Introducing innovation in children's curricula CNTI served as the research partner
CYBER KIDS, a chain of computer learning centers that operated in 7 countries between 1993-2000. The curriculum, which received seven international awards, introduced problem solving, creativity, and IT skills to very young children. In 1993, CNTI launched an innovation fair under the running title "Innovation-Technology-Social Progress Fair." The Ministries of Commerce & Industry, Education & Culture, as well as Labour & Social Insurance, were collectively engaged in order to signify the economic, academic and job-creating facets of promoting innovation. The Fair was mainly supported by the
Cyprus Development Bank, the
Bank of Cyprus and
CYBER KIDS.
MAPS: Mental Attributes Profiling System Between the late 90s and 2015, research funded by national and international grants, resulted to the development of video-game like interfaces that assess, profile and improve mental abilities of growing children. MAPS has been validated in schools as a dyslexia screening test and later as a cognitive assessment tool that profiles and predicts abilities of children to read and learn. A more recent line of research aimed the enhancement of cognitive abilities through playing.
RTD for children and vulnerable groups Many of CNTI’s projects aimed the exploration of children's and special needs individuals’ attitudes towards and interactions with information technologies. In 2005, CNTI launched a number of projects that promote and implement research in the field of safer use of the Internet; Cyberethics, Cyprus’ Safer Internet Center, which includes a
Hotline and a
Helpline. CNTI has also founded the
Unit of Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture.
Actor for regional peace CNTI pioneered with a number of projects in the promotion of peace and reconciliation in Cyprus. The Technology for peace initiative in 1997 aimed to capitalize on the proliferation of the Internet as a means to bear the communication barriers between the northern and the southern parts of divided Cyprus. Other notable peace projects include the
Civil Society Dialogue, the Act Beyond Borders and Everybody's song.
Representing Cyprus world-wide CNTI scientists represent Cyprus in many European and international networks such as COST 276; COST 219ter; COST 298; COST 2102;
Insafe, Inhope, EDEAN etc. ==Awards==