CF2026

Cyprus Forum London

18 May 2026

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Igniting Dialogue, Inspiring Change.

The expansion to London marks an exciting new chapter for the Cyprus Forum, an annual forum dedicated to fostering dialogue and driving impactful change. As an extension of the Cyprus Forum series, the addition of London signifies our commitment to broadening our reach and engaging with diverse perspectives on critical issues.
 
Since its inception, the Cyprus Forum has been at the forefront of facilitating discussions and collaboration among policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and thought leaders. By establishing a presence in London, we aim to further amplify these conversations, drawing upon the dynamic energy and expertise of this global hub.
 
Whether you’re in London, Cyprus, or beyond, your voice matters. Let’s come together to drive impactful conversations and shape a better future for all. Join us in igniting dialogue and inspiring change.

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Cyprus Forum London 2025

Cyprus Forum London 2024

GOLD DARR-HOOD

From coding prodigy at age 3 to college at 12, and starting her AI doctorate at 18, Gold has always been light years ahead.

Now, she’s disrupting the AI landscape with SamePage AI, a game-changing platform she co-founded to tame the chaos of online discourse and build consensus in real-time.

Forget echo chambers, Gold is harnessing powerful language models to bridge divides and unlock collective intelligence. And that’s not all. She’s leveraging big data to revolutionize geospatial investment in natural resource management, proving that AI can be a force for a sustainable future.

Gold is not just building algorithms, she’s building a better world.

STEPHEN DOUGHTY

Stephen Doughty was appointed Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 8 July 2024. Stephen was first elected as Welsh Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth in November 2012.

Stephen studied at Lester B. Pearson UWC in Canada, Oxford University and St Andrews University. He later worked for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and for members of the then National Assembly for Wales.

Stephen spent a number of years working for humanitarian and international development NGOs World Vision UK, Oxfam GB, Oxfam International and Oxfam Cymru. During the previous Labour government he was Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for International Development.

Stephen served at the Wales, Home Affairs, Arms Export Controls and International Development Committees in Parliament. He was also an opposition Whip and a Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry. He chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for HIV and Aids, and was a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Stephen completed the Armed Forces Parliamentary scheme, attending the Royal College of Defence Studies 2017 to 2018. He has also served as an Army Reservist.

In 2020 he was appointed Shadow Foreign Affairs and International Development Minister and in 2021 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories.

ALEX FARROW

Alex Farrow is the CEO of Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK-based charity working to advance the human rights of LGBTI+ people globally.

He leads KT’s advocacy with governments, international institutions, and civil society to counter the global rollback of equality and support frontline activists.

Previously, Alex was Director of Influence and Engagement at NCVO, where he represented charities to the UK government through the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

JOYCE HAKMEH

Joyce Hakmeh is an associate fellow at Chatham House and former deputy director of the institute’s International Security Programme. She is also a senior associate at Oxford Information Labs and sits on the boards of the Global Cyber Alliance and Common Good Cyber.

She served as co-editor and then commissioning editor of the Journal of Cyber Policy, helping drive the journal’s growth into one of Taylor & Francis’s fastest-expanding policy titles.

Her work is widely published, spanning cyber governance, emerging technology risk, geopolitics and international security.

Earlier in her career, Joyce worked in international development and humanitarian policy with multilateral organizations including the UN Development Programme and the IFRC.

She holds a master’s degree in international law from SOAS, University of London.

NIGEL INKSTER

Nigel Inkster CMG is Senior Advisor to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and Director for Geopolitics and Intelligence at Enodo Economics.

In IISS he worked first as Director for Transnational Threats and Political Risk then as Director for Cyber Security and Future Conflict. In the latter capacity he was involved in para-diplomatic dialogues on cybersecurity and military cyber stability with China and Russia. He also served from 2017 to 2019 as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace.

Prior to joining IISS he served for thirty-one years in the British Secret Intelligence Service. From 2004 to 2006 he was Assistant Chief and Director for Operations and Intelligence.

His publications include: – China’s Cyber Power, Routledge for IISS 2016 The Great Decoupling: China, America and the Struggle for Technological Supremacy, Hurst 2020. His current research focus is on China’s response to US technology restrictions and the implications of US-China technology competition for evolving concepts of humanity.

He graduated in 1974 from St. John’s College Oxford with first-class honours in Oriental Studies.

ANNA KOUKKIDES-PROCOPIOU

Anna Koukkides-Procopiou is the President of Politeia Think Tank, affiliated with the Universitas Research Foundation and the CEO of the Interhorizon Group of Companies. She is the former Minister of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus and a former Senior Fellow and Member of the Advisory Board of the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs, University of Nicosia, where she served for more than a decade. Prior to her government appointment, she worked as a Consultant on the Turkey/Cyprus project of the Europe and Central Asia Program of International Crisis Group, while she currently serves as advisor to the President of the EPP-affiliated Democratic Rally (DISY) party on the Cyprus Problem. Her research and published academic work focusses on foreign policy, inclusive security and gender. 

An accredited Cyprus expert for the World Bank, she also worked on Liberia, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Turkmenistan via projects run by UN Women, the OSCE, Interpeace, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Helsinki, the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, SeeD-Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development, as well as projects funded by the State Department, the German and the Dutch Foreign Ministries. She often participated and contributed as expert in working groups run by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the Union for the Mediterranean, as well as politically-affiliated foundations such as the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich and the Robert Schuman Institute. A founding member of the Israel-Hellenic Forum, she is also a member of the UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline group, based in New York. 

Anna has extensive corporate experience in senior management positions, including management positions with the Lanitis Group of Companies and an Executive Director’s position on the board of DIAS group, a public company and the largest media group in Cyprus. She is also a member of Exxon Mobil’s Global Women in Management team, based in Washington DC and a former mentor of the business programme of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in London. 

She holds First Class degrees in History and Economics from University College London, where she studied as the recipient of the UCL Cyprus Scholarship and an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics. She also holds a scholarship-funded certificate in Religion and Politics by the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University and has trained as a professional Political Risk Analyst with Teneo Intelligence, one of the largest providers of political intelligence in the world. In addition, she holds a scholarship-funded Executive Development Diploma (mini-MBA for professionals) from CIIM-Cyprus International Institute of Management, as well as professional certification in Gender Sensitive Leadership through the Gender Equality Academy, Berlin. 

An avid public speaker, TEDx speaker, book author, political analyst and commentator, she frequently contributes to local and international media outlets, including the Economist, The Times/Sunday Times, Euronews, Associated Press, Monocle, the Huffington Post and Modern Diplomacy.

KYRIACOS KOUROS

Ambassador Kyriacόs Kouros assumed duties on 2 April 2024.

Prior to his appointment, High Commissioner Kouros, from April 2023 until assuming his duties, served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic. Previously, he served as the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic, in addition to his assignment as National Security Advisor to the President of the Republic and Head of the Intelligence Service.

Mr Kouros is a career diplomat who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus in 1996. During his versatile career, he has served in different overseas posts and in various departments within the Ministry.

In 2012, he was appointed Ambassador of Cyprus to the Netherlands with parallel accreditation as Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

In 2006, he was appointed Chargé d’ Affaires of the Republic of Cyprus to Lebanon and in 2009 he was accredited as Cyprus’ first resident Ambassador to the country. During his posting in Lebanon, he dealt with two major conflicts and the terrorism wave which affected the country between 2006-2008. In this respect, he facilitated the evacuation of thousands of Cypriot and other EU citizens, providing consular assistance to those in need under life threatening conditions. For his service during this time, he was awarded the National Medal of Cedar of the Government of Lebanon.

Other overseas postings included Athens and Geneva. He was also appointed Ministerial Envoy to Libya in July 2011 and served from 1998 to 2002 as a member of the Working Group for the Search of Missing Persons from the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Prior to joining the Foreign Ministry, he worked from 1990 as editor at the Cyprus News Agency and from 1994 as Lecturer at the Journalism Department of Frederick University of Cyprus.

He is a graduate of the Law Department of the University of Athens. He has a Master of Arts in International Journalism from the Journalism Department of City University of London and a PhD from the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences of Athens.

He speaks Greek (mother tongue), English, German and French.

High Commissioner Kouros was born in Nicosia in 1963. He is married and has an adult daughter.

STELLA KYRIAKIDES

Stella Kyriakides served as the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety of the European Union from December 2019 to November 2024.

She graduated in psychology from the University of Reading with a master’s degree from the University of Manchester. She worked as a clinical psychologist in the Mental Health Services of the Ministry of Health in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.

From 2006 to 2019, she served as a Member of the Cyprus Parliament . From 2011-2019 she was head of the Cyprus delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In 2017, she was elected as the 30th President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the fourth woman to hold this position in the history of the Assembly, and the only Cypriot. She founded Europa Donna Cyprus, of which she served as President for 15 years and was elected President of the European Breast Cancer Coalition Europa Donna. She was appointed, President of the National Cancer Committee of Cyprus and drew up the Cyprus National Cancer Plan.

Mrs. Kyriakides has received internationally numerous awards for her work in patient advocacy , health policy, and human rights. Mrs. Kyriakides was awarded an honorary Doctorate from the Department of Sciences of the University of Reading for her overall contribution to the field of health. In 2024 Mrs. Kyriakides was awarded the European Cancer League Honorary Award for her work in cancer prevention and treatment across Europe , and in 2025 received the Yvonne 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in Oncology .

Mrs. Kyriakides currently serves as Co Chair of the Advisory Board of the European School of Oncology. She is a member of the Board of the University of Cyprus. She has been selected by the World Economic Forum to be a Global Champions for Womens Health.

ELIZA LOCKHART

Eliza Lockhart is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI, specialising in the intersection of law, finance and global security.

A qualified lawyer and legal policy expert, Eliza previously practised at Linklaters in Australia and worked for the Chairperson of the Australian Electoral Commission.

Eliza’s research focuses on hybrid threats, democratic integrity, economic security and alternative financial systems.

Eliza holds a Master of Law and an MPhil in Public Policy, both with Distinction from the University of Cambridge.

DANIEL MARKIĆ

Daniel Markić was appointed Director of the EU INTCEN on 1 September 2024.

He was born in 1972. He is married and has 4 children. He holds a Master’s degree in International and European Law.

Daniel Markić started his career in 1991 in the special operations unit of the Croatian Armed Forces, with the rank of major. In 1995, he joined the Croatian Intelligence Service, working in operations. In 2001, he turned to diplomacy, assuming the post of First Secretary in the Croatian Permanent Mission to the EU. In 2005, he continued his career in the intelligence community, heading various units in operations, education and international cooperation in the Security-Intelligence Agency until 2016, when he became the Director of the Agency (SOA). He held that position for two full mandates.

VASILIS PALMAS

Mr Vasilis Palmas was born in Lemesos in 1964. He studied Political Science and Public Administration. He worked as a manager at Pharmakas Quarries Group.

He served as a member of the Tenders Review Authority.

He was married to Angeliki Christodoulou and he has a son.

He served as President of the Youth of the Democratic Party (NEDHK) and then as General Secretary of the Democratic Party (DIKO). He served as Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic and as Government Spokesman in the Government of Tassos Papadopoulos.

On May 8, 2017, he was appointed Deputy Minister to the President in the Government of Nicos Anastasiades, a position he held until February 2, 2022, when he resigned for personal reasons.

PATRYK PAWLAK

Patryk Pawlak is a Part-Time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre and Project Director for the Global Initiative on the Future of the Internet (GIFI) – a two-year project funded by the European Union.

His fields of expertise are global governance of digital and cyber issues, the impact of technology on foreign and security policy, and the European Union’s cyber and digital diplomacy.

His current research focuses on the security nexus between digital, cyber and information integrity policies.

PEDRO SERRANO

His Excellency Pedro Serrano EU Ambassador to the United Kingdom Chief of Staff to the European Union’s High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy and EC Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles until October 2022, his previous roles include that of Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defence Policy and Crisis Response at the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.

Pedro Serrano was also the first EU Ambassador to the United Nations, in New York, after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

Born in Madrid, Spain, Pedro Serrano is married and has two daughters.

PALLAVI SETHI

I am a Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment which sits at the London School of Economics.

My work sits at the intersection of research and policy, with a focus on understanding the dynamics of climate misinformation and disinformation.

A key part of my work also focuses on the effectiveness of regulatory and governance interventions to curb the spread and impact of climate disinformation.

HENRY WILKINSON

Henry Wilkinson is Chief Intelligence Officer at Dragonfly, a Dow Jones company and leading provider of geopolitical risk and global security intelligence. Independently ranked among the world’s top political risk advisory firms, Dragonfly serves hundreds of the world’s foremost companies, NGOs, intergovernmental agencies and public-sector organisations.

Henry leads Dragonfly’s team of analysts and is editor- and analyst-in-chief of its global output, responsible for setting analytical methodologies, standards and strategy.

He specialises in geostrategic risk, conflict, international affairs and intelligence assessment and has more than 20 years’ experience at the forefront of the political risk and security intelligence industry. He is widely recognised as an expert in crisis management and geopolitical analysis.

Before co-founding Dragonfly in 2021, Henry led the Intelligence & Analysis practice at the Risk Advisory Group. Dragonfly was acquired by FiscalNote (NYSE: NOTE) in 2023 and by Dow Jones in 2025.

Henry has been regularly cited in outlets such as the New York Times, Financial Times, BBC, CNN and Bloomberg. He has given expert evidence to UK parliamentary committees and contributed to publications by the OECD and Lloyd’s of London. He holds a first-class honours degree in War Studies from King’s College London.