illustrating the climate change mitigation potential of a methane-based society, relying on low-carbon innovative technologies such as methane cracking and the recovering of CO 2 for the production of methanol. 13
Community CyI family mourns the loss of CREF Trustee José Mariano Gago Queen Elizabeth II honours CREF Honorary Trustee Mrs. Edmée Leventis The lifetime achievements of Mrs. Edmée Leventis have been recognised with an honorary title by Queen Elizabeth II. Mrs. Leventis has been styled Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by the Queen in recognition of her outstanding services to Arts Philanthropy. The Cyprus Institute mourns the loss of Prof. José Mariano Gago, former Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education in Portugal and a Trustee of CyI, who passed away last April. Prof. José Mariano Gago officially served on the Board of CREF since January 2013. However, he made significant contributions towards the establishment and development of The Cyprus Institute from very early in its planning phase. He was steadfast supporter and promoter of CyI internationally. We have deep respect and great appreciation for all he has offered to Cyprus, The Cyprus Institute family and European Science. Prof. Gago served as Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education in Portugal. He was widely respected for his scientific work and contributions to Portugal and Europe. Prof. Mariano Gago will be remembered as an impassioned physicist and a committed European that placed science and technology at the top of the EU agenda. New Chairs for CREF Board of Trustees and Scientific Advisory Council The new Chair of the CREF Board of Trustees Prof. Dan-Olof Riska Prof. Dan-Olof Riska is the new Chair of the CREF Board of Trustees, succeeding Prof. Edouard Brezin, who has completed the maximum tenure allowed. Prof. Brézin has chaired the CREF Board for the last eight years, since the beginning of formal operations of CyI. Dan-Olof Riska is an Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Helsinki and 14
Community New Trustees Ghislain de Marsily is an Emeritus Professor at Sorbonne University (Paris VI), France. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Technologies, a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering, and a member of the Academia Europaea. His research interests include groundwater resources and protection, waste disposal, global water resources and sustainable development. Anastasios Paul Leventis is the Director of the Leventis Group International Companies and the Chairman of the A. G. Leventis Foundation. As well as his business interests, Mr. Leventis has been involved in international activities which encourage sustainable models of development and in this capacity he has served in many relevant international organisations and foundations. Androulla Vassiliou has served as European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth and as Commissioner for Health. She was twice elected to the Cypriot House of Representatives and she was active in the field of international affairs and human rights as a President of the UN Association of Cyprus and as President of the World Federation of UN Associations. She currently chairs the Board of Trustees of the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center. treasurer and former president of the Finnish Society of Science and Letters. He served as Vice President of the CERN Council and of the European Academies Science Advisory Council, as well as Director of the Helsinki Institute of Physics. His research experience covers a wide field of theoretical and applied physics, including geophysics. He is a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science, the Finnish Society of Science and Letters, the Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences, the Finnish Academy of Science, as well as of the American Physical Society. He has served as Vice President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council and on scientific advisory committees in several countries and the editorial boards of several scientific journals. Prof. Edouard Brézin, graciously accepted to Chair CREF s Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), previously chaired by Prof. Herwig Schopper. Prof. Schooper one of the CyI founding Trustees decided to step down from the Chairmanship of SAC but will continue to be engaged as an Honorary Trustee. Prof. Edouard Brézin (right) succeeds Prof. Herwig Schopper (left) as Chair of CREF s Scientific Advisory Council 15
Opinion Internationalization and The Cyprus Institute By Prof. Hany Mahfouz Helal Cairo University, Egypt Former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Trustee of The Cyprus Institute The knowledge triangle Research, Education and Innovation is the key driver of a knowledge-based society. We live the extra ordinary information era, in which knowledge has become a commodity that can be manufactured, bought and sold. The world nowadays became a single global marketplace of ideas, data and communication. Internationalization is one of the most important developments that globalization has brought to higher education worldwide. Globalization is characterized by interdependence among nations; and manifested in the economic, political, social, cultural, and knowledge spheres. Central to globalization are the increased mobility of goods, services, and people and the accelerating use of information and communication technologies to bridge time and space in unprecedented ways and at continually decreasing costs. The goals of internationalization are continuously evolving, ranging from educating global citizens, building capacity for research, to generating income from international student tuition fees and the quest to enhance institutional prestige. New forms of internationalization such as branch campuses abroad, distance learning programs with a global reach, international educational hubs and networks now complement traditional initiatives such as student and staff mobility, curriculum change and international institutional linkages for teaching and research. Internationalization today is remarkably different from what it was in the first half of the 20th century, in the 1960s or 1980s. In Europe, it became a key issue during the 1990s and tended to address an increase of border-crossing activities. According to the European Association for International Education, it combines international content of the curriculum; international movement of scholars and students for training, education and research; and international technical assistance and cooperation programs. In the MENA region, it has turned into quite a complex undertaking. The Arab Spring has made it clear that young people in MENA are asking for more and better opportunities to study and work; to move around the world; and to learn and to create new knowledge and enterprises. At The Cyprus Institute, internationalization is now part of a strategy to enhance prestige, regional and global competitiveness and revenue. The planned strategy is based on the knowledge dimensions and areas of learning and research of internationalization: knowledge transfer, international education and research, and border-crossing communication and discourse. The Cyprus Institute acts as a regional hub for education, research and innovation through its 3 research centers with 11 up-to-date laboratories, 3 accredited PhD programs and 34 joint sponsored research projects. It also includes, among many others mobility of scholars and students (representing 19 nationalities), improved quality of teaching and learning as well as research. Deeper engagement with national, regional, and global issues and stakeholders. Better preparation of students as national and global citizens. Access for students to programs that are unavailable or scarce in their home countries. Enhanced opportunities for brain circulation with emphasis on Cypriot diaspora. Possibility to participate in international networks to conduct research on pressing issues at national and regional levels and benefit from the expertise and perspectives of researchers from many parts of the world. Opportunity to situate institutional performance within the context of international good practice. The success of internationalization process at The Cyprus Institute is due to the commitment and full support of the Board of Trustees and senior officials and involvement of a critical mass of Faculty and Staff. The presence of international office, existence of formal communication channels and allocation of adequate funding are also main drivers for its sustainability. INNOVATION Research EDUCATION Research Infrastructures Innovation RESEARCH Εducation Knowledge «industry» 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, 2121, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus Tel. +357 22208600, Fax. +357 22208625 Email: info@cyi.ac.cy www.cyi.ac.cy 16