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CF2024

Cyprus Forum London

Wednesday, 15 May 2024

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Watch the Cyprus Forum London LIVE!

Igniting Dialogue, Inspiring Change.

The expansion to London marks an exciting new chapter for the Cyprus Forum, an annual forum dedicated to fostering dialogue and driving impactful change. As an extension of the Cyprus Forum series, the addition of London signifies our commitment to broadening our reach and engaging with diverse perspectives on critical issues.
 
Since its inception, the Cyprus Forum has been at the forefront of facilitating discussions and collaboration among policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and thought leaders. By establishing a presence in London, we aim to further amplify these conversations, drawing upon the dynamic energy and expertise of this global hub.
 
Whether you’re in London, Cyprus, or beyond, your voice matters. Let’s come together to drive impactful conversations and shape a better future for all. Join us in igniting dialogue and inspiring change.

Agenda

FINAL AGENDA

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Contact Details

  • 1 Kinyra 1102 Nicosia, Cyprus
  • +357 22 678 670
  • contact@cyprusforum.cy

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KYRIACOS KOUROS

Ambassador Kyriacόs Kouros assumed duties on 2 April 2024.

Prior to his appointment, High Commissioner Kouros, from April 2023 until assuming his duties, served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic. Previously, he served as the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic, in addition to his assignment as National Security Advisor to the President of the Republic and Head of the Intelligence Service.

Mr Kouros is a career diplomat who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus in 1996. During his versatile career, he has served in different overseas posts and in various departments within the Ministry.

In 2012, he was appointed Ambassador of Cyprus to the Netherlands with parallel accreditation as Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

In 2006, he was appointed Chargé d’ Affaires of the Republic of Cyprus to Lebanon and in 2009 he was accredited as Cyprus’ first resident Ambassador to the country. During his posting in Lebanon, he dealt with two major conflicts and the terrorism wave which affected the country between 2006-2008. In this respect, he facilitated the evacuation of thousands of Cypriot and other EU citizens, providing consular assistance to those in need under life threatening conditions. For his service during this time, he was awarded the National Medal of Cedar of the Government of Lebanon.

Other overseas postings included Athens and Geneva. He was also appointed Ministerial Envoy to Libya in July 2011 and served from 1998 to 2002 as a member of the Working Group for the Search of Missing Persons from the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Prior to joining the Foreign Ministry, he worked from 1990 as editor at the Cyprus News Agency and from 1994 as Lecturer at the Journalism Department of Frederick University of Cyprus.

He is a graduate of the Law Department of the University of Athens. He has a Master of Arts in International Journalism from the Journalism Department of City University of London and a PhD from the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences of Athens.

He speaks Greek (mother tongue), English, German and French.

High Commissioner Kouros was born in Nicosia in 1963. He is married and has an adult daughter.

GEOFFREY VOS

Sir Geoffrey Vos was appointed Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales on 11 January 2021. In addition to being President of the Court of Appeal’s Civil Division, the Master of the Rolls is chair of both the Civil Justice Council and the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. He is chair of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives and of the Forum on Historical Manuscripts and Academic Research. He is a member of the LawtechUK Panel and chair of its UK Jurisdiction Taskforce. Sir Geoffrey was elected as second Vice-President of the Council the European Law Institute with effect from September 2023, and is a member of the Steering Group of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts.

CHARLES GRANT

Charles Grant CMG is the director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank, which has offices in London, Brussels and Berlin. He helped to found the CER and became its first (and so far only) director in 1998. The subjects he works on include EU foreign and defence policy, Russia, China, Brexit – and the future of Europe more generally. He started his career as a journalist at Euromoney in 1981, joining The Economist in 1986 – where he covered, successively, financial markets, the European Community (as bureau chief in Brussels) and defence.

YIANNIS TSAOUSIS

Yannis Tsaousis, Ambassador of Greece to the UK Yannis Tsaousis was appointed Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Court of St James’s in March 2023. Previously Ambassador Tsaousis was the Director of the Diplomatic Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023. Since joining the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997, he has served in a wide range of Diplomatic Service roles in Athens and abroad, including service in the Permanent Representation of Greece to NATO in Brussels (1999-2003), in Cyprus (2003-2007), South Africa (2009-2012) and in the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN and other Organisations in Geneva (2012-2016). Ambassador Tsaousis holds a Bachelor in Law from the University of Athens and postgraduate degrees from the University of Kent (LLM), the University of Paris I- Sorbonne (D.E.A.) and the University of Oxford (MSt) in the fields of Public International Law and International Organisations. He is married with one son.

NINA CASPERSEN

Nina Caspersen is Professor of Comparative Politics and Associate Dean for Research at the University of York, UK. Her research focuses on dynamics of territorial conflicts, peace processes, and peace settlements. She has advised several international organisations, governments, and NGOs, and her publications include Unrecognized States: The Struggle for Sovereignty in the Modern International System (Polity Press, 2012) and Peace Agreements: Finding Solutions to Intra-State Conflicts (Polity Press, 2017).

JULINDA BEQIRAJ

Dr. Julinda Beqiraj is the Maurice Wohl Senior Fellow in European Law at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law (British Institute of International and Comparative Law – BIICL). At the Bingham Centre she conducts high-quality research in European law and has worked extensively on Rule of Law and access to justice issues, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. She is an experienced legal researcher with more than 15 years of experience in the justice sector, carrying out legal research, comparative legal analysis and reporting, legal assessments and legislative drafting. She also has work experience with long-term and short-term consultancies in EU, CoE and other donor funded projects on the Rule of Law (RoL) and administration of justice, specifically on monitoring and evaluating judicial performance at the court and national levels and justice sector reform. Julinda holds a Law Degree from the University of Trento (Italy), a Master’s Degree in International Affairs (Institute for International Political Studies, Milan), and a PhD from the School of International Studies in Trento.

ALISON KEMP

Alison first worked on Cyprus when she joined the FCO in 1997 and returned to work on the region again in 2021 as Head of Mediterranean Department. In between she has focussed on work in other parts of the world affected by conflict including postings to Sri Lanka, Liberia, Iraq, Yemen and most recently as British Ambassador to Montenegro 2017-2020.

NICOLAS KYRIAKIDES

Nicolas Kyriakides is a lawyer and academic. He is also interested in policy-making. He is a graduate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, he holds postgraduate degrees from UCL and NYU and a PhD (DPhil) from the University of Oxford. He has also been a visiting researcher at Harvard University. He teaches at the University of Nicosia and has contributed to a number of high level innovative legal research initiatives and papers in the course of both his commercial practice and his academic life, such as the Procedural Law Unit at the University of Nicosia. He is also a founding member of the non-profit organisation Oxygono.

SOTIA KARATZIA SANTANGELO

I have been involved with higher education in terms of student recruitment and development for 25 years. Developed as a career and academic consultant, university representative, IFP provider and premedical foundation provider. Worked with Universities in the UK, Europe and the Middle East through my career. I am Experienced in International and EU student recruitment, admissions and corporate collaborations. Managing local and international agents’ portfolio, local and international schools, and general student recruitment activities. Between 2019 – 2022 I worked on TNE developments between UK and Cypriot Universities. Currently at Neapolis University Pafos I am working as a Business Development Officer where I apply into practice previously earned experiences.

CLEOPATRA KITTI

Cleopatra is the founder of The Mediterranean Growth Initiative, the premier socio-economic data hub offering geo-economic analysis for policymakers and investors interested in the Mediterranean region. With a 30-year track record as an advisor to international organizations and governments, her expertise spans Europe, the US, the UK, the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. Cleopatra holds certification as an INSEAD Certified Independent Director in Global Governance (Advanced) and Finance. Currently, she serves as a Senior Policy Advisor at ELIAMEP, Greece’s leading European think tank. Additionally, she is the Founder of Queens Of Money, a financial literacy initiative for women funded by both the UN and UNDP. Recognized as a Philanthropist for Peace, Cleopatra staunchly supports The International Crisis Group, an NGO dedicated to conflict prevention and peace promotion.

PROF. AHMET SÖZEN

Ahmet Sözen is professor of Political Science with conflict resolution and peace-building as his main areas of expertise. Sözen was granted one of the fifty 1997 Paul Harris Ambassadorial Peace Scholarships on International Conflict Resolution given on a world-wide competition by International Rotary Foundation. In addition to an extensive publication record, he has given dozens of invited speeches on conflict resolution – including two TED talks (TEDxNicosia 2012, TEDxEMUniversity 2014), the Cyprus conflict and Turkish foreign policy in various countries and he frequently appears on international media, such as Al-Jazeera, Euronews and BBC, where he comments on world events. He is currently a Guest Professor in the Unit of Peace and Conflict Studies at University of Innsbruck, Austria. His experience over the last three decades includes participating into peace-negotiations from the first-track in Cyprus as a member of the official Turkish Cypriot negotiation team in the UN-led peace negotiations and active involvement in second-track peace initiatives. He is a policy expert of DIPLOMEDS (Council of Mediterranean Diplomacy) where he co-edited Conflict Resolution in the Mediterranean: Energy as a Potential Game-Changer – Diplomeds in 2023. His most recent publication is Track II Diplomacy: The Way Out in the Eastern Mediterranean? (2024).

STELIOS SAKKAS

Stelios Sakkas, is a Research Economist at the Economics Research Centre-Dep. of Economics at the University of Cyprus. He holds a PhD in Economics from Athens University of Economics and Business. Formerly a Research Economist at the European Commission-JRC (Seville), he specializes in macroeconomics, fiscal policy, and regional economics using general equilibrium models. His work is published in journals like Macroeconomic Dynamics, Regional Science and Urban Economics, European Journal of Political Economy, Regional Studies, the Manchester School among others. With extensive policy engagement, he has contribute to significant Flagship reports of the European Commission (e.g Employment and Social Development report) and he has served on Experts Committees (e.g., on the evaluation of European Social Fund, the European Semester JRC country-desk Representative for Greece) and collaborated with international bodies such as the OECD and the EIB.

MANAL SHEHABI

Dr. Manal Shehabi is an Associate Faculty Member of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford, and Director of SHEER Research & Advisory. She is also Member of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions and Research Fellow of the Economic Research Forum. An applied economist, she has globally-recognized expertise at the intersection of economics, energy, and climate in resource-dependent economies, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the Eastern Mediterranean regions. Her work has been at the forefront of global debates. Beyond academic publications, she (co)authored policy reports (the IPCC, T7, T20, UNFCCC, KISR’s Energy Outlook, fiscal space, and climate policy). She advised policymakers on energy and fiscal policy, geopolitics, hydrogen, and energy and climate security. She is a designated Expert of the UNFCCC and addressed, by invitation, COP28’s 1st High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on Just Transition. She is also a Consultant to the International Energy Agency and to PWYP Just Energy Transition Work Programme for the MENA; and an advisory board member of the Energy Futures Initiative-KAPSARC Joint Research Program. A polyglot, she is cited and appears in international media outlets in different languages globally.

FIVOS THEODOROU

Fivos, Head of Sales & Business Development at Property Gallery. A graduate from London Metropolitan University, with a degree in Business Administration and a postgraduate degree in International Finance, Fivos brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Notably, he has served as President of the Cyprus Junior Chamber and boasts extensive expertise in International Real Estate. His achievements include establishing overseas operation structures in Southeast Asia, expanding businesses, and consistently surpassing targets. Most recently, Fivos excelled as a real estate investment fund manager in London for a single-family office. A true enthusiast of the real estate industry, Fivos thrives in collaborative environments and is dedicated to achieving excellence through teamwork.

VASSILIS MONASTIRIOTIS

Vassilis Monastiriotis is Professor of Political Economy at the European Institute, London School of Economics and holder of the Eleftherios Venizelos Chair in Contemporary Greek Studies at the Hellenic Observatory. He is Affiliated Professor at the Department of Geography and Environment, LSE, and Deputy Director of the LSE Research unit on Southeast Europe (LSEE). His research focuses on economic policy and performance at the regional, national and supra-national levels, with emphasis on labour markets and economic development. He has published numerous articles in economics and regional science journals, including Regional Studies, Urban Studies, the Journal of Regional Science, the Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society, the British Journal of Industrial Relations, the Journal of Common Market Studies, the European Journal of Political Economy, Oxford Economics Papers and others; has strong media and consultancy experience; and has received various distinctions including the Moss Madden Medal in Regional Science (2008). In 2018-2021 he served as member at the Independent Experts Committee on the Minimum Wage in Greece. He is Co-editor of Spatial Economic Analysis (Taylor & Francis) and member of the Scientific Council for Social Sciences of the National Council of Research Technology and Innovation of Greece and various advisory and editorial boards. He has a PhD in Economic Geography and MSc and BSc degrees in Economics.

ELENA AVGOUSTIDOU-KYRIACOU

Elena Avgoustidou-Kyriacou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus and was educated in the UK. She holds a BSc in Economics (University of Leicester) and an MBA-Finance (Imperial College London). She has been the Acting Director of the International Relations Service of the University of Cyprus (UCY) since 2019 and the Director of the Confucius Institute at UCY since 2014. She is also the UCY Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator and the Secretary of the UCY International Relations Committee. She has been working in international relations since 1993 and has an expertise in mobility, international cooperation, international development, cultural diplomacy, international recruitment, as well as promotion and publications.

OTHON ANASTASAKIS

Othon Anastasakis is the Director of the European Studies Centre in Oxford; Director of South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX); Senior Research Fellow at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. He is Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada; Visiting Professor at the Prague School of Economics. He is Region Head of Europe in Oxford Analytica . His latest books include Diaspora engagement in times of severe economic crisis; Greece and beyond (with Kalantzi, Kamaras & Pratsinakis, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022); Revisiting a contested past: The Greek military dictatorship 1967-74 (with Lagos, Berghahn 2021); The legacy of Yugoslavia: Politics, economy and society (with Bennett, Madden and Merdzanovic, I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, 2020); Balkan legacies of the Great War: The past is never dead (with Madden and Roberts, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). He has written articles, chapters in books, policy papers and opinion pieces on the issues of populism, illiberalism and Euroscepticism; Comparative European politics; Migration and diaspora; Balkan party politics; South East European geopolitical challenges; Greek and Turkish foreign policies; Russia and the Balkans; Western Balkan party politics. He received his BA in Economics from the University of Athens, his MA in Comparative Politics and International Relations from Columbia University, New York and his PhD in Comparative Government from the London School of Economics.

PANAYIOTIS ZAPHIRIS

Prof Panayiotis Zaphiris is since 2020 the Rector of Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and since 2022 the Chair of the Cyprus Rectors’ Conference.  He is a Professor at the Multimedia and Graphic Arts Department of CUT. He holds a PhD in Human Computer Interaction from Wayne State University, USA. He is also a graduate of Engineering Systems and Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. Prior to returning to Cyprus, he was a Reader at the Center for Human Computer Interaction Design of City University of London, where he founded and led the City Interaction Lab (funded by the Vodafone Foundation). Prior to City University, he was a researcher at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University where he took a PhD in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). His research interests are at HCI with an emphasis on participatory design and social aspects of Computing focusing on designing interactive systems for the elderly and the disabled. Prof Zaphiris has participated in more than 20 funded research projects with a funding of more than 7 million euros. He has published over 250 academic articles in well-known academic journals and international conferences. Recent related research activities include leading the academic management of the Youth Makerspace Larnaka (the 1st Makerspace founded in Cyprus), being the PI of HORIZON 2020 TWINNING project NOTRE and a founding member of CYENS a Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in Cyprus focusing on Interactive media, Smart systems and Emerging technologies.  

SINEM ARSLAN

Dr. Sinem Arslan is a research associate at the School of International Relations of the University of St Andrews and a visiting researcher at Middlesex University. Her research specifically focuses on comparative peace processes and de facto states.

ADRIAN ZUCKERMAN

Professor Zuckerman remains engaged in teaching, supervising graduate students, and actively participating as a member of the Faculty. He held the position of Fellow at University College since 1973. Prior to this, he served as a Research Fellow at Balliol College from 1971 to 1973.

JASON CHARALAMBOUS

Jason Charalambous is lawyer in the City of London and is involved in numerous charitable organisations and endeavours, including serving as the founding chairman and trustee of the Trent Park Museum Trust (www.trentparkhouse.org.uk), executive chairman of the Conservative Friends of Cyprus (www.cfcyprus.org.uk, established in 1992) and as a trustee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. He has also served as an elected London borough councillor, has stood for Parliament, and is a Freeman of the City of London. Jason holds a law degree from King’s College London, was called to the Bar of England and Wales at the Middle Temple, and now practices law as a solicitor-advocate (a solicitor with higher rights of audience), specialising in Commercial Law.

DAVID ORMEROD

David Ormerod CBE, KC is the Professor Criminal Justice at University College, London.  He has published widely on all aspects of criminal law, evidence, and procedure. From 2010-2019 he was the Criminal Law Commissioner for England and Wales leading on all the criminal law reform projects. Beyond the Commission, he has a longstanding commitment to enhancing criminal justice practice through his research and writing. In 2013 he was appointed QC (Honoris Causa).  In 2018 he was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in the King’s Bench Division. In 2021 he was appointed a CBE in the New Years’ Honours in recognition of his service to the criminal justice system. 

JOHN SORABJI

John Sorabji is an Associate Professor of Law at UCL. His specialism is civil justice and alternative dispute resolution. He has also been both the deputy Private Secretary to HM King Charles III and previously the Principal Legal Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice and The Master of the Rolls.

MASOOD AHMED

Masood Ahmed is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Leicester. His research focuses on civil procedure, the reform of the civil justice system, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and international commercial arbitration. His research has been published in various international academic journals and edited books. He is the ADR and Case Note Editor of the Civil Justice Quarterly, an editor of the Journal of Personal Injury Law and a commentator of the White Book (the leading text on the English Civil Procedure Rules). Masood has been involved in various major civil justice reform projects in England and Wales. He served two terms as a member of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) and was involved in the implementation of a number of reforms including the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) system, reforms to the court rules on open justice and the Media & Communications Pre-action Protocol, and enhancing the role of ADR within the civil court process. Masood is currently a member of Civil Justice Council (CJC)’s Pre-action Protocol Main Working Group which is advising on the reform of the protocols. He is also a member of the Law Society’s Dispute Resolution Committee and has advised the Law Society on various aspects of its 21st Century Justice Project.

EVIE ASPINALL

Evie Aspinall is the Director of the British Foreign Policy Group, a leading non-partisan think tank focused on the interesection between domestic and foreign policy. She is the five time author of the UK’s most comprehensive suvey of public opinion on foreign policy, and has condcuted extensive reseach on the UK’s role in the world and challenges posed by the UK’s strategic rivals. Evie holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MSc from King’s College London. She was previously COO at the Future Leaders Network and President of Cambridge University Students’ Union, and representated UK youth at 2021 G7. She is a regular commentator in the media on issues pertinent to UK foreign policy and has appeared on the BBC and Sky as well as providing analysis for POLITICO, the Times and the Independent.

GEORGE HADJIPAVLI

George co-founded the Eastern Mediterarnean programme at Oxford, which seeks to provide long-sighted, cutting-edge, and evidence-based policy recommendations on the Eastern Mediterranean, predicated upon top-tier research in the usual Oxford tradition. In the past, he worked on policy issues relevant to the Eastern Mediterranean both through independent consultancy work and in tandem with institutions, such as the European Parliament. George has further explored US-Russian competition in an Eastern Mediterranean context, with Russian studies constituting his primary academic focus. He is further currently the Head of Research and Policy for a British community and parliamentary group.

DR. RICHARD TOMLINS

Dr Richard Tomlins, Coventry University Group Regional Director for UK and Europe. Richard is responsible for linking activity in the UK and Europe around business generation by working closely with the Brussels Global Hub Managing Director. This includes enabling the delivery of projects and adding value through ensuring that opportunities achieve a best fit with the capabilities and expertise within Coventry University Group. Richard’s work is enabled by being a member of the Coventry University Group Leadership Team as well as his personal passion about reflection, co-creation and the roles of empathy and emotional intelligence in Leadership. His recent work at Coventry in this context has included delivery of the Cabinet Office Civil Service Future Leaders’ Scheme and Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office Chevening Leadership Fellowship for Ethiopia. Underpinning this is Richard’s 25 year track record of working with the statutory sector, wider public sector and private sector. This includes work with the Housing Corporation and Homes and Communities Agency (both now Homes England) including ”thought leadership” around equality, diversity and inclusion for example as part of the latter’s Equality and Diversity Board Advisory Group and more widely around social value. For example, Richard was a member of the Government Equalities Office Procurement Trailblazers ‘Group. He also brings the knowledge and expertise of 12 years’ leadership of his own company Cohesia. Richard continues to deploy play and playfulness to facilitate innovation and creativity in strategy and its operationalisation enabling Leaders to envision what a values’ based leadership approach looks like through a strong set of design thinking approaches. Richard and Coventry’s experience of working in and with Ukraine, including importantly with military veterans of the 2014 and current war and gender focused work in Ivano-Frankivsk began as part of his 5 year British Council Creative Spark programme in Ukraine.

THOMAS MILLER

Ambassador Thomas Miller, PhD, served as a career US Foreign Service Officer for 29 years, including as ambassador to Greece (2001-04) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2001). From 1997 to 1999, he held the position of US Special Coordinator for the Cyprus negotiations at ambassadorial rank. He served as the State Department’s Director of the Office of Israeli and Palestinian Affairs from 1992-1994. Tom has headed several large international nonprofits, including Plan International from 2005-09, an NGO supporting children, families, and communities in 44 developing countries. From 2011 to 2023, he was the Chair of the International Commission on Missing Persons, which identifies missing persons using DNA and provides closure for their families. Dr. Miller holds five degrees from the University of Michigan. Since late 2021, he has worked tirelessly to bring Afghan refugees, most of whom had a connection to the US, to the United States.