Successful Completion of StoryPharm Kick-Off Meeting

StoryPharm kick-off meeting event
October 8, 2024
StoryPharm kick-off meeting event
October 8, 2024

Successful Completion of StoryPharm Kick-Off Meeting

The Kick-Off Meeting of the Marie-Skłodowska Curie Actions Project “Storytelling as Pharmakon in Premodernity and Beyond: Training the New Generation of Researchers in Health Humanities” (StoryPharm; Grant Agreement 101169114) was successfully completed during a well-attended two-day event. The event, which was organised by the Centre for Medieval Arts and Rituals (CeMAR) of the University of Cyprus (UCY) took place on October 18-19, 2024 at the Learning Resource Centre – Library “Stelios Ioannou”. Participants included the members of the StoryPharm consortium, dignitaries and faculty members of UCY and local universities, students, and the general public.

The event was saluted by StoryPharm’s Project Coordinator, Prof. Stavroula Constantinou, the Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs at UCY, Prof. Eleni-Tatiani Synodinou, the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at UCY, Prof. Georgia Panagiotou, and the Chair of the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Prof. Marilena Karyolemou. The speakers congratulated Prof. Constantinou for securing funding for this competitive project and wished the StoryPharm consortium every success.

Fig. 1 From the left: Prof. Marilena Karyolemou, Prof. Stavroula Constantinou, Dr Dionysios Stathakopoulos, Prof. Synodinou, and Prof. Panagiotou

Following the welcome speeches, StoryPharm’s assigned EU project officer, Dr Domna Paschalidou, joined the meeting online and offered an informative presentation concerning the partners’ contractual obligations under StoryPharm’s framework and ways to achieve the effective management of the project. Subsequently, Prof. Constantinou introduced StoryPharm to the attendees, explaining its objectives, offering a general overview of its content, and detailing its expected impact. She also introduced StoryPharm’ consortium of well-chosen academic institutions (universities of Cyprus, Bamberg, Lund, Salerno, and Cardiff), and non-academic organisations (pharmaceutical companies, libraries, museums, publishing houses, and private collections). The first day concluded with the presentation of Prof. Timothy Papadopoulos, coordinator of the successfully completed Marie-Skłodowska Curie Innovative Training Network programme “Neurodevelopmental Optimal Predictors Risk Factors and Interventions from a Systems Approach for Maladjustment in Children” (Neo-PRISM-C). Prof. Papadopoulos shared his experience and the good practices contributing to Neo-PRISM-C’s successful implementation and lasting impact.

The second day of the StoryPharm Kick-off Meeting opened by a presentation from Dr Marios Demetriades, Director of the Research and Innovation Support Service (RISS) at UCY, who offered a brief introduction of UCY’s EU funding achievements and explained the role of RISS as a service facilitating and supporting funding proposals.

Fig. 2   Dr Marios Demetriades

Dr Eva Locher from the associated partner De Gruyter Brill first presented this prestigious and renowned publishing house’s involvement in the implementation of the StoryPharm project. Then she proposed to the StoryPharm consortium the establishment of a new series dedicated to premodern health humanities and explained the process of creating such a series.

Fig. 3   Dr Eva Locher

The afternoon session was devoted to the presentation of StoryPharm’s Work Packages (WP) 1, 6, and 7. Pavlos Michaelides, StoryPharm’s Project Manager briefly introduced WP1: Management and Coordination. StoryPharm’s Scientific Project Officer Dr Andria Andreou offered an overview of WP6: Training and Career Development. The second day was brought to an end with a presentation of WP7: Communication and Dissemination by the Project Coordinator (Constantinou).

Fig. 4   Prof. Stavroula Constantinou

Two days full of presentations, discussions, exchange of ideas, views, best practices, and shared meals and coffees were brought to a closure with a bunch of smiles.

Fig. 5   The StoryPharm Partners at UCY