| Time | Session | Chair | Presentation | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00–09:15 | Registration & Coffee | |||
| 09:15–09:30 | Welcome | Dr Katerina Pavlou, CIM & Cyprus Centre for Business Research | ||
| 09:30–10:00 | Keynote Lecture | Dr Christos Hadjiyannis, Dean, CIM | Business Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: From Reporting to Responsible Strategic Action | Dr George Mellilos, Cyprus University of Technology |
| 10:00–10:20 | String 1: Politics | Mr Yotam Werzansky Orland, CIM | The Beautiful Lie: How AI-powered Propaganda is Turning Football into a Geopolitical Weapon and why AI Literacy is the Answer | Prof. Valerio Mancini & Ms Marika Sikharulidze, Rome Business School |
| 10:20–10:40 | Coffee Break | |||
| 10:40–12:30 | String 2: People | Dr Georgia Thrasyvoulou, CIM | AI-enabled Sustainable Tourist Behaviour: How Chatbots can encourage pro-environmental Choices | Dr Zanete Garanti & Ms Galina Berjozkina, City Unity College Nicosia |
| Discourses on Women’s Leadership in the UAE | Dr Renu Gupta, Mrs Shirin Jarrar & Prof. Laura Galloway, Heriot-Watt University | |||
| Sympoiesis – Redefining Human-AI Relationship to Advance Humanness: A Crisis Leadership Perspective | Dr Elena P. Antonacopoulou, American University of Beirut & Dr Maryam Kazemi Manesh, GILAWA Ltd | |||
| Entrepreneurship – Why do Neurodivergent People Opt Out of Corporate Life? | Prof. Almuth McDowall, Birkbeck University of London | |||
| 12:30–12:45 | Coffee Break | |||
| 12:45–13:45 | String 3: Business | Mr Yotam Werzansky Orland, CIM | Culture Transformation that Enhances Productivity, Digital Transformation, and Innovation through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in Manufacturing SMEs: A Case Study of the Northeast SMEs Manufacture | Ms Constance Matilda Peterson & Prof. Derek Watson, University of Sunderland |
| Heritage for all? Rethinking Accessibility at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus | Dr Maria Socratous, CIM; Dr Christiana Stylianou, CUT & Dr Georgia Thrasyvoulou, CIM | |||
| The Verification Gap in Digital Professionalism: An Econometric Analysis of Symbolic vs. Neural Authority Signals | Ms Elena Andreou, UNICAF | |||
| The Commercial Dimension of AI Sovereignty: Reconciling Strategic Autonomy with Market Dynamics | Mr Ioannis Sidiropoulos, CIM | |||
| 13:45–14:00 | Views from the Industry | Dr Maria Socratous, CIM | Generative Exposure Optimization (GEO): Managing Corporate Reputation in AI-Driven Information Ecosystems | Ms Marianna Konina, Reputation City (CEO) |
| 14:00–14:30 | Round Table Discussion | Dr Maria Socratous, CIM | ||
| 14:30+ | Lunch |
Christiana Stylianou is a PhD Candidate in Tourism and Entrepreneurship, with research focusing on female agri-entrepreneurship and alternative forms of tourism. She is also the Training and Business Development Manager at GrantXpert Consulting Ltd and a Special Scientist at the University of Cyprus, Department of Business and Public Administration. Her work combines academic research, teaching, training design, EU-funded project development, and organisational capacity building.
Constance Matilda Peterson is a dedicated professional with experience supporting the successful delivery of a Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (MKTP) project between the University of Sunderland and Speeding’s Ltd. Her work focused on coordinating project activities, maintaining accurate documentation, and contributing to organisational development through data‑driven insights. She has developed strong skills in stakeholder engagement, process improvement, and collaborative problem‑solving. Constance’s involvement in the MKTP project strengthened her interest in innovation, productivity, and change management within manufacturing environments. She is committed to applying evidence‑based approaches to support continuous improvement and effective organisational practice.
Associate Professor in Cultural Management
Dr Derek Watson is an Associate Professor and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, founder of the Faculty ‘Business Clinic’ and the Doctoral lead for the University’s ‘Research Fridays’ programme. Dr Watson has extensive links and networks as a result of sourcing and embedding external engagement opportunities across the curriculum, with an international portfolio of clients and contacts, such as the British Cabinet Office, Indian Government Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dubai Police and Canon International.
His research focuses on Food Safety Cultural Compliance and Academic-Industry collaboration, investigating the impact of knowledge exchange on practice in both the classroom and the workplace. He actively documenting his consultancy experience via international academic journals and has delivered lectures and seminars at universities and symposiums on a global scale. He has been appointed on the editorial board for the ‘International Journal of Academic Research in Management’. Dr Watson is also a Doctoral External Examiner, academic reviewer of several international journals and currently employed as ‘External Examiner’ for the University of West London doctoral programmes. In addition, his is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Panama in Food Culture and a Senior Research Fellow at the Cyprus Business School.
Elena Andreou is a doctoral researcher and the CEO of Go Digital Globally, specializing in algorithmic logic and mathematically verified digital authority. Her research develops the “Architecture of Authority,” a framework shifting professional credibility from subjective claims to objective data sovereignty across Web4 and AI ranking systems. By leveraging DOIs and Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), her work mitigates identity fragmentation within global Knowledge Graphs. Strategically, Elena deploys proprietary Ecosystem-Driven Authority (EDA) architectures to democratize AI-driven acquisition systems, actively volunteering her expertise to empower female entrepreneurs and microbusinesses navigating advanced digital and decentralized economies.
Dr Elena P. Antonacopoulou PhD is full time faculty at the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo, in Cyprus. She previously served as tenured faculty (full professor) at Universities in the UK (Warwick, Manchester, Liverpool) and Canada (Western) and visiting professor in the UK (Lincoln University), Norway (Royal Norwegian Airforce Academy) and Cyprus (University of Cyprus, Nicosia) where she contributed through her teaching in the design and delivery of prominent programs at postgraduate (MSc and MBA) and post-experience levels (e.g. DBA). Her principal research expertise lies in The Future of Work, Organisational Learning and Strategic Resilience and Renewal, with a focus on the Leadership implications. She is published widely in international journals, edited books and policy reports. Her practice-relevant scholarship has earned her many research grands, awards and accolades recognising the impact of the ideas developed. She has served (appointed or elected) in multiple leadership roles in the top professional bodies in the management field (AOM, EURAM, EGOS, BAM) and has received several awards for her outstanding leadership and service contributions and teaching excellence. She has successfully secured funding and led interdisciplinary, international multi-stakeholder research teams on high profile research programs funded by Research Funding Councils in the UK, EU and was invited to co-author policy and evaluation reports by professional bodies and Think Tanks designed to improve professional practices. She is frequently invited to deliver keynote speeches in international conferences, and workshops that inspire and promote action choices that serve the common good. She is a certified coach from the International Coaching Federation (and practises as an axiologist – enabling true-self breakthroughs) and she has founded the GNOSIS Institute to promote knowledge philanthropy and to avert ‘humane poverty’ by designing innovative leadership and organisational development programs.
ORCIT: 0000-0002-0872-7883
Dr George Melillos is a Visiting Associate Professor at the American University of Cyprus and a Researcher and Special Teaching Scientist at the Cyprus University of Technology. With more than 30 years of academic and professional experience in Computer Science, his expertise encompasses Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Space Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Advanced Programming, Database Systems, Web Applications, and Prompt Engineering. He is also a Chartered Engineer (CEng) registered with the Engineering Council (UK).
Having delivered over 65,000 hours of instruction, Dr. Melillos has designed and implemented advanced academic and professional training programmes for university students and industry professionals. He holds multiple international certifications, including EITCA/AI, Google AI Essentials, and Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT (Vanderbilt University, USA). His academic credentials include a PhD in Remote Sensing, GIS, and Space Technology, as well as postdoctoral research in maritime security applying Big Data and Artificial Intelligence methodologies. He has authored more than sixty peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers, and actively contributes to the academic community as a conference speaker, Academic Editor, and reviewer for international scientific journals.
Galina Berjozkina is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at City Unity College Nicosia. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management and an MBA from BIA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Strathclyde, UK, where she represents her department and organizes an annual academic seminar series for postgraduate students. Berjozkina is actively engaged in research and seminar organization, having served as Guest Editor for a Special Issue of the journal Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) and maintaining a robust publication record. She has presented, chaired sessions, and delivered keynote speeches at international conferences in various countries. Her research interests encompass tourism and hospitality management, sustainable tourism, and tourism planning and development, and she has authored a book on Destination Marketing.
Ioannis Sidiropoulos is a lawyer qualified in Greece and Cyprus and a PhD candidate specializing in AI sovereignty, national security, and defence at the European University Cyprus. Educated at the London School of Economics, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Nicosia, he also holds a certification in the History of Economic Thought from the University of Oxford. His professional experience spans legal practice, academic research, and policy analysis, including roles with major law firms, the European Law Institute, Leiden University, the Diplomatic Academy of the University of Nicosia, the CIM-Cyprus Business School (Lecturer) and the Strategy International think tank (Senior Fellow). His research focuses on AI governance, geopolitics, international economic relations, and aviation. He has published widely in academic and public policy forums.
Prof Laura Galloway is Professor of Business & Enterprise at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University. She is co-Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. She leads teaching and research on the broad topics of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and has published widely in these areas, including the textbook Leadership, Perspectives from Practice, Sage. The specific focus of her work includes leadership and business conducted by those disadvantaged or marginalized in some way within the structural environment.
Founder and CEO of Reputation City – an online reputation management company that helps leaders and organizations manage their digital profiles and credibility across search engines and AI systems. With 20 years of experience in integrated communications across high-tech, media, enterprise, and B2B industries, she has designed and delivered high-stakes reputation projects for startups, investors, and media alike.
Dr Maryam Kazemi Manesh is a business professional with over 20 years of academic and professional experience leading large-scale, complex projects in the information technology sector. Throughout her career in international tech companies and consultancies, she has led the development and delivery of enterprise software solutions for diverse markets and industries. As Senior Technical Project Manager at GILAWA Ltd, she drives innovation initiatives and leads cross-functional teams to help clients achieve strategic goals in technological and organizational transformation. She holds a PhD in Financial Economics from University of Mannheim and a BSc in Applied Mathematics.
Renu Gupta is Provost Fellow at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, UAE and a PhD in Business and Management from the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London, UK. Her research explores the gender dynamics of careers and professions while examining the patterns of gender (in) equalities at home and in the workplace. She has a background in literature, sociology and law with industry experience of over a decade. She conducts research investigating women professionals, women on board, women entrepreneurship and women returners. Her research has been published in journals such as Sociology and Gender, Work and Organization.
Shirin Jarrar, BBA (Hons), MBA, is an Associate Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, where she teaches Finance, Accounting and Entrepreneurship. Since joining academia in 2007, she has held senior academic leadership roles, including Global Director of MBA Programmes and MBA Programme Director in Dubai. Her research focuses on women entrepreneurs in the Gulf region, with particular emphasis on Emirati women. Drawing on Bourdieu’s Forms of Capital and Institutional Theory, her work examines the diversity of entrepreneurial experiences and contributes context-sensitive insights to scholarship, policy, and practice on women’s entrepreneurship and gender-related economic development agendas.
Dr Maria Socratous holds a PhD in Management with a specification in gender discrimination in the workplace. Dr Socratous is working for the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism and is also an Associate Professor and Director of Business Studies at the Cyprus Institute of Marketing. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) since 2009 Research Fellow at Cyprus Centre for Business Research at CIM since 2017, where she is actively engaging with the Centre’s research activities and conferences. Dr Socratous is a Reviewer for the International Journal of Human Resource Management and Gender in Management: an International Journal.
Valerio Mancini is Director of the Research Center at Rome Business School and Director of the Center for Sport Diplomacy and Innovation at Rome City Institute. He teaches at several Italian universities, including Sapienza University of Rome, and has worked with international organizations such as UNODC, UNICRI and OECD. He is also an EdD candidate in Leadership in Education at Westcliff University. His research focuses on geopolitics, sport diplomacy, international relations and global governance. He is the author of several books, including Calcio & Geopolitica and El gran juego.
Dr Žanete Garanti is an economist and academic based in Cyprus, with a PhD in Economics from Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) and extensive international teaching and research experience in business, management, and sustainable development. She serves as Head of Research at City Unity College Nicosia and has taught across European higher education institutions. Her research focuses on regional competitiveness, sustainability transitions, tourism development, innovation, ESG, and consumer behaviour.
