Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 2010
Sir Christopher Pissarides has been a member of the academic staff in the Department of Economics at the University of Cyprus since 2010.
In 2009, he was awarded the title of Honorary Doctorate by the Faculty of Economics and Management.
Christopher Pissarides is Regius Professor at London School of Economics and Professor of European Studies in the Department of Economics at the University of Cyprus. He specialises in the economics of labour markets, microeconomic policy, economic growth, and structural change. He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences jointly with Dale Mortensen from Northwestern University and Peter Diamond from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his work on the analysis of frictional markets. Prior to that, in 2005, he became the first economist, outside the US, to be awarded (jointly with Dale Mortensen) the prestigious international IZA (Institute of Labour Economics) Prize in Labour Economics. He has written extensively in professional journals and the Press, and his book “Equilibrium Unemployment Theory” is a standard reference in the economics of unemployment, while it has been translated into many languages. He is a frequent contributor to the Press on matters relating to the Eurozone and the future of European integration. He is an elected fellow of the Econometric Society, the British Academy, the Academy of Athens, the Academy of Europe, and several other scientific societies, while he is also a Lifetime Honorary Member of the American Economic Association. In 2011, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, the highest honour of the Republic of Cyprus. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.
30 Grants in total from the ERC
The University of Cyprus has a dynamic presence in the European Research Area. Securing grants from the European Research Council (ERC), the main funding body for science and research excellence in the European Union, constitutes proof of the strong research activity of the University of Cyprus. ERC grants are part of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation funding (previously known as “Horizon 2020” and currently as “Horizon Europe”). They are highly competitive and are considered particularly rewarding for the researchers who receive them. To date, the University of Cyprus has managed to secure a total of 28 European Research Council projects from all five types of grants awarded by ERC:
“KIOS” Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence
The KIOS Research and Innovation Centre, headed by Prof. Marios Polycarpou (Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering), was established in 2008 and was subsequently upgraded to a Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in 2017, in the framework of the EU’s strategic programme “Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation – Teaming”. Imperial College London is its strategic partner. The primary objective of the Centre is to conduct multidisciplinary research and innovation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), with a focus on the monitoring, management, control, and security of critical infrastructures, which include large-scale, complex systems, such as power and energy systems, water systems, transportation systems, telecommunication networks, healthcare systems, and emergency management and response systems. KIOS research and innovation outcomes contribute to the socio-economic progress, the green growth, and the digital transformation, both at the local and global level.
Centre of Excellence in Biobanking and Biomedical Research
Biobank.cy, the Centre of Excellence in Biobanking and Biomedical Research, headed by Professor Constantinos Deltas (Medical School) was created following the evaluation and approval of the scientific proposal CY-Biobank, in the framework of the highly competitive selection process of the European Commission and the strategic programme “Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation – Teaming”, in 2019.
The Centre aspires to contribute to next-generation medical research in Cyprus through the development of five pillars: a). Biobank, b). Molecular Medicine Research Centre, c). Molecular Genetics Laboratory, d). Education, e). Innovation.
The Biobank has been developed as a cutting-edge biomedical research infrastructure, aspiring to create new knowledge for improving human health and contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of diseases. The material archived in the Biobank constitutes a national treasure and heritage for the research community of Cyprus in support of genetic, epidemiological and other useful clinical studies. Data processing, always with respect to privacy and data protection, will lead to the discovery of new knowledge and the establishment of innovative applications, thus leading to the discovery of new drugs.
CYENS Centre of Excellence
The CYENS Centre of Excellence was established in 2018 following the successful evaluation of the project (RISE- Research centre on Interactive media, Smart systems and Emerging technologies) in the framework of the highly competitive selection process of the European Commission and the strategic programme "Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation - Teaming", which focuses on strengthening research, innovation and excellence. The Municipality of Nicosia is the coordinator, with the three public universities of the country (the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus) and two leading European scientific institutions, University College London and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, as partners. The CYENS Centre of Excellence aims to promote world-class research activities and pave the way for bridging the gap between scientific research and innovation in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), specialising in interactive media, smart systems and emerging technologies.
PHAETHON Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence
The PHAETHON Centre of Excellence (CoE) was established in 2023, following the top-ranked evaluation of the eponymous project proposal under the prestigious Horizon Europe “Teaming for Excellence” Call for Proposals. Along with UCY, the other partners in the consortium are Cyprus Seeds (Innovation Partner), and the Technical University of Denmark and University of Groningen in the Netherlands (Advanced Partners). PHAETHON CoE represents the evolution and upgrade of the UCY FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy towards a world-class autonomous Research and Innovation (R&I) Centre of Excellence (CoE). In this regard, the Centre aims to serve as a catalyst for excellence in the energy field, focusing on the development of solutions and applications that can address a wide range of contemporary global energy challenges. Driven by the timely energy transition and prevailing climate change challenges, the Research and Innovation focus of PHAETHON CoE is on intelligent, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions, aligned to the European Green Deal priorities. This remit places PHAETHON CoE at the heart of the energy ecosystem in Cyprus, the surrounding region, and worldwide, to ensure a more sustainable and secure energy future.
Highly Cited Researchers
The inclusion of Professor Despina Fatta-Kassinos from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the "Highly Cited Researchers" list for the seventh consecutive year in November 2024 reflects our academic staff’s contribution to science, as well as their significant impact and influence in their specialized fields. Also featured in the list in 2021 was Associate Professor Ioannis Krikidis from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, demonstrating the research dynamism and influence of the University of Cyprus faculty. A significant number of University of Cyprus academics are also included in the Stanford list of top global researchers.
Cypriot Research awards
The recognition of our academics and researchers in the Cypriot Research and Innovation Foundation's awards demonstrates the research orientation of the University and the focus of our research community on expanding knowledge, conducting quality research, and connecting research with the industry. Recent distinctions are listed below:
UNESCO International Prize – Equatorial Guinea for Research in the Life Sciences
Professor Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Cyprus received the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences. The prize recognizes significant research efforts of individuals or institutions aimed at improving human life quality. The award ceremony took place on April 23, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during a special ceremony at the 10th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.
Representation in the Academy of Europe - Academia Europaea
Recognition for the Cypriot academic community worldwide and proof of its dynamic developmental trajectory is the participation of eight academics in the Academia Europaea – Academy of Europe, four of whom are from the University of Cyprus. Professor Leontios Kostrikis and Professor Despina Fatta-Kassinos are the scientists from the University of Cyprus elected to the Academia Europaea in 2024, which also includes Sir Christopher Pissarides and Professor Marios Polycarpou. It is also noteworthy that Sophia Xenofontos, a graduate of the Department of Classical Studies and Philosophy of the University of Cyprus in 2007 (now Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), was also elected as a regular member in the Classics and Oriental Studies section. The Academia Europaea was established in 1988 as an international non-governmental organization, comprising distinguished researchers of international standing from all fields of science, including Nobel Prize laureates. The Academy aims to promote excellence in scientific research worldwide for the benefit of society and to promote education. The sole criterion for election is "demonstrated scientific excellence in the candidate's field." The Academy aims to support European research, provide advice to policy-making bodies and international organizations on scientific matters, and promote interdisciplinary and international research.
