THE CYPRUS International Institute (CII) for the Environment and Public Health, established by the Harvard School of Public Health and the government, will be launching its research and academic work in September, it emerged yesterday.
The CII was established last December, following an agreement with the Ivy League university, and aims to attract qualified students from Cyprus and the region who would earn a degree at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The institute’s research priorities were presented in a news conference yesterday by CII director, Professor Philippos Democritou.
They are: environmental pollution, passive smoking and its impact on public health, as well as diabetes and obesity and its interaction with genetic material and environmental exposure.
Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health Barry Bloom welcomed the initiative.
In a video message, Bloom said the partnership with the government established an international research, education and technology initiative for the environment and public health to address key issues facing the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East.
“The school’s faculty will collaborate with regional governments and internationally renowned research and academic organisations to advance our common scientific interests,” Bloom added.
The project aims to absorb research funds from the US, the EU and other sources of funding in matters related to public health.
CII chairman of the board George Georgiades said the institute would play an important role in Cyprus as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean in addressing public health issues.
“We are especially honoured that Cyprus has been selected by the University of Harvard for the establishment of the first research centre for the university abroad and I would like to reassure that we will support this initiative,” Georgiades said.
The government will invest £17 million into the institute over a 10-year period, after which it is expected to become self-sufficient.
The state will also finance the construction of the premises, estimated to cost around £10 million of taxpayers’ money.
Until now, five Cypriot students have earned scholarships for post-graduate and doctoral studies in Harvard starting this September.
The students will finish their studies by doing research in Cyprus.
The research interests include a broad spectrum of expertise in areas of air and water quality, smoking, exposure and risk assessment, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental law, toxicology, management, health in the workplace and others.
