PHAETHON CoE Chairman Meets Researchers from Qatar University to Advance EMMENA Energy R&I Platform

The meeting marks a deepening of the EMMENA outreach initiative through engagement with leading academic and research institutions across the region.

The Chairman of the PHAETHON CoE Board of Directors, Prof. Constantinos Christofides, held a productive meeting on 9 June 2026 with researchers from the College of Engineering and the Gas Processing Center (GPC) of Qatar University. The meeting formed part of the Centre’s initiative to establish an Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa (EMMENA) Research and Innovation (R&I) Platform and marked an important step in expanding engagement with universities and research institutions across the region.

The meeting was organised with the valuable assistance of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Nicosia and was coordinated by Dr. Mohammed Al-Rayess, Director of Planning and Research Coordination at the Research and Innovation Sector of Qatar University, and Prof. Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein from the College of Engineering and GPC.

During the meeting, Prof. Christofides presented PHAETHON CoE’s vision and mission, as well as its key activities, highlighting in particular the benefits of establishing a Sustainable Energy Research and Innovation Platform for the EMMENA region, coordinated by PHAETHON CoE.

The initiative foresees collaboration with universities and research and innovation (R&I) institutions across EMMENA countries, with Cyprus serving as a hub for dialogue and cooperation, the organisation of regional meetings, the exchange of researchers and students, and the preparation of joint proposals and studies addressing common regional challenges in the field of sustainable energy.

A number of senior researchers from the Gas Processing Center participated in the meeting and presented their research interests and activities, opening discussions on potential areas of collaboration and future engagement within the framework of the proposed EMMENA Platform.

In autumn 2026, PHAETHON CoE plans to organise a workshop in Cyprus with the participation of representatives from universities, research institutions, and other stakeholders from across the EMMENA region. The workshop will aim to explore potential areas of collaboration and define clear next steps towards the establishment of the Platform. The researchers from Qatar University were invited to participate in the workshop and contribute to the development of the initiative.

The participants welcomed the initiative and expressed their interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration and supporting the development of a regional framework for research and innovation cooperation in sustainable energy.