Board of Trustees

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The Cyprus Institute is being developed under the institutional umbrella of the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF), which is governed by an internationally acclaimed Board of Trustees. Since January 2006, the Board is chaired by Professor Edouard Brézin and includes world-renowned academics, current and former Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus, regional and international political, civic and business leaders. The Board is advised and aided by an international body of distinguished academics known as the Scientific Advisory Council.

CREF Board of Trustees


BREZIN Edouard (Chair) École Normale Supérieure, France Professor of Theoretical Physics at the École Normale Supérieure. Brézin has served in numerous administrative positions including the Presidency of the Administrative Council of CNRS. He was elected a member of the French National Academy of Sciences in 1991 and served as its President from 2004 to 2006. Recipient of many distinctions and awards, both from the US and European Academies. In 2011, he was awarded the Dirac Medal for his scientific contributions to theoretical physics. In December 2012, the President of the Republic H.E. Demetris Christofias presented Brézin with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Cyprus for his contribution in science, technology and education in Cyprus and the wider region. In January 2013 he was named as "Commander of the French Legion of Honor", one of the highest distinctions of the French Repbulic. For more information.
ARNON Ruth President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Israel Ruth Arnon is the President of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Paul Ehrlich Professor of Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is an immunologist with a worldwide reputation. Her scientific research has focused on the development of advanced vaccines, cancer research and parasitic diseases. She and a colleague developed Copaxone, a drug prescribed for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
ALBERTS Bruce Editor-in-chief of the 'Science' journal Professor Alberts, former President of the US National Academy of Sciences from 1993 to 2005, is a renowned biochemist recognized for his work both in biochemistry and molecular biology. He is now the editor-in-chief of the academic journal 'Science'. For more information.
BUSQUIN Philippe Former EU Commissioner for Research Mr. Busquin is the mayor of Seneffe (Belgium) and former EU Commissioner for Research and former Member of the European Parliament for Belgium. He has served as a Minister in Belgium for many years (Minister of Education, Minister of Interior, Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State). He is the Chairman of the Scientific Technology Options Assessment Panel and a member of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. For more information.
CHRISTOFIDES Titos Former Under Secretary to the President of the Republic Dr. Titos Christofides was Under Secretary to the President from February 2008 to 2013. He studied medicine in Moscow and London and was appointed general practitioner by the Public Service Commission in 1969. In his career, Dr. Christofides has served as a member of, among others, the Cyprus Ophthalmological Society (as President), the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation's Council, the Journalist Ethics Committee and the Council of the Doctors Trade Union.
COOPER Richard Harvard University, USA Professor of International Economics at Harvard University and former Provost of Yale University. Between 1965 and 1966, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Monetary Affairs in the United States Department of State, and between 1977 and 1981 he was the Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. He served as Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (1990-92), as well as Chair of the National Intelligence Council (1995-97). For more information.
GAGO Mariano Jose Former Minister for Science and Technology, Portugal Mariano Gago, fullname José Mariano Rebelo Pires Gago, graduated as an electrical engineer by the Technical University of Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, and did advanced research work in Paris at the École Polytechnique as a high-energy physicist. Professor of Physics at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, he worked at CERN (European Nuclear Research Organisation) in Geneva for several years. He was a member of the CERN Council (1985–1990), the EC Joint Research Centre Board of Governors (1986–1989), President of the Portuguese National Board for Science and Technology (1986–1989), and was chair of the European EUREKA initiative from July 1997 to June 1998. Prof. Gago has been the Minister for Science and Technology of Portugal since 1995, and represents Portugal at the Council of Ministers for Research and Development of the European Union.
GEORGIOU George Planning Bureau, Cyprus Mr Georghiou holds a BSc degree in Economics & Statistics and an MSc degree in Operational Research, from the University of Southampton, UK. He has been the Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau in March 2010. Mr Georghiou has, throughout his career, worked in various posts in the Planning Bureau and has varied experience in areas such as macro-economic policy, regional development, environment, agriculture and fisheries, external relations and EU funds management. He currently also holds the post of Secretary to the Council of Ministers. Mr Georghiou, in his capacity as Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau, is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Research Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Cyprus Airways, the national airline.
GIANNITSIS Anastasios Former Minister of Interior, Greece Tassos Giannitsis is Professor of Development and International Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Athens. He was Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister (1994-2000), Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (2000-01), Alternate Foreign Minister (2001-2004) and Foreign Minister (Feb-March 2004). From December 2009 to November 2011 he was appointed as Chairman of the Hellenic Petroleum Co. S.A. From November 2011 he was nominated Minister of the Interior of the new government of Greece.
GREENFIELD Susan Oxford University, UK Baroness Greenfield is a Member of the House of Lords, Director of the Institute for the Future of the Mind, former Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford. She is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur. The Times has mentioned her to be one of Britain’s most prominent female scientists. For more information.
GRUSS Peter Max Planck Society, Germany As of 2002, Peter Gruss has held the office of President of the Max Planck Society, a renowned German research organization with over 80 research institutions worldwide. A former member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Molecular Biology in Heidelberg, he was appointed Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen in 1986, and became a Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society. In addition, in 1990, Peter Gruss was appointed as honorary Professor at the University of Göttingen. He is also the recipient of many distinctions and awards. More...
HELAL Hany Mahfouz Former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt Former Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, Hany Mahfouz Helal had also held the position of Professor of Mineralogy at Cairo University and served as Head of Senghor University in Alexandria.
JORTNER Joshua Tel Aviv University, Israel Prof. Jortner is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and former Heinemann Professor of Chemistry at the Tel Aviv University in Israel. He is a member and former President (1986-1995) of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and the Humanities, and has served in many administrative posts including the founding Chairmanship of the Israel National Science Foundation. He received numerous awards and honorary distinctions including the Wolf Prize in Chemistry. For more information.
KASSIANIDES Symeon Founder, Chairman and CEO of Hyperion Systems Engineering Group, Cyprus Dr. Symeon Kassianides is the founder, CEO and Chairman of the Hyperion Systems Engineering Group. He holds a PhD and DIC in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London (UK), a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and has over 20 years of experience in project execution and management of technology in the process and manufacturing industries. Throughout his career Dr. Kassianides has served as Director on the governance Boards of several private companies and public organizations including the Cyprus Stock Exchange, the University of Cyprus, JCC Payment Systems Ltd. and the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation.
KATEHI Linda Chancellor University of California, USA Professor Katehi is the Chancellor of the University of California, Davis. Professor Katehi previously served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In April 2011, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. For more information.
KOKKINOS Kyriakos Director of Global Services of IBM Cyprus and IBM Greece Mr Kokkinos is the General Manager of IBM Cyprus since 1998. He was educated in the US in electronic engineering with specializations in communications and computer engineering. He serves on the Board of Directors of a number of private, business and semi-government organizations.
KOUNNAS Costas Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Ecole Normale Supérieure During 1975-78 he studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure of Paris, where he was awarded his doctorate in theoretical Physics. In 1981 he became Docteur es Sciences at the Ecole Normale Superieure (mension tres honorable avec les felicitations de Jury). During 1982 84 he served as a scientific assistant at the European Center of Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva. During 1984-87 he was a Visiting Professor at the UC at Berkeley. In 1987 he returned to Paris to the Ecole Normale Superieure as Research Director at the National Research Center of France. (Directeur de Recherche au CNRS) During 1992-99 he was a staff member of the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Theoretical Physics. He is also a member of Evaluation Committees of Scientific Institutions for the selection of visiting professors and researchers. He has been a member of the elective committee of the Department of Applied Sciences of the University of Cyprus. He has contributed considerably towards research and scientific writing. In 1995 he was awarded the European award in Theoretical Physics, Langevin.
LEVENTI Edmée Former Ambassadress of Cyprus to UNESCO H.E. Mrs. Leventi is a member of the Board of Directors of the A G Leventis Foundation and many other cultural, philantropic and charity organizations in London and in Cyprus.
MAVROMMATIS Manthos Former President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Mavrommatis is an industrialist and former President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was previously the President of the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is a Board member of the Bank of Cyprus and of the Cyprus International Institute of Management. Mr. Mavrommatis studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago.
MOLESKIS Andreas Former Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau Cyprus Dr. Moleskis formerly served as Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau of Cyprus. He also served as the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, and as former Chairman of the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Development Bank.
PAPANICOLAS Costas President of The Cyprus Institute Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas is a nuclear physicist with over 35 years of experience as a researcher, an educator and a scientific administrator. He received his B.Sc. in Physics and PhD in Nuclear Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA. He currently holds professorial appointments with the University of Athens (Greece) and the U. of Illinois (adjunct). He has served as Director of the Institute of Accelerating Systems and Applications (Athens GR), Chairman of the Accreditation and Certification Council of Cyprus and Member of the National Advisory Research Council of Greece. He is Chair of the Cyprus-CERN Committee, member of the National Council on Research and Innovation and Vice Chair of its Cyprus Scientific Council. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
PISSARIDES Christopher Professor, London School of Economics Prof. Pissarides won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics, along with Peter A. Diamond and Dale T. Mortensen. In March 2013 he was appointed the head of the national economic policy council (an advisory board that reports directly to the President of the Republic of Cyprus). He holds the Chair Norman Sosnow in Economics at the London School of Economics and directs the research program in Macroeconomics at the Centre for Economic Performance. He has been serving with the LSE since 1976. From January 2010 Prof. Pissarides holds the Chair in European Studies at the University of Cyprus.
PITTAS Andreas Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Executive Committee of CyI Dr. Pittas was the President of the Federation of Employers and Industrialists for many years. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus, the Bank of Cyprus and the Cyprus Development Bank. He trained as a medical doctor in Austria, and in business and marketing later in his career. He is a member of a number of scientific committees and organizations overseas such as the British Association of Pharmaceutical Physicians and he has been Vice-Pesident of the European Generic Medicines Association (Brussels). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus International Institute of Management.
ROUX Didier Group Saint-Gobain, France Prof. Roux is the Vice President of Research and Development of the Saint-Gobain Group of France. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences (Institut de France) and has been awarded many prizes and distinctions including the Grand Prix IBM materials, the Grand Prix of the French Academy of Sciences Mergier Bourdeix and the Silver Medal of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique). For more information.
SERAGELDIN Ismail Director of the Library of Alexandria, Egypt Dr. Serageldin is the Director of the Library of Alexandria. He has served as the Vice President of the World Bank and a member of the Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was Distinguished Professor at Wageningen University. For more information.
ZACKHEOS Sotos Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Zackheos, served in Moscow, as the first Ambassador in China, Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva and New York. He is the Director of Investment Funds and a consultant of large Cypriot and foreign companies, as well as, the Executive Director of the Russian Commercial Bank.
YIANGOU Michalis Secretary of the CREF Board Dr. Michalis S. Yiangou is the Associate Vice President of Operations of The Cyprus Institute and the Secretary of the Board. He received his PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge in 2004. He has a background in Education and History and was formerly a researcher at the Council of Educational Evaluation and Accreditation. His responsibilities include the day to day operations, governance matters and support to the Trustees. He is the official record keeper for the proceedings of the Board. Dr Yiangou joined the CyI in June 2004.