-
.
- Ελληνικά
Two members of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, Professors Leontios Kostrikis and Sotiris Kalogerou, were recently elected members of the Academy of Europe (Academia Europea). Election to the Academy of Europe requires a nomination by two members of the Academy (which included Academician Andreas Demetriou), a rigorous assessment of the scientific work of each candidate and ratification by the competent bodies of the Academy and confirms the international recognition of Professors Kostrikis and Kalogeros by the scientific community and the significant impact of their research. Leontios Kostrikis has joined the Class of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, while Sotiris Kalogerou has joined the Class of Physical Sciences and Engineering.
The new election of the two Academicians also confirms the internationally renowned work of the members of the Cyprus Academy. It is noted that other members of the Cyprus Academy, who are members of the Academy of Europe, apart from Academicians Andreas Demetriou (2012), Leontios Kostrikis (2024) and Sotiris Kalogerou (2024), are Academicians Kostas Papanikolas (2011) and Marios Polykarpou (2022), Honorary Members Loukas Christoforou (2014) and Christoforos Pissarides (2011), External Member Christina Moberg (2018) and Corresponding Member Stella Vosniadou (2016).
The Academy of Europe, founded in 1988, is an international non-governmental organisation with distinguished researchers of international standing from all fields of science and includes many Nobel laureates. Its aim is to promote European research, to advise governments and international organisations on scientific matters and to broaden interdisciplinary cooperation and interdisciplinary research internationally. The Academy of Europe nominates distinguished scientists from all European countries for membership on the basis of a proposal submitted by scientists who are already members. The sole criterion for election is "proven scientific excellence in the candidate's field."
Who are Academicians Kostrikis and Kalogerou
Professor Leontios Kostrikis is a prominent academic at the University of Cyprus and a Founding Member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. He was born and raised in the occupied village of Assia in Messaoria, Famagusta District, embarking on an outstanding scientific career. He studied at New York University in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship, focusing on the scientific field of virology
His innovative work as a researcher in the field of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, led him to the prestigious Rockefeller University in the United States, where he served as a Professor. However, his love for his country led him back to Cyprus in 2003, where he currently serves as Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Cyprus. During his career, Professor Kostrikis has received numerous awards and honors from the United States, the European Commission, Cyprus and international charities. For example, in 2005 he was awarded the Fulbright Honorary Award for his contributions to the betterment of the world. Most recently, in 2020 he received the Cyprus Distinguished Researcher Award in Biosciences from the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation in Cyprus.
Professor Kostrikis is not only an outstanding researcher but also a prominent member of several respected Academies. In 2019 he was elected a Founding Member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. In addition, in 2020 he was elected Member of the Steering Committee for Life Sciences of the Scientific Council of the European Academies and Member of the International Institute of Engineering and Technology. In 2024 he was elected Member of the European Academy (Academia Europaea). As Head of the Molecular Virology Research Laboratory at the University of Cyprus, Professor Kostrikis leads pioneering studies on COVID-19 virus mutations using advanced scientific methods developed in his laboratory. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus, from March 2020 to January 2021, Professor Kostrikis played a central role as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the President of the Republic of Cyprus. This committee was instrumental in designing scientific recommendations and guidelines for the containment and management of the epidemic in Cyprus.
With his dedication to scientific progress and the treatment of infectious diseases, Professor Leontios Kostrikis continues to inspire admiration and acceptance in the scientific community and beyond.
Sotiris Kalogerou is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). In addition to his Ph.D., he has also received a senior D.Sc. in 2011. He is also a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and a Regular Founding Member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. In addition, in 2020 he was elected Member of the Steering Committee on Energy of the European Academies Science Council (EASAC). He is considered internationally as one of the experts in the field of renewable energy and the use of Technical Intelligence systems for performance prediction and simulation of energy and solar systems.
He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Renewable Energy,[/I] Honorary Academic Editor of the journal Energy (after a 10-year term as Academic Editor), and an Editorial Board Member of twenty other journals.
He has a large number of publications in books, book chapters, articles in international journals and peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Among others, he is the author of , Thermal Solar Desalination: Methods and Systems, Handbook of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Photovoltaic Systems: Modelling, Control, Optimization, Forecasting and Fault Diagnosis, and Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems published by Academic Press of Elsevier. The latter is taught in more than 30 universities abroad and has already been translated into Portuguese and Chinese.
Based on bibliometric data, Professor Kalogeros' research is highly recognized by the scientific community with an h-index of 91 (early 2024). Based on the ranking of researchers published annually by Stanford University in the USA, Professor Kalogeros is once again included in the list of top scientists for 2022 (latest publication). The database includes two lists one for the whole academic career of researchers in which he is in the very honorable position 1,488 (0.73%), and the second list for the year 2022 in which he is in the even more honorable position 452 (0.22%). In both lists he is first nationwide. In the Energy sector he is ranked 17th in the first list and 16th in the second, both out of a total of 287,766 researchers.
He has been honoured with many distinctions and awards, such as the World Renewable Energy Network Pioneer Award he received in 2008 which followed a previous one in 2006 for his pioneering research in the use of AI systems in renewable energy systems. It is the first time such an award has been given to the same person twice. In 2021 he received the Lifetime Research Award with the acronym STAIR (Science and Technology Academic, Innovation and Research) in the Golden Grade which was given at the STAIR Progressive Forum, India.
In recognition of his international acclaim, he was invited and gave over 85 keynote speeches at international scientific conferences and numerous other keynote speeches at various universities and research centres abroad.
(ΕΠ/NZ)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
