At a ceremony held at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador on Monday, 16^th of December 2019, H.E. the Ambassador of Italy to Cyprus, Mr. Andrea Cavallari, bestowed CyI President, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas as Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (Commendatore Ordine Della Stella D’ Italia), for his valuable contributions in strengthening scientific and technological collaborations between Italy and Cyprus.

Established in 1914, the Order of the Star of Italy is one of Italy’s highest honors presented to global dignitaries who contribute to strengthening and promoting relations between Italy and other countries. It is conferred by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after consulting the Council of Order.

The Order was presented in a special ceremony attended by H.E. the Ambassador of Italy to Cyprus, Mr. Andrea Cavallari, the Chief Scientist of the Republic, Mr. Kyriakos Kokkinos, Former European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Former Commissioner for Health and Member of The Cyprus Institute’s Board of Trustees, Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and Member of CyI’s Board of Trustees, Dr Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, and many CyI’s Italian researchers and scientists.

In his address, the Ambassador of Italy, noted that Prof. Papanicolas has cultivated strong relations with Italian Institutions, fostering ties between The Cyprus Institute and the Italian National Research Center (CNR), the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and CINEA (a consortium with the most powerful Supercomputing Center for scientific research in Italy). He has also established collaborations with more than 10 Italian Universities, promoting joint-degrees, Erasmus and research projects.

Additionally, thanks to Prof. Papanicolas strong personal and professional relations, many Italian scientists are now part of The Cyprus Institute’s faculty, attracting Italian students in Cyprus, and establishing bilateral cooperation in scientific and research fields. Additionally, eminent Italian scientists have been invited to Cyprus for holding seminars and conferences, often co-organised with the Italian Embassy.

In receiving the honor, Prof. Costas Papanicolas expressed his pride saying: “It has been a privilege and an immense pleasure to be able to contribute to the promotion of Cypriot – Italian relations in many fields, especially in science, technology and culture. I also, take this occasion as an opportunity to contemplate and plan for a more enhanced collaboration between Cyprus and Italy”.

Prof. Costas Papanicolas, is a renowned physicist, who received his doctorate from MIT, and has taught Physics in prestigious Universities, including the University of Illinois, University of Athens, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has authored over 160 scientific publications and holds various patents in the field of solar energy and medical physics.

He has founded and directed the Institute for Accelerating Systems in Athens and The Cyprus Institute. Under his helm, CyI has become a “Center of Excellence” in various fields and developed an important network of international collaborations. Prof. Papanicolas has been appointed as Advisor to the President of the Republic on Climate Change and is Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Change. In addition, for his contributions to research and education, Prof. Costas Papanicolas, has recently has recently been elected as a founding member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts and was awarded the Metal for “Outstanding Contributions to the Republic of Cyprus” by President, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades.