About

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a world-class, non-profit research and educational institution with a strong scientific and technological orientation. It is a regional Center of Excellence, addressing issues of regional interest but of global significance, with an emphasis on cross-disciplinary research and international collaborations. CyI is being developed as an international science and technology organization to strengthen the research community of Cyprus and to help transform its economy to a knowledge-based economy.

Recognizing the unique geopolitical location of Cyprus, the Institute aspires to serve as a European Union (EU) gateway to research and technology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region and in this way, advance peace and prosperity and promote the cooperation among the peoples of the EMME region for the betterment of their future.

The Institute operates under the aegis of the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF), which is governed by an acclaimed Board of Trustees, comprised of leading personalities of the international academic, political and business world.

Mission

Our mission is led by a set of strong values aiming to:

• Conduct cutting-edge scientific research through integrated approaches in areas aligned with local and regional priorities
• Develop big strategic research infrastructures that serve not only our needs but also those of the research communities of Cyprus and the region
• Lead by example of a strong academic and scholarly culture
• Establish strategic partnerships at the local, regional and international levels
• Engage with society and public and private stakeholders

Utilize our influence and scientific excellence for short and long-term societal and regional impact

Research

Our research activities focus on scientific and socioeconomic problems of regional relevance and global significance, integrated in thematic research thrusts that are either vertically or horizontally distributed across five interdisciplinary Research Centers, developed in partnership with leading international institutions in their thematic areas:

• The Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) founded in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• The Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC) founded in partnership with the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF)
• The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center (CaSToRC) founded in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and its National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
• The Climate & Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C) founded in partnership with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, and the University of Helsinki.
• The Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Center (STeDI-RC) was launched in 2018 following a strategic decision taken by the Institute’s Board of Trustees and started operations in the academic year 2022-23.

Education

Education is a key part of the Institute's activities, and the Graduate School acts as the Institute’s Education arm, training researchers for senior posts in academia as well as industry and government bodies. It offers high quality graduate programs grounded in the research environment of the respective research centers. CyI currently offers graduate degree programs accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA).  Students are actively involved in research and are immersed in the research environment of CyI with the help of faculty and staff members, and have direct access to experimental and computational facilities. The educational portfolio of CyI’s graduate school consists of PhD, MSc and MPhil programs along with a training portfolio which includes internships, schools, seminars and workshops.

The following degree programs are offered:

• Computational Sciences PhD
• Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences PhD
• Science and Technology in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage PhD
• High Performance Computing and Machine Learning MSc/MPhil
• Environmental and Energy Sciences MSc/MPhil
• Digital Cultural Heritage MSc

People

At CyI, our people are always at the heart of everything we do. We take pride of and celebrate our rich mix of cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds amongst our staff and students. We have been innovative and ambitious in attracting talented scholars and minds and making them feel that the Institute is a place for them to grow and flourish. Our staff and students are our greatest resource; hence, investing in their personal and professional development is always among our top priorities.

The Cyprus Institute takes pride in attracting scientists of an impressive international repute and diverse in cultural backgrounds, bringing with them experience and knowledge from leading international universities and research institutes. Just less than half of all CyI staff originate from countries other than Cyprus and more than half of its research staff is international. International staff includes mainly EU nationals but also nationals from other countries such as the United States, Russia and Egypt.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The Cyprus Institute considers innovation and entrepreneurship as key factors for achieving a meaningful impact of research on society and the economy and holds the view that science and technology are key elements for developing innovation capacities in a society. These in turn underpin the creation of a knowledge economy, leveraging ideas and technology, creating job opportunities and increasing overall wellbeing. CyI is actively engaged in knowledge exploitation initiatives, going beyond research for its own sake and contributing to the solution of real-world problems.

Influence

A key strategic theme for CyI is its large network of local, regional and international partnerships, which include universities, research institutes and other organizations relevant to its thematic areas. 

CyI has strategic partnerships with prominent international institutions such as MIT, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, C2RMF, CNRS & CEA (France), University of Helsinki (Finland).  It has established major partnerships with institutions such as ENEA & CNR (Italy), DLR & Fraunhofer (Germany), CIEMAT-PSA (Spain), AUB & St. Joseph (Lebanon), CSIRO (Australia). A number of CyI infrastructures are on the ESFRI roadmap and the Institute is part of a large number of international networks such as SESAME, SDSN, Future Earth, and cooperates with international organizations such as the WMO, World Bank, UNDP, European Parliament, CERN (CLOUD), and others.

View our interactive map of international collaborations

The Cyprus Institute Logo

One of Caesar's rewards to Cleopatra was the restoration of her kingdom to the island of Cyprus, which had been detached by Rome. As a parting gift from Ceasar, a bronze coin of Cleopatra with her infant son, Caesarion was minted in Cyprus, in 47 BC.

On the front of the coin is an idealized portrait of Cleopatra as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, with her son by Caesar, Caesarion, as Eros in front of her. On the reverse are two cornucopiae and a Greek legend which translates: "Of Queen Cleopatra". In addition, a stylized Kypr is present to indicate the origin of the coin.

The monogram of The Cyprus Institute is based on the stylized Kypr, updating it and adding the letter 'I' to represent the word 'Institute'. The logo comprises of the monogram, the name of the Institute, and its mission through its three major outputs Research, Technology and Innovation.