Yiannis Laouris

Yiannis Laouris Service type Project Director Current Post Chair of Future Worlds Center Degree(s) Medical Degree PhD (Neurophysiology) MSc (Systems & Ind Eng) University(ies) University of Leipzig Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology University of Arizona Specialization(s) Neuroscience Collective Intelligence/Wisdom Peace & Conflict Resolution Science of Dialogic Design Social/Academic Working at the interface between science, technology and social entrepreneurship Notable Achievements Several Honors and Awards

Yiannis Laouris supervises the Reinventing Democracy in the Digital Era project and serves as Project Director. He is Chair of the Board of and Executive Board Member of the . Yiannis has been the founder of many organizations including , , , . He currently serves as Acting Dean for the and as Head of the .

Yiannis is a trong promoter of using technology as a means to achieve positive social change. In 1992, he launched CYBER KIDS, a nation-wide experiment, with the vision that introducing advanced computer technology in the lives of a critical number of young children using an educationally relevant and socially responsible, peace-enhancing curriculum would allow them to “transcend” the country’s educational and political life and move the new generation a decade ahead. By 1999, the number of children who benefited from their curriculum exceeded 15,000, which is approximately equal to 20% of the country’s youth population (ages 6-15). In 1997, together with other peace builders, he founded the Technology for Peace project, which supported Cypriot peace builders in their communication and planning at a time when no telephone signals or people could cross the cease-fire zone.

Yiannis served as invited Expert of the Core Foresight 2050, think tank groups created by the Digital Futures Task Force of the European Commission to anticipate global changes on the planet and to advice the EC on how ICT could facilitate shape those futures by 2050. As member of the , together with 11 other philosophers and natural scientists he co-autghored the Onlife Manifesto, which discusses how the deployment of ICTs and their uptake by society radically affects the human condition by modifying our relationships to ourselves, to others and to the world around us. He is also member of the Wisdom Research Network of the University of Chicago. He is the visionary behind a number of more recent projects like:

• Reinventing democracy (YiA 1.3)
• Youth envisage and design their ideal future (YiA 5.1)
• Reinventing Democracy in the Digital Era (2012)
• Engaging citizens to reinvent democracy

Laouris has served in the past or continues to serve in many European networks such as:

• As National Representative and/or Expert in many European Research Networks
  • COST 276: Knowledge Management (Invited Expert 2005-2006)
  • COST 219ter Accessibility for all to services and terminals for next generation mobile networks (National Representative 2005-2007)
  • COST 298: Participation in the Broadband society (Invited Expert 2007-2008)
  • COST 2102: Cross-Modal Analysis of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication (National Representative 2008-2011)
  • Insafe (Member of the Steering Committee 2006-present and Member of the Advisory Board 2010-2012)
  • EU Kids Online (National Representative 2008-Present).

Publications

Yiannis authored , a book that exposes stereotypes between so-called "'lifelong"' enemies. He also published a short book in which he presents the demands of normal people from their leaders.He has has over 70 peered reviewed papers in collective wisdom and structured dialogue, experimental neuroscience, neuro-education, and over 200 conference presentations.

Awards

Yiannis received numerous honors and awards, the most notable being:

• Summa cum laude for his PhD (1985)
• Provost's Teaching Award and Medical Innovation Award for innovation in university teaching (1991/1992)
• Creativity Award to Cyber Kids Curriculum for Innovation and creativity by the Employers and Industrialists Federation (1998)
• The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies Award for contributions in systems science (2008)
• Honorable Mention of the Anna Lindh Award to Future Worlds Center for promoting intercultural dialogue freedom and citizenship (2011)
• Award by the Digital Champion of Cyprus for his role and support in establishing an award process for innovations in digital economy

External Links

• Laouris page in Wikipedia
• Laouris page in Future Worlds pedia
• Laouris page at the Cyprus Neuroscience & Technology Insitute
• Laouris page at the Institute for 21st Century Agoras
• Wiki managed by world-wide SDD scientists and practitioners citing Laouris contributions
• Laouris page at the Tech4Peace portal