Το άρθρο αυτό μπορεί να έχει

75-125 λέξεις.

Η επιλογή εικόνων ή γραφικών

είναι ένας σημαντικός τρόπος

πρόσθεσης περιεχομένου σε

ένα ενημερωτικό δελτίο.

Σκεφτείτε το άρθρο σας και

δείτε εάν η εικόνα υποστηρίζει

και εντείνει το μήνυμα που προ-

σπαθείτε να αποδώσετε. Προ-

σπαθήστε να μην επιλέξετε

εικόνες που δεν ταιριάζουν με

Το άρθρο αυτό μπορεί να έχει

100-150 λέξεις.

Το υλικό θεμάτων που εμφανί-

ζεται στα ενημερωτικά δελτία

είναι πάρα πολύ μεγάλο. Μπο-

ρείτε να συμπεριλάβετε άρθρα

σχετικά με τεχνολογίες ή καινο-

τομίες στον τομέα σας.

Μπορεί επίσης να θέλετε να

αναφέρετε επιχειρησιακές ή

οικονομικές τάσεις ή να κάνετε

προβλέψεις για τους πελάτες

Πρόταση προϋπολογισμού 2008: αύξηση των

δαπανών για την έρευνα κατά 11%

Ευρωπαϊκή Συνεργασία στον τομέα της

Επιστημονικής και Τεχνικής Έρευνας (COST)

Ημερολόγιο

ευρωπαϊκών

εκδηλώσεων

9

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm

I N T H I S I S S U E :

News from EOC 1

News from EOC’s

members 2-3

Research &

Innovation 4

Health 5

Environment &

Energy 6

Education 7

News of Enterprise

Europe Network

8-

10

Calendars

March - May 2016

11-

13

Ε U R O P E A N

O F F I C E O F

C Y P R U S

EUROPEAN

NEWS J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 I S S U E 1 0 5

INFO DAYS

“Erasmus+: Sport

Info Day” 3 March 2016

Brussels, Belgium http://tinyurl.com/hm8cp3u

“Active and Assisted

Living Programme – AAL Info Day and Consortium

Building 2016” 8 March 2016

Brussels, Belgium http://tinyurl.com/h97xtad

“Horizon 2020 ICT19-2017

Media and Content Convergence Info day”

16 March 2016 Brussels, Belgium

http://tinyurl.com/z8eybej

“Bio-Based Industries JU 2016 Open Info day”

21 April 2016 Brussels, Belgium

http://tinyurl.com/z9p4k27

Inauguration of the EOC in Athens!

The inauguration of the Athens’ Representation Office of the Euro-pean Office of Cyprus (EOC) took place at the Embassy of Cyprus in Athens, Xenophon 2A, on Friday 15 January 2015. The inaugura-tion speech was addressed by His Excellency Mr. Kyriakos Kenevezos, Ambassador of Cy-prus to Athens, with the presence of the EOC Executive Director Dr. Gregory Makrides. The event which was held in the Embassy building, was attended by the Cul-tural Counsellor Mrs. Maria Panayidou as well as personalities from the business, academic and research sector.

The Ambassador Mr. Kenevezos welcomed the opening of the Office’s operation in Ath-ens and emphasised the importance of the EOC’s effort to provide targeted information on European funding and to develop channels for cooperation through joint ventures. EOC Executive Director, Dr. Gregory Makrides gave a presentation on the EOC activities emphasising the Office’s role and identity, as well as a presentation on the new service “EAEC-EOC Task Force” which aims to pro-

vide support for writing proposals and on the organisation of “Innovation Meetings” on topics related to the Funding Pro-grammes. In the immediate plans of the EOC Representa-tion Office in Athens, is the or-ganisation of an Innovation Meeting in Athens, in order to exchange ideas for new pro-posals and partnerships and to facilitate the development of a cooperation model between

Greece and Cyprus.

During the presentation, participants had the opportunity to be informed about one of the EOC’s most innovative tools, the “Charter of Deadlines” (COD). COD consists of a powerful tool that allows users to choose with clarity, ease and effectiveness, either in Greek or in English language, the calls for proposals in the funding programmes of their interest and the calls for partners in projects, using the easy-search filters

of this tool.

More information: eoc.athens@ucy.ac.cy

The Cypriot Ambassador in Athens, Mr. Kenevezos addresses the opening

speech

“Green Skills” Final Conference

Funded by the EU PROGRESS programme, the “Connecting People for Green Skills” project has identified the green skills shortages and has developed appropriate training components for boosting job crea-tion in the construction sector. The European Office of Cyprus, as a project’s partner, organises on 1 March 2016, the “Green Skills” pro-ject final conference, in Brussels. The event will be hosted by the Committee of the Regions.

The objective of this event is to present the potential of "green" jobs in tackling unemployment in the construction sector and to highlight the need to match the demand for labour with skills, while anticipating and managing change in terms of the need for human capital. The confer-ence will showcase the implemented activities and the transferability of the project’s achieved results, as well as a number of best practices that have a significant potential for job creation in this sector.

More information and registration: http://www.greenskillsproject.eu/en/final-conference, http://cor.europa.eu/en/events/Pages/green-skills-project.aspx

P A G E 2 I S S U E 1 0 5

Frederick University participated in the project KC-MEM: “Acquiring key compe-tences through local memories in non-formal adult education”, which has been successfully completed. The project fo-cused on the development of a frame-work that can be adopted and implement-ed by cultural organisations -such as mu-seums and libraries- local authorities and civil society organisations, interested in non-formal adult education for the devel-opment of key and transversal competences while tackling historical thinking, memory and local identi-ty, and contributing to social cohesion and active citizenship, through the process of recovery, identifi-cation and gathering of local memories.

For the Cypriot KC-MEM project, Frederick University’s team collaborated with Lapithos Municipality during Dec.’14-Mar.’15, launching the programme “The cultural life of the people of Lapithos until mid-1970s: ‘teasing’ memory.” The activities developed aimed to explore the cultural life of Lapithos. The main educational approach-

es employed were learning by doing, project and object based learning, dialogic and col-laborative learning. The process highlighted the benefits of the program for municipalities and organisations that are engaged or wish to engage in adult education. Participation in the programme enhances the feeling of be-longing and cultivates contemporary key-competences such as collaboration, critical, historical thinking and development of struc-tured and effective presentations.

The project was funded by the Lifelong Learning Pro-gramme «LLP Grundtvig Multilateral Project», for the pe-riod of 1st of January 2014 until 31st of December 2015. Coordinator of the project was the ARANZADI Society of Sciences organisation (Spain) while the partners in the project, were the Frederick University (Cyprus), the Fu-tura public vocational training center (Italy), the Adam Mickievicz University (Poland), the Kranj City Library (Slovenia) and the Royal Armouries Museum (UK).

Completion of the European Project “KC-MEM: Acquiring key

competences through local memories in non-formal adult education”

with the participation of Frederick University

More information: Dr. Nicoletta Christodoulou, e-mail: n.christodoulou@frederick.ac.cy, School of Education, Frederick University, as well as on the following websites: www.lapithosmemory.kc-mem.eu, kc-mem.eu, and www.facebook.com/pages/Kc-Mem/260906737366761

Transnational meeting of the partners of the ESIPP Project:

Equity and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting at the

European University Cyprus

The European University Cyprus participates as a partner in the three-year project “Equity and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting (ESIPP)” which began on 1 September 2015, and is being co-funded by the European Union under the Eras-mus+ programme. The aim of ESIPP is to design and offer workshops to parents with children on the autism spectrum in Croatia, Cyprus and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which will be based on data derived from the investiga-tion of families’ needs.

Within the framework of the project and based on results from its research section, a family training model in the partner countries will be developed and implemented. Inter alia, this will include practical guidelines, activities, material for the enhancement and development of knowledge and skills necessary for the support of families and their chil-

dren on the autism spectrum. The quality and effectiveness of the family training model will be evaluated through quantitative and qualitative research procedures.

The project is led by the University of Northampton (UK) and involves eight (8) other funded partners from Belgium (Autism Europe), Croatia (University of Zagreb - Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Centar za Autizam), Cyprus (European University Cyprus, and the Autism Assessment Support Practice Centre), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism - MSSA), and the United Kingdom (Target Autism Training and Consultancy, and Autism Concern). The Department of Education Sciences, on behalf of the European University Cyprus, is contributing to the development and evaluation of the project, as well as lead-ing the work stream concerning the evaluation of the impact and sustainability of the project.

Additional information about the ESIPP project and Cyprus’ participation in it may be requested from the coordinator of the team at the European University Cyprus, Dr. Eleni Theodorou, Assistant Professor of Social Foundations

in Education, Department of Educational Sciences, e-mail: E.Theodorou@euc.ac.cy.

P A G E 3 I S S U E 1 0 5

The new project “TRANSrisk” with the participation of the University

of Piraeus, will contribute to mitigating climate

The University of Piraeus participates in the European project “Transitions pathways and risk analysis for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies” (TRANSrisk) which is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Pro-gramme, under Grant Agreement No 642260. The main objectives of

the TRANSrisk are to create a novel assessment framework for analysing the costs and benefits of transition pathways while considering risks and uncertainties. The project will proceed as well, to the development of a relevant decision support tool to support policy makers better understand uncertainties and risks to in-form robust policy design.

The project’s ultimate objective is the identification and analysis of uncertainties and risks that characterize the transition paths of technologies that mitigate climate change and integrate them into a more robust methodological framework planning future energy low carbon policies.

Within the above framework, TRANSrisk aims to identify: What are the synergies and conflicts between different en-ergy system pathways and other societal objectives, including sustainable development, health, and green growth? How different approaches towards climate and energy policy, as well as related policies across multiple sectors can affect the process of innovation? How would stakeholders be engaged in the identification process of the above mentioned synergies, constrains, and risks associated with alternative pathways?

Throughout the operation and implementation of TRANSrisk the following results are expected:

Provision of insights on mitigation pathways across multiple sectors and geographical areas through nine (9) case studies in the EU and another six (6) in the rest world.

Provision to decision makers of a non-specialist “tool box” to assess and evaluate the socio-economic costs & benefits of mitigation options.

Facilitation of EU and global climate policy goals such as the implementation and review of the EC’s “Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy by 2050”.

Contribution to major international scientific assessments (e.g. IPCC).

More information: Ass. Prof. Alexandros Flamos, e-mail: aflamos@unipi.gr, Dr. Chara Karakosta e-mail: chakara@unipi.gr, University of Piraeus, website: www.transrisk-project.eu.

FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of

Cyprus aims for world class research excellence

FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, se-cured € 1.012.173. funding from the European Union through Horizon 2020 Twin-ning instrument. Twinning activities aim for world class research excellence through the cooperation with European research bodies. The main aim of this Eu-ropean project is to enhance the research conducted at the University of Cyprus (UCY) through targeted twinning activities with two internationally-leading re-search institutions, namely the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). In particular, the aim will be to stimulate excellence and innovation capacity at UCY primarily in the field of photovoltaics (PV) and grid integration in smart grids

Twinning activities will include knowledge transfer and exchange of best practice, joint PhD programs, joint research and industrial collaboration between AIT/ DTU and UCY. Furthermore the consortia of UCY, DTU and AIT will have significant expertise and stra-tegic to play a major role in Middle East, North African and Arabic peninsula photovolta-

ic investment. This project will entail significant benefits for all institutions involved in terms of enhance-ment of their Research and Innovation (R&I) capacity in science and technology and raising their staff’s research profile.

By twinning with AIT and DTU, FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy will

reach a high international caliber of research excellence and technological devel-

opment, in areas for which Cyprus is currently underperforming. Moreover, it is antici-

pated that the project will form the knowledge basis for setting the appropriate mecha-

nisms for boosting innovation practices at UCY and in Cypriot academia in general as well as building spin-off com-

panies in Cyprus.

More information: FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy, University of Cyprus , e-mail: foss@ucy.ac.cy, website: http://www.foss.ucy.ac.cy, tel. +357 22894329.

Partners of the consortium

Report on ex-post evaluation of FP7

Investment in research and innovation from the EU budget between 2007 and 2013 has greatly improved scientific excellence in Europe and strengthened its competi-tiveness by improving industry's capacity to innovate. These are some of the main findings of the evaluation of EU's 7th Framework Programme (FP7), published on 25 January 2016 by the European Commission.

The ex-post evaluation of FP7, the EU research funding programme for 2007-2013, was conducted by an independent group of high-level experts which ana-lysed the economic and societal impact of the pro-gramme.

The ex-post evaluation of the 7th Framework Programme shows that the €55 billion invested over 7 years into EU's research and innovation proved highly attractive to pri-vate sector participants, including a record number of SMEs, which helped strengthen competitiveness of Euro-pean industries. The programme also set up five Joint

Technology Initiatives in key areas like inno-vative medicine and hydrogen and fuel cells. With a record number of participants and projects funded, the programme also strongly contributed to strengthening scien-tific excellence. FP7 projects have so far generated over 170,000 publications, with

an open access rate of 54% for all scientific peer re-viewed publications created during the lifetime of

FP7.

In addition to its achievements, the report has also looked at the issues to be improved in order to maximise the im-pact of EU investment in research and innovation in the future. Most of these areas, like for instance the im-provement of administrative procedures and funding flexibility, better integration of different parts of the programme and synergies with other research and innovation funding schemes, have already been ad-dressed in the set-up of Horizon 2020.

P A G E 4 I S S U E 1 0 5

Consultation on Future and Emerging Technologies and mathematics

in Horizon 2020

Which emerging fields of technological research should the EU be investing in? What nov-el areas of science, mathematics and technology would benefit from deeper exploration? Share your views by 30 April 2016 and help the European Commission to identify where to focus the future work in Horizon 2020.

The Commission is seeking feedback on three topics in the Digital4Science discussion platform:

on the research directions for the FET Proactive scheme;

on the research directions for the FET Flagships scheme;

on Mathematics for Excellence in Science in Horizon 2020.

The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Proactive and FET Flagships consultations aim to identify promising and potentially game-changing directions for future research in technological, multidisciplinary domains that will be the basis for a future economic growth, jobs and for a better society. Given that today's digital society relies on math-ematics and algorithms for big data, computing and on supercomputers able to perform complicated calculations in seconds, the consultation on mathematics seeks to explore new areas where mathematics could make a difference for Europe. Ideas and views gathered in this consultation will help the Commission prepare its FET Work Pro-

gramme for 2018-2020.

The European Commission invites everyone: individuals, scientists, businesses, organisations to propose ideas for tomorrow's innovative research under Horizon 2020. These are not traditional consultations but rather open discus-sions, in which contributors can suggest ideas for a new FET Proactive initiative, propose a new FET Flagship top-ic or new areas for research in mathematics.

More information: http://tinyurl.com/je2v5rj

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-146_en.htm

The European COST programme (European Cooperation in Science and Tech-nology) has postponed the first 2016 collection date of the COST Open Call to 25 April 2016 due to budgetary and organisational reasons. The call previ-ously had a collection date of 23 February.

More information: http://www.cost.eu/participate/open_call

COST proposals’ collection date postponed

P A G E 5 I S S U E 1 0 5

eHealth Week 2016

This year eHealth Week will be held on 8-10 June 2016 in Amster-dam and is organised by the Dutch Ministry of Health as part of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Euro-pean Commission and HIMSS Europe. The 2016 educational pro-gramme will focus on three main themes: Empowering Peo-

ple, Trust & Standards and Innovation & Transition.

EHealth policies are changing. Until now, policies have mainly focused on institutions and IT systems: today, that focus is shifting and is now being placed on eHealth users. The people who are using eHealth are becoming increas-ingly involved in the discussion and being placed at the heart of eHealth policy-making. The IHE World Summit will be held in parallel to eHealth Week 2016.

More information: http://www.ehealthweek.org/ehome/128630/eHealth-week-2016/?&

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?section=active-healthy ageing&pg=sites

Are you a leader in innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing? Would you like to become one of the "Reference sites" of the European Innovation Partnership on Ac-tive and Healthy Ageing? Then apply be-fore 15 April 2016!

Reference Sites are regional ecosystems which devel-op solutions to improve the lives and health of older people that can then be scaled up and replicated across the EU. They comprise different types of stake-holders including regional / local authorities, hospital and care organisations, industry, SMEs and research organisations. An earlier call resulted in 32 re-gions being recognised as Reference Sites. To qualify, Reference Sites should:

showcase innovative components of their care/model systems which might act as examples of good practice to other regions;

provide proof of their impact on the ground and present indicators against which to measure impact;

be actively engaged in the scaling up/replicability process by submitting good practices to the EIP on AHA Repository of Innova-tive Practices, for example, the coaching of other regions;

be already engaged (or to become en-gaged) with the Action Groups of the EIP on AHA.

European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing:

call for Reference Sites

Personalised Medicine Conference 2016

The European Commission is organising the “Personalised Medicine Conference 2016” that will take place on 1-2 June 2016 in Brussels. The confer-ence will explore personalised medicine through a

research policy lens. Europe is a leader in personalised medicine, an interdisciplinary field which will drive the health research and innovation agenda for years to come in view to improve healthcare.

The conference aims to showcase the current state of the art in the area and explore future research and innovation challenges. It will also introduce a new collaboration among health research funding and policy making organisations called the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (IC PerMed). The conference programme is jointly

developed by the IC PerMed members and has the following five thematic sessions:

Developing Awareness & Empowerment;

Integrating Big Data & ICT Solutions;

Translating Basic to Clinical Research & Beyond;

Bringing Innovation to the Market;

Shaping Sustainable Healthcare.

The organisers welcome participation from a wide array of interested people and organisations including patient and civil society representatives, researchers, industry representatives, research funders, policymakers, healthcare pay-ers, and health practitioners. Registration will open by the end of February 2016.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2016/permed2016/index.cfm

P A G E 6 I S S U E 1 0 5

Tighter rules for safer and cleaner cars

On 27 January 2016, the European Commission has tabled legislative proposals to ensure car manufacturers comply strictly with all EU safety, environmental and production requirements. The Commission is proposing a major overhaul of the so-called EU type approval framework. Under current rules, national authori-ties are solely responsible for certifying that a vehicle meets all requirements to be placed on the market and for policing manufacturers' compliance with EU law. The proposals will make vehicle testing more independent and increase surveillance of cars already in circulation.

The Commission was already reviewing the EU type approval framework for motor vehicles prior to the Volkswagen revelations. It has since concluded on the need for more far-reaching reform to prevent cases of non-compliance from happening again. The proposal for a Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles complements efforts to introduce more robust emissions testing (Real Driving Emissions test-ing).

The current type approval system is based on mutual trust: once a car is certified in one Member State, it can circulate freely throughout the EU. In this context, while the EU sets the legal framework, national authorities are fully responsible for checking car manufacturers' compliance. The draft Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles maintains the principle of mutual recognition, which is at the core of the EU Single Market, but seeks to correct the flaws in the system. The proposal for a Regulation will help to achieve three

objectives:

Reinforce the independence and quality of testing that allows a car to be placed on the market.

Introduce an effective market surveillance system to control the conformity of cars already in circula-

tion.

Reinforce the type approval system with greater European oversight.

The draft Regulation is sent to the European Parliament and Council for adoption. Once adopted, it will be di-rectly applicable. It will repeal and replace Directive 2007/46/EC (the ‘Framework Directive’).

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/technical-harmonisation/eu/index_en.htm

More information: http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:28813-2016:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

The Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission has published a call for tenders with the title “Technical assistance concern-ing the reporting requirements on biofuels and bioliquids stemming from the Directive (EU) 2015/1513 of the European Parliament and of the Council" - ENER/C1/2015-438/4

The objective of the contract is to provide technical as-sistance concerning the reporting requirements of the European Commission on biofuels and other renewa-ble fuels stemming from the Directive (EU) 2015/1513 of the European Parliament and of the Council as re-gards the measures aiming to address the ILUC im-pacts of the EU biofuel policy.

Experts who will carry out the work must have worked successfully in fields related to this contract (indirect land use change research in relation to production of

biofuels and bioliquids, greenhouse gas emissions of transport fuels, agri-culture and energy markets). Relevant higher education degree and/or 5 years' professional experience in the following fields:

a) agricultural market;

b) energy market;

c) econometrics;

d) economic and biophysical (emissions from land use and land use change) modelling and/or analy-

sis.

The total value of the contract has been estimated at 220.000 EUR. The duration of the contract is 9 months (from the award of the contract), and there is no possi-bility for further renewal. The deadline for submission of

tenders is 7 March 2016.

Technical assistance concerning the reporting requirements on

biofuels and bioliquids

P A G E 7 I S S U E 1 0 5

Report on the first year of Erasmus+ programme implementation

In its first year, Erasmus+, the bigger and more fit-for-purpose programme for education, training, youth and sport, is already living up to expectations. With a budget of over €2 billion in its initial year, Erasmus+ has already offered more than one million people the opportunity to take part in 18.000 funded projects. The figures published 26 January 2016 reveal that in 2014, Erasmus+ already benefited more peo-ple through a wider range of opportunities. In its first year, the programme supported a record 650,000 mo-bility grants for students, trainees, teachers, volun-

teers and other young people and paved the way for the first student loans for a full Master degree abroad. For the first time, the programme also funded policy support projects involving public authori-ties and international organisations and provided funding for projects in the field of sport.

A strengthened Erasmus+ is also delivering stronger support to its beneficiaries. This can be seen in improved recognition of studies abroad once students return to their home countries. The new Erasmus+ is also more open, with a strong focus placed on promoting social inclusion, active citizenship and tolerance. To achieve this, more financial support than ever has been made available to participants with fewer financial means or those with special needs. A further €13 million has also been committed for 2016 to fund projects tack-ling issues like social inclusion of minorities and migrants and other disadvantaged social groups. The programme has also strengthened initiatives to improve young people's employment prospects and facili-tate their transition from education to work. This has seen an increase in traineeship and apprenticeship op-portunities in the programme

In a separate report, the Commission has also published the statistics on student and staff mobility for the final academic year (2013-2014) of the former Erasmus programme for higher education, which formed part of the umbrella Lifelong Learning Programme. The data reveals that a record number of students (272,000) and staff (57,000) took part compared to any previous year. Spain, Germany and France remained the three most popular destinations for Erasmus students to study or train abroad in 2013-2014. In addition, a new Erasmus Regional Impact Study confirms that while undertaking an Erasmus student exchange signifi-cantly improves young people's chances of securing high quality, managerial jobs, this is especially true for students coming from Southern and Eastern Europe.

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-143_en.htm

During the Dutch Presidency of the EU, the ministry of Educa-tion, Culture and Science organ-ises a conference on the future of higher education in Amster-dam on 9 March 2016.

Higher education and the world in which it operates have changed considerable in the past couple of years. Participation in higher education has reached record levels, but the fall-out of the economic crisis (including graduate unemployment) has highlighted more than ever the need for tertiary provision to be relevant to real-world needs and trends. The debates surrounding the rise in political and religious tensions around the world have illustrated that "relevance" extends to high-er education's role in preparing engaged citizens. The rapid development of digital technologies is changing student expectations and creating new opportunities for structuring learning and social inclusion.

The main purpose of the confer-ence is to showcase best practices and bring together people who work in industry, innovation and education. During the conference, the main challenges and chances for European higher education, will

be discussed, while recommendations for the Europe-an Commission will be formulated. There will be key-notes by speakers from various European countries, a round table as well as six parallel sessions around the themes ‘linking higher education to the outside world’, ‘preparing engaged citizens’ and ‘the potential of digital technologies’.

Representatives from all countries in the European Higher Education Area are invited to attend this conference.

The Future of Higher Education

More information: http://english.eu2016.nl/latest/events/2016/03/09/the-future-of-higher-education

P A G E 8 I S S U E 1 0 5

European SME Innovation Associate

The European Commission has announced a new pilot action to help European SMEs and start-ups fund the recruitment of post-doctoral research associates. The action aims at overcoming barri-ers for EU SMEs and Start-ups to the recruitment of highly qualified specialists (PhD or equivalent) that are not available on the national job market, but whose knowledge would be crucial to open up op-portunities for innovation and significant growth for the enterprise. It encourages mobility and complements the Marie Skłodowska-

Curie actions by providing additional work opportunities for experienced researchers in innovating SMEs.

Participation is open to SMEs (including start-ups) established in EU Member States and Associated Countries. To be eligible for recruitment, associates must hold a PhD (or equivalent), have demonstrated expertise in line with the job advertisement, and comply with transnational mobility criteria. Successful SME applicants will receive a grant covering salary and related costs of employing a research associate. The scheme also foresees a training package

for both the associate and his/her supervisor in the enterprise. The call is open until 30 June 2016.

To promote the pilot, innovating SMEs experiencing skills shortages will be contacted by the Enterprise Eu-rope Network innovation consultants and assisted in formulating a vacancy notice to address the identified skills' shortages, and publish it on the EURAXESS portal and other relevant platforms and media.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/h2020-sme-innovation-associate

News for Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs)

From 18 January 2016, practicing a profes-sion in another EU country becomes easier for general care nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, real estate agents and mountain guides, thanks to the European Professional Card (EPC).

With the EPC these professions can get their qualification recognised in another EU country more efficiently - the assessment will be made on the basis of existing rules but the mechanism will be simplified through an electron-

ic procedure.

The European Professional Card is not a plas-tic card, but an electronic certificate issued through the first fully online EU-wide procedure for the recognition of qualifications. Based on practical experience with its functioning, the

EPC may be extended to other mobile professions in the future.

New European Professional Card

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8627

P A G E 9 I S S U E 1 0 5

On 28 January 2016, the European Commission has opened up a new chapter in its campaign for fair, effi-cient and growth-friendly taxation in the EU with new proposals to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The Anti Tax Avoidance Package calls on Member States to take a stronger and more coordinated stance against companies that seek to avoid paying their fair share of tax and to imple-ment the international standards against base ero-sion and profit shifting.

Key features of the new proposals include:

legally-binding measures to block the most common methods used by compa-nies to avoid paying tax;

a recommendation to Member States on how to prevent tax treaty abuse;

a proposal for Member States to share tax-related information on multina-

tionals operating in the EU;

actions to promote tax good governance internation-ally;

a new EU process for listing third countries that re-fuse to play fair.

New measures against corporate tax avoidance

European Single Procurement Document The new European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) adopted on 5 January 2016 by the European Commission reduces considerably the administrative burden for companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who want to have a fair chance at winning a public contract.

The ESPD will replace the current system which may differ drastically among Member States. While some countries have already introduced some form of a self-declaration of suitability, others require all interested parties to provide full documentary evidence of their suitability, financial status and abilities.

The ESPD will allow all businesses to electronically self-declare that they meet the necessary regulatory criteria or commercial capability requirements, and only the winning company will need to submit all the

documentation proving that it qualifies for the contract.

To facilitate its use, a free, web-based system is being developed for Member States and businesses. As Mem-ber States can postpone the obligation to exclusively use electronic means of communication until 18 October 2018, the ESPD may be printed, filled in manually, scanned and sent electronically until then.

More information: http://tinyurl.com/zntru5h

New platform for alternative dispute resolution between consumers

and online traders

The European Commission has opened its new online dispute resolution (ODR) platform to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies. The platform will allow consumers and traders to settle their online disputes at the click of a mouse, both for domestic and cross-border purchases, without the need to go through lengthy and costly court proceedings.

One month after the Commission proposed modern digital contract rules to simplify and promote access to digital content and online sales across the EU, this online platform will also strengthen trust in online purchases and thereby make an im-

portant contribution to the EU's Digital Single Market strategy. When consumers and traders lodge a complaint, the dispute resolution bodies will act as a referee between the two parties to resolve the issue.

The platform will be open to alternative dispute resolution bodies to sign up and familiarise themselves with the platform before it is opened for use by consumers and traders on 15 February 2016. Online traders will be obliged to provide a link to the ODR Platform on their websites.

More information: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/

More information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-160_en.htm

P A G E 1 0 I S S U E 1 0 5

Agents sought for online learning and

educational tool for 13 to 18 year olds

POD reference number:

BOUK20150723001

UK University has developed an interna-tional online learning tool and fully safe-guarded social media network for high abil-ity 13 to 18 year olds. The tool aims to help the brightest young people with school work, teach them to be more effective learners, provide information on careers and give them the opportunity to connect with other young people from around the globe. The university is seeking recipro-cal agreements to help promote the por-

tal amongst bright 13 to 18 year olds.

The online portal has 11,000 members. It is free of charge in the EU, and carries a mini-mal administrative cost outside of the EU. The university aim to influence large groups of teachers and schools to encourage them to nominate students for free membership.

A Russian company is looking for partners to organise for Rus-

sian children educational trips under services agreement

POD reference number: BRRU20150824001

A Russian company from Lipetsk region active in the field of additional education for adults and children and personnel management field (20-years experience) is looking for foreign partners to mutually organ-ize children educational and entertaining trips under service

agreement.

The company is looking for partners who can offer interesting entertain-ment and educational programmes, targeting this group under a ser-vices agreement. Suitable partners might be in the tourism field, or preferably have experience running study visits. The size of groups and terms of transfer, accommodation and food composition will be discussed after the first contact.

1) The partner should have experience in the organisation of educa-tional and entertainment vacations for chidren. 2) The partner is expected to have good background references and is able to offer interesting staying programmes. 3) The partner should have in the staff the russian-speaking people. 4) Three meals a day.

Management and personal development training company is look-ing for joint venture partnerships to collaborate on international

projects

POD reference number: 20120921020 BR

The UK company is specialised in developing clients in the UK and internationally through a range of management and personal develop-ment training for individuals and large businesses. They are looking

for joint venture partnerships in network countries.

The company has over 20 years of active operational management experience. The company delivers training through traditional open workshops, though they are also able to deliver key learning via a blended approach such as webinars. The company would like to devel-op training events in close discussion with customers and review/ eval-uate effectiveness afterwards.

Educational careers board game for

schools seeks licensing partners

POD reference number:

TOUK20150521001

A UK based SME has developed a board game that helps teachers embed careers education within the core curriculum. The game is aimed at 10-12 year olds who are beginning to form ideas about their future and need to make the right subject choic-es. The company is looking to introduce the board game into new markets and would like to establish links with organi-sations which develop and sell educational resources in order to license the use and sale of this product in new languages. The organisations could be SMEs, government, charities or other organisations working in the educational sector.

Educational digital platform for students education management

POD reference number: TOES20150112001

Spanish start-up has developed an educational digital platform for stu-dents education management. It is an innovative tool for digital class-room management, which enables an advanced communication and integration system for students education maximization. The company is looking for commercial agreements with technical assistance. The solution addresses all the stakeholders involved in the educational process (students, teachers and parents) enabling an advanced com-munication and management system which maximizes students educa-tion. It is formed by software and hardware: 1) Software: Allows communication, knowledge storage and distribu-tion, and educational management. 2) Hardware: The teachers use a PC in the classroom and at home, and the students use a tablet at school and a tablet or PC at home.

For more information, as well as to get in touch with the enterprises, please contact (mentioning the POD code) with:

Mrs. Maro Ftelleha Markidou Business Support Center Cyprus Enterprise Europe Network Tel. +3572289 4278 or +3572289 4461 Fax. +3572289 5005 Email: een-eoc@ucy.ac.cy

Enterprises of the EEN network

seeking cooperation with Cyprus in

the fields of Education and Training

I S S U E 1 0 5 P A G E 1 1

CALENDAR MARCH 2016 Connecting People for Green Skills Final Conference More information: http://greenskillsproject.eu/final-conference

1 March Brussels, Belgium

Fifth annual Public Sector ICT Summit More information: http://www.publicsector-ict.com/

1 March London,

United Kingdom

Connecting, Informing and Inspiring the Compound Semiconductor Industry More information: http://www.cs-international.net/

1-2 March Brussels, Belgium

Photonics PPP Annual Meeting 2016 More information: http://www.ideal-ist.eu/event/photonics-ppp-annual-meeting-2016

1-2 March Brussels, Belgium

Erasmus+: Sport Info Day More information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/sport-infoday-03032016_en

3 March Brussels, Belgium

6th HTI Health Tourism Industry Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/zxlekdf

3-5 March Vienna, Austria

2016 EFMD (ESMU) – Humane Winter School More information: http://tinyurl.com/z3twdlh

6-11 March Barcelona, Spain

10th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference More information: http://iated.org/inted/?gclid=CK-H3sywzskCFYXnGwodTBsP4w

7-9 March Valencia, Spain

Active and Assisted Living Programme – AAL Info Day and Consortium Building 2016 More information: http://www.aal-europe.eu/info-day-call-consortium-building-2016/

8 March Brussels, Belgium

12th EGA Legal Affairs Conference More information: http://www.egaevents.org/lac/

8-9 March Brussels, Belgium

EPCA Payment Summit More information: http://10times.com/epca

10-11 March Brussels, Belgium

Media & Learning 2016:Enriching learning through media education and media literacy More information: http://media-and-learning.eu/

10-11 March Brussels, Belgium

CeBIT 2016 - Global Event for Digital Business More information: http://www.cebit.de/home

14-18 March Hanover, Germany

2016 Conference on big data from space (BiDS’16) More information: http://congrexprojects.com/2016-events/16m05/introduction

15-17 March Tenerife, Spain

36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine More information: http://tinyurl.com/zs3lgrk

15-18 March Brussels, Belgium

Horizon 2020 ICT19-2017 Media and Content Convergence Info day More information: http://tinyurl.com/z8eybej

16 March Brussels, Belgium

9th International conference for improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings and smart communities More information: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/event/conference/ieecb?search

16-18 March Frankfurt, Germany

SBE16 Conference: Europe And The Mediterranean Towards A Sustainable Built Environment More information: http://tinyurl.com/j2el6w7

16-18 March Valetta, Malta

5th LE:NOTRE Landscape Forum Cyprus 2016 More information: http://forum.ln-institute.org/programme/pre-forum-exkursion/

16-20 March Pafos, Cyprus

Conference on the European Professional Card

More information: http://tinyurl.com/ptapc8o 18 March

Brussels, Belgium

2016 ACFE European Fraud Conference More information: http://www.acfe.com/european.aspx

20-22 March Brussels, Belgium

2nd EORTC Cancer Survivorship Summit More information: http://www.eortc.org/survivorship2016/

31 March- 1 April

Brussels, Belgium

I S S U E 1 0 5 P A G E 1 2

CALENDAR APRIL 2016

Digital Forensics Research Conference EU (DFRWS) More information: http://www.dfrws.org/2016eu/index.shtml

29 March - 1 April

Lausanne, Switzerland

Mediterranean Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing More information: http://www.medicon2016.org/index.html

31 March - 2 April

Pafos, Cyprus

3rd World Congress on Controversies in Pediatrics (CoPedia)

More information: http://congressmed.com/copedia/

31 March - 3 April

Barcelona, Spain

18th International Neuroscience Winter Conference

More information: http://www.winterneuroscience.org/2016/

2-6 April Solden, Austria

5th International Conference on Principles of Security and Trust (POST)

More information: http://www.etaps.org/index.php/2016/post

2-8 April Eindhoven,

The Netherlands

42nd EBMT Congress

More information: http://www.ebmt2016.org/

3-6 April Valencia, Spain

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) International Conference & Ex-hibition (ICE) More information: http://www.seg.org/web/ice-barcelona-2016/home

3-6 April Barcelona, Spain

Magnetism 2016

More information: http://magnetism2016.iopconfs.org/home

4-5 April Sheffield,

United Kingdom

The Oxford Chemical Immunology Conference

More information: http://oxchemimm.chem.ox.ac.uk/

4-5 April Oxford,

United Kingdom

Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference

More information: http://greensuschemconf.com

4-6 April Berlin, Germany

Photonics Europe 2016

More information: http://spie.org/conferences-and-exhibitions/photonics-europe

4-7 April Brussels, Belgium

International Venus Science Conference

More information: http://venus2016.uk/

4-8 April Oxford,

United Kingdom

Code-camp on Computational Creativity More information: http://tinyurl.com/h7cjevh

6-8 April Antwerp, Belgium

Emerson Global Users Exchange More information: http://www.emersonexchange.org/emea/

12-14 April Brussels, Belgium

EIT Digital Conference & Partner Event 2016 More information: http://tinyurl.com/jrggccf

12-14 April Brussels, Belgium

The Brain in Focus: New Approaches to Imaging Neurons and Neural Circuits More information: http://tinyurl.com/ztetqf2

17-20 April Copenhagen,

Denmark

2016 FIVS Global Trade Policy Forum & Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/heal4jx

18-20 April Brussels, Belgium

Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2016 More information: http://www.traconference.eu/

18-21 April Warsaw, Poland

Bio-Based Industries JU 2016 Open Info day More information: http://tinyurl.com/z9p4k27

21 April Brussels, Belgium

Soft Robotics Week 2016 More information: http://tinyurl.com/gt63q7u

25-30 April Livorno, Italy

Conference on reforming the regulation of professions More information: http://tinyurl.com/jyoxerx

28 April Brussels, Belgium

I S S U E 1 0 5 P A G E 1 3

CALENDAR MAY 2016 Testimony Memory, Trauma, Truth, Engagement More information: http://tinyurl.com/ja8pbtf

2-4 May Prague,

Czech Republic

International Surgical Pathology Symposium More information: http://tinyurl.com/zuv5vmc

3-6 May Madrid, Spain

Domestic Abuse and Violence More information: http://tinyurl.com/hwajgqt

5-7 May Prague,

Czech Republic

International Meeting of the Psychonomic Society More information: http://www.ps2016.org/

5-8 May Granada, Spain

5th International Conference on Trade, Business, Economics and Law More information: http://tinyurl.com/jtcayfv

9 - 11 May Oxford,

United Kingdom

3rd QUALICHeCK Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/htutlh6

10-11 May Brussels, Belgium

Adaptation Futures - Βiennial conference of the Global Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA) More information: http://tinyurl.com/zknwz24

10-13 May Rotterdam, Netherlands

The European Union in International Affairs V More information: http://www.ies.be/node/3098

11-13 May Brussels, Belgium

Brokerage event on KETs - Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials, Biotechnolo-gies, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing (NMBP) More information: http://tinyurl.com/j6vtwez

12 May Mainz, Germany

Annual Conference on EU Migration Law More information: http://tinyurl.com/h2zuekg

12-13 May Brussels, Belgium

IMPAKT 2016 Breast Cancer Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/hn3jmo9

12-14 May Brussels, Belgium

18th Annual International Conference on Education More information: http://www.atiner.gr/education

16-19 May Athens, Greece

12th Annual International Conference on Information Technology & Computer Science More information: http://www.atiner.gr/computer

16-19 May Athens, Greece

European maritime day 2016: Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/haohvoq

18-19 May Turku, Finland

International Conference on Computational Methods in Manufacturing Processes More information: http://10times.com/icompleige

18-20 May Liege, Belgium

EU Conference: Innovation in Healthcare-from Research to Market. SMEs in focus More information: http://tinyurl.com/jgawcvt

20-21 May Brussels, Belgium

European Youth Event (EYE) More information: http://tinyurl.com/j23fprq

20-21 May Strasburg, France

Interpret Europe Conference More information: http://tinyurl.com/zchaswx

21-24 May Mehelen, Belgium

Basic Compliance & Ethics Academy Brussels More information: http://tinyurl.com/j8drzvy

23-26 May Brussels, Belgium

European Space Expo More information: http://tinyurl.com/jl2oz3u

27 May - 5 June The Hague,

The Netherlands

12th International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries More information: http://www.rrbconference.com/

30 May - 1 June Gent, Brussels

10th GEO European Projects Workshop 2016 More information: http://tinyurl.com/js5en8k

31 May - 2 June Berlin, Germany

I S S U E 1 0 5 P A G E 1 4

Members of the European Office of Cyprus

UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ucy.ac.cy/goto/mainportal/en-US/HOME.aspx

OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS

http://www.ouc.ac.cy/web/guest/home

CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

http://www.cut.ac.cy/?languageId=2

FREDERICK UNIVERSITY

http://www.frederick.ac.cy/

NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY PAFOS

http://www.nup.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE - CYPRUS (UCLAN CYPRUS)

http://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE

http://www.moec.gov.cy/en/index.html

AGLANTZIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.aglantzia.com/

NICOSIA MUNICIPALITY

http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/greekhome.shtm

PARALIMNI MUNICIPALITY

http://www.paralimni.org.cy/index.php?lang=el

CYPRUS SPORT ORGANISATION

http://www.sportskoa.org.cy/

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ERASMUS COORDINATORS (EAEC)

http://www.eaec.eu.com/

CENTRE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF R&D IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (CARDET)

http://www.cardet.org/

PwC

http://www.pwc.com.cy/

CONTACT ADVERTISING AGENCY LTD

http://www.contact.com.cy/

Full Members

International Members

FACULTY OF MEDICINE, NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS http://www.aueb.gr/index_en.php

ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

http://www.aueb.gr/index_en.php

UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY http://www.aueb.gr/index_en.php

UNIVERSITY OF PIRAEUS

http://www.unipi.gr/eng_site/default.php

I S S U E 1 0 5 P A G E 1 5

Μembers of the European Office of Cyprus

COOPERATIVE CENTRAL BANK LTD

http://www.coopbank.com.cy/

CHURCH OF CYPRUS

http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/index.php?lang=en

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION (CTO)

http://www.visitcyprus.biz/

CYPRUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (CCCI)

http://www.ccci.org.cy/

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS

http://www.euc.ac.cy/

UNIVERSITY OF NICOSIA

http://www.unic.ac.cy/

CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

http://www.ciim.ac.cy/

ΙΜΗ

http://www.imhbusiness.com/

STROVOLOS MUNICIPALITY

http://www.strovolos.org.cy/default.asp?id=24

THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE

http://www.cyi.ac.cy/

Associate Members

Editing: European Office of Cyprus - Brussels Office

For more information: eoc.brussels@ucy.ac.cy

Rosemary Strevinioti Christos Katsalis Head of Brussels Office Officer

E-mail: strevinioti.rozamaria@ucy.ac.cy E-mail: katsalis.christos@ucy.ac.cy

European Office of Cyprus

www.eoc.org.cy

Brussels: Rue du Luxembourg 3, B-1000, Brussels, Tel./Fax: +32 (0) 2 280 22 85 Nicosia: University of Cyprus, University House “A.G. Leventis”, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia,

Tel.: +357 22894294 - Fax: +357 22895005

Τηλ.: +357 22894294 - Φαξ: +357 22895005