AR 2015/President Statement

President Statement

Another year of growth, transformation, and new successes!

Future Worlds Center has successfully implemented many projects in collaboration with its growing network of partners, striving towards the Future Worlds Center Vision to “operate at the interface of science & society” by using technology to promote social justice, development and peace. Every Unit has been successful in securing 3 or more new contracts with total value exceeding 3 million euros.

2015 was also a year of many audits. The Financial Unit has been overloaded with work in completing more than 12 new audits. All audits have been successful resulting in virtually zero ineligible amounts for Future Worlds Center. Unfortunately, some expenses of partners were found ineligible. The difficulty in recovering them, especially in cases where audits were for projects that took place 5-6 years ago and/or the partner is not loner in operation, results in some losses.

	The Futures Design Unit has launched one of the most significant projects, the Reinventing Democracy in the Digital Era global project, funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund. The activities of the project can be viewed at its page as well as on the website of the project at www.ReinventDemocracy.info.
	The New Media Lab continued the implementation of the Cyprus Cyber Crime Center of Excellence for Training, Research and Education, and the Engaging Users in Preventing and Fighting Cyber Crime - UINFC2. Its successes however continue, as it secured a collaboration with the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, for carrying out research on children 0-8 years old regarding their use of new (online) technologies. Finally, it continues its island-wide safer Internet campaign, CyberEthics, engaging schools, media and all local authorities through running the fifth consecutive project earned.
	The Humanitarian Affairs Unit has been the one that has grown the most. With more than 13 full time people, it is considered as the most important national player in supporting refugees from all over but also especially from Syria. It has continued to provide services to asylum seekers and refuges through Strengthening Asylum for Refugees And Asylum Seekers in Cyprus and operated the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture. The Humanitarian Affairs Unit is now implementing additional projects, including Improvement of the Situation of Asylum Seekers in Cyprus and Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT) VII.
	The Global Education Unit has launched new projects: Youth of the world!; The World From Our Doorstep. It has also won two new contracts each of values over 1m euros: Map Your Meal and Fair Super Brands.

I invite you to read our Annual Report and come back to us with suggestions and ideas. This short introduction could not cover all our projects, which are described in more detail in the following pages. We are proud to have you as a friend and affiliate and we look forward to strengthening our relations, communication and collaboration within our network and with new partners.