Board of Directors

Nadia Karayianni

President

Nadia holds a BA in Politics and International Relations, an MSc in Management with Human Resource Management, and an MA in Gender Studies. She currently works as a Communication and Civil Society Consultant. Previously, she served as Conference and Project Manager at IMH, Research Officer at the University of Cyprus, and Project Manager at the NGO Support Centre, where she implemented the Cypriot Civil Society Strengthening Programme. Since 2007, she has been a member of the NGO Working Group for Law Reform.

Nadia has been a volunteer with the Girl Guides Association of Cyprus for over 30 years, during which she served as the International Commissioner for the Association and as an Advocacy Champion. She was also the Vice President of the Cyprus Youth Council (2005–2007) and the Vice President of the Youth Board of Cyprus (2015–2021).

Michalis Avraam

Vice - President

Michalis is a founding member of the NGO Support Centre. He has been strongly advocating for the role and importance of being an active citizen and has been involved in a number of projects promoting peace and reconciliation in Cyprus. Michalis is the founder and Managing Director of Michalis Avraam & Partners Ltd, Auditors and Business Advisors. He holds a BA in Economics and he is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a licensed Insolvency Practitioner, with over 25 years of experience in Cyprus and the UK. He is also a qualified mediator with substantial involvement in conflict management, business and financial dispute resolution. He is a member of, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Association of Conflict Resolution (ACR). Michalis has served on the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA),is The Chairman of the Insolvency Practitioners’ Examination Committee and is a Past President of Nicosia Aspelia Rotary Club.

Elena Heraclides

Secretary

Elena holds a law degree and has been admitted to the Cyprus Bar in 2016. She currently works as a lawyer at a law firm in Nicosia. She firmly believes in active citizenship and has a keen interest in human rights. She actively participates in NGO initiatives that aim to change governmental policies in among others, education and rights of minorities.

Marios Antoniou

Treasurer

Marios earned his Ph.D. in Education from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Studying in the School of Education’s Culture, Curriculum and Change program, his research focused on Peace Education and more specifically on how unified education systems in conflict and post-conflict societies can foster and promote a culture of peace. As a recipient of the Rotary Peace Fellowship at UNC, Marios earned a Masters in School Administration and Educational Leadership and a Certificate in International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center. Finally, he holds a BA in Science of Education from the University of Cyprus. Beyond his academic work, his passion for Peace Education is reflected through his professional and voluntary engagement with several NGOs in Cyprus. He has previously worked as a research associate at the Open University of Cyprus, as the Director of Grants and Educational Programs at Teachers2Teachers-International and taught at UNC’s Curriculum in Global Studies.

Christiana Tartiou

Member

Christiana Tartios holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Cyprus and an MBA from the European University Cyprus. She is currently a PhD candidate in Educational Technology (specialization in AI) at Frederick University. She began her career in the Financial Directorate of the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (AnAD), reviewing and approving funding for national training schemes. She later served as a middle manager at the GAP Vassilopoulos Group before transitioning into business consulting, professional training, and quality auditing at CKT Business Consulting.

A certified Sales & Marketing trainer since 2019, Christiana has been active in Learning and Development (L&D) consulting since 2023, contributing to national and EU-funded upskilling programmes. She has worked as a Special Scientist in Business & Economics, a Consultant & Researcher in STEAM youth education, and an external evaluator for the PREVENT/CERV Programme. Today, she also serves as a part-time Researcher at Frederick University’s Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (CIET) and as an external consultant (Individual Specialist) at UNESCO under the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems (ED/PLS).

Christos Anagiotos

Member

Dr. Christos Anagiotos (PhD) is the Director of two units at the University of Nicosia: the “e-Learning and Pedagogical Support Unit” (ePSU) and the “Faculty Training and Development Unit” (FTDU). He specializes in lifelong learning, faculty professional development and faculty training in the areas of adult and distance education, with more than 15 years of experience in the field. Before joining the University of Nicosia, he held the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Adult Education and Leadership Studies at North Carolina A&T State University in the USA. His work experience also includes positions at the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the USA. He holds a dual PhD in Lifelong Learning and Comparative International Education from the Pennsylvania State University, a masters in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut in the USA and a bachelor’s in Education from the University of Cyprus. Since his teenage years, Christos has been an active member of several NGOs in the areas of education, arts and sports. He enjoys theater, dancing, gardening and cycling.

Athina Kyriakou

MEMBER

Athina Kyriakou holds a BA in Philosophy and Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies from the University of Cyprus and an MBA from the Open University of Cyprus. She has over 15 years of experience in the management and implementation of European and national projects. She began her career as a Project Officer at IMH, where she managed EU-funded and local initiatives. She then spent eight years at Anazitisi Cultural Center, coordinating Erasmus programmes, including Youth in Action and Grundtvig Partnerships. Later, she worked for one year at the NGO Support Centre, where she coordinated projects promoting intercultural dialogue, active citizenship, and capacity building for civil society organisations.

Athina currently works as EU and FIBA Projects Manager at the Cyprus Basketball Federation, where she is responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of European and international projects in the fields of sport, education, inclusion, digital transformation, and grassroots basketball development.