The European Commission, on the occasion of European Researchers’ Night, highlighted bicommunal research efforts, the impact of researchers’ work on people’s daily lives and also aimed to inspire the interest of young people in science and research careers during an online event which was held on Friday, 24 September 2021 via Zoom. The event was also shared live on the EU Infopoint Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/ABBilgi/videos/377932087394005

This year’s European Researchers’ Night event included members of the Technical Committees, which were established by the leaders of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities under the auspices of the United Nations, to address issues that affect the day-to-day life of people, through encouraging and facilitating greater interaction and understanding between the two communities. During the webinar, the Co-Chairs of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in Cyprus, Hakkı Müftüzade and Leonidas Pantelides, as well as the Greek Cypriot Co-Chair of the Technical Committees on Environment, Michael Loizides, presented the work of the technical committees and underlined the importance of working together and using research as a tool for peacebuilding and bicommunal cooperation.

Co-chairs of the CMP shared the following statement in their remarks: “All the work of CMP is carried out by mixed bicommunal groups of scientists. Decisions on excavations are made via consent, and the results of CMP’s work benefit both communities and contribute to reconciliation.”
Meanwhile, the Greek Cypriot Co-chair of the Technical Committee on Environment, Mr. Loizides, contributed to the discussion by stating that “research remains one of the most important elements to boost cooperation island wide in order to understand and address challenges for both human-made and ecological environments. From understanding the ecological cycles of natural habitats to optimising the production of biogas from kitchen waste, research bridges divisions and provides the platform for fruitful cooperation among scientists.”

In her opening remarks, Virve Vimpari, Head of Section of the European Union Programme Support Office, stated that “the European Commission has been proudly supporting the work of the technical committees within the scope of the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community. TC and GC scientists from various range of fields come together and work for the benefit of their communities within this framework” and added that this event is a good opportunity to highlight these valuable contributions while inspiring the young scientists for working together in research studies benefiting the whole island.

Following the Q&A session, the webinar ended with a general assessment made by the event moderator Elizabeth V. Kassinis from CYENS Centre of Excellence.