The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia

CyI has been developed as an international science and technology organization, to strengthen the research community of Cyprus, help transform its economy to a knowledge-based economy and to create a research hub for the Eastern Mediterranean region. For realizing its vision the Institute is developing pioneering research infrastructures and programs involving cutting-edge, high throughput technologies, in order to address problems of local and regional significance and of international interest and providing high quality graduate education and training in related areas.

A key strategic theme for CyI is its large network of local, regional and international partnerships, which include universities, research institutes and other institutions relevant to its thematic areas. The CyI research centers have been developed in partnership with centres of excellence in their respective fields: EEWRC with MiT; CaSToRC with the University of Illinois; and STARC with C2RMF. In addition, CyI has formed major collaborations with the Max Planck Society, the Jülich Supercomputing Center, CNRS, ENEA, CNR, ETH Zürich, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Imperial College, Tel Aviv University, Skoltech and many others.

The Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC) – Website

STARC contributes to the study of archaeology and cultural heritage through the development of broad research inquiries that foster cross-disciplinary collaborations between the humanities and the natural, material and computational sciences. In this context, STARC is dedicated to the advancement of new methodological approaches that utilize scientific and technological applications in a meaningful and scholarly way. Research activities and the development of state-of-the-art laboratories focus on problems of local and regional interest but of global importance currently converging on niche interdisciplinary research themes: Digital Cultural Heritage, Built Heritage and Cultural Landscapes, Archaeological Sciences, Art Characterization and Bioarchaeology,. More recently, two major grants have solidified key research niches for the future development of STARC. The first, by the A.G. Leventis Foundation, established the A.G. Leventis Chair in Archaeological Sciences, held by STARC Director, Prof. Thilo Rehren. The second, by Dr. Andreas Pittas, supported the creation of the Andreas Pittas Art Characterization Laboratories (APAC Labs) to pursue interdisciplinary study and analysis of works of art and archaeological material. APAC Labs research activities and initiatives engage museums through the application of advanced technological and analytical methods in the study, documentation and promotion of their collections.

STARC research is enhanced through partnerships and joint activities with leading local, regional and international institutions such as the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France, the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, the Getty Foundation, the A.G. Leventis Gallery, the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, the Byzantine Museum of the Church of Cyprus, the University of Cyprus, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the Benaki Museum, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Princeton, Cambridge University, University of Leuven, University of Southern California, Cornell, Columbia University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dioptra | The Edmée Leventis Digital Library for Cypriot Culture – Website

Spearheading CyI’s contribution to the rich cultural heritage of Cyprus the creation of the digital library Dioptra provides the necessary advanced technological framework to support the management and international dissemination of an array of projects, collaborations and initiatives. Inspired by the ancient astronomical and surveying instrument, Dioptra is named in honor of CyI’s Trustee Mrs Edmée Leventis as a small recognition of her invaluable support to the Institute’s research efforts in archaeology, the arts cultural heritage.

The framework of Dioptra fosters collaborations with major Cultural Heritage stakeholders in Cyprus and the region, thus creating a unique and wide research network with an extraordinary momentum for future activities. Furthermore, Dioptra has the support of key partners and sponsors such as the A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Cyprus Department of Antiquities. Sponsors and collaborators of individual projects such as the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Medochemie, the Leventis Municipal Museum, the A.G. Leventis Gallery and others provide critical support. Dioptra is based on a digital platform that develops in modules dedicated in the study of various aspects of Cypriot cultural heritage.