Yiannis Laouris: Difference between revisions

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Award for Creativity<br>
Award for Creativity<br>
Civil Society Award<br>
Civil Society Award<br>
Silver Award Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies<br>
Silver Award [[Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies|HSSS]]<br>
Global Education Innovation Award  
Global Education Innovation Award  
       |orcid= 0000-0002-9081-5849
       |orcid= 0000-0002-9081-5849
       |external_links=  https://www.linkedin.com/in/laouris/<br>https://www.futureworlds.eu/wiki/Yiannis_Laouris<br>https://wiki.isss.org/index.php/Yiannis_Laouris
       |external_links=  linkedin.com/in/laouris/<br>futureworlds.eu/wiki/Yiannis_Laouris<br>wiki.isss.org/index.php/Yiannis_Laouris


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'''Yiannis Laouris''' led the efforts to revive and restructure the Global Agoras community and its Institute between 2024 and 2025. He was elected President of the Board in the Fall of 2025. He is also the 64th President of the [[International Society for the Systems Sciences]] and Lead Scientist of [[Future Worlds Center]]
'''Yiannis Laouris''' led the efforts to revive and restructure the Global Agoras community and its [[Institute for 21st Century Agoras]] between 2024 and 2025. He was elected President of the Board in the Fall of 2025. Yiannis also served as the 64th President of the [[International Society for the Systems Sciences]] (2025-2027), and is Lead Scientist and CEO of [[Future Worlds Center]].
 
He is a renowned peace activist recognized for his pioneering work in applying [[Structured Dialogic Design]] processes to foster collaboration among stakeholders with diverse and conflicting perspectives. His team develops systems that engage hundreds virtually, partly asynchronously, in meaningful, authentic conversations, accelerating positive societal change. He is co-author of the “ONLIFE Manifesto” (explores how ICT affects the human condition by altering our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world). He is also the principal author of the “Manifesto: Reinventing Democracy in the Digital Era.” Relevant books include “Masks of Demons,” “Democratic [R]evolution,” “Direct Democracy,” and “Navigating Systems and Cybernetics: A Conceptual Map of Disciplines in Dialogue with Complexity.” In the 90s, he founded CYBER Kids, an international chain of computer learning centers, which introduced IT in the lives of thousands of children 5-15 (in seven countries) using the patent-pending KnowledgePacket concept to develop a curriculum that blends educational themes, targeted mental and psycho- emotional development, social awareness and connection to real-life, suggested software to use, with IT skills that should be developed.
 
 
Laouris joined the [[Institute for 21st Century Agoras]] for the first time in 2004, when he met its founders [[Kenneth Baush]] and [[Alexander Christakis]] at the Annual ISSS conference in Crete, at their invitation. He presented [[Information technology in the service of peacebuilding: the case of Cyprus]]; peace and conflict work conducted in Cyprus between 1994 and 2004<ref>Laouris, Y. (2004). Information technology in the service of peacebuilding: the case of Cyprus. World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution, 60(1-2), 67-79.</ref>. He and [[Marios Michaelides]], along with several Turkish-speaking Cypriots, played a key role, as members of the Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Conflict_Resolution_Trainers_Group Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers</ref> in creating an embryonic peace movement using [[Interactive Management]] as introduced by [[Benjamin Broome]].  


Yiannis joined the [[Institute for 21st Century Agoras]] for the first time in 2004, after meeting its founders [[Kenneth C. Baush]] and [[Alexander N. Christakis]] at the 47th Annual ISSS conference in Crete, where they announced the institute's founding. He presented [[Information technology in the service of peacebuilding: the case of Cyprus]]; peace and conflict work conducted in Cyprus between 1994 and 2004<ref>Laouris, Y. (2004). Information technology in the service of peacebuilding: the case of Cyprus. World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution, 60(1-2), 67-79.</ref>. He and [[Marios Michaelides]], along with several Turkish-speaking Cypriots, played a key role, as members of the [[Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group]]<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Conflict_Resolution_Trainers_Group Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers</ref> in creating an embryonic peace movement using [[Interactive Management]] as introduced by [[Benjamin Broome]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
Laouris was born in Paphos, Cyprus, in 1958. He attended The English School, the Pancyprian Gymnasium, and the Acropolis Gymnasium. He served in the Cypriot National Guard as the first Cypriot senior cryptographer after the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état and the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.  
Laouris was born in Paphos, Cyprus, in 1958. He attended The English School, the Pancyprian Gymnasium, and the Acropolis Gymnasium. He served in the Cypriot National Guard (1976-1978) as the first Cypriot senior cryptographer after the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état and the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.  


==Academic==
==Academic==
Laouris holds a medical degree (1985) and a PhD in Neurophysiology (1985, summa cum laude) from Karl Marx University (today known as University of Leipzig), Germany, an MS in Systems and Industrial Engineering (1996, GPA 4.0) from the University of Arizona, US, and a PhD in Systems Engineering (by publications) from the University of Portsmouth, UK (2023).
Laouris holds a medical degree (1985) and a PhD in Neurophysiology (1985, summa cum laude) from Karl Marx University (today known as University of Leipzig), Germany, an MS in Systems and Industrial Engineering (1996, GPA 4.0) from the University of Arizona, US, and a PhD in Systems Engineering (by publications) from the University of Portsmouth, UK (2023)<ref>https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/structured-dialogical-design-frameworks-for-addressing-complexity</ref>.


==Research in neurophysiology==
==Research in neurophysiology==
In the context of his PhD in Neurophysiology with Prof. Peter Schwartze at the Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology, Laouris examined the air-righting reflex in rats, conducting experiments deuring free fall while recording EMGs and investigating the developmental growth of the vestibular aparatus and specifically the macula utriculi. His main finding, supported by cybernetic modeling was that the reflext starts as a chain reflex but within 2 weeks of life it manifests into a a central pater jenerator.
In the context of his PhD in Neurophysiology with Prof. Peter Schwartze at the Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology (University of Leipzig), Laouris examined the air-righting reflex in rats, conducting experiments during free fall while recording EMG signals and investigating the developmental growth of the vestibular apparatus, specifically the macula utriculi. His main finding, supported by cybernetic modeling, was that the reflex starts as a chain reflex, but within 2 weeks of life it manifests into a central pattern generator. Laouris and his wife were the first students to be awarded a PhD before graduating the university, an achievement that received press coverage.<ref>Newspaper coverage of the Laouris' Doctorate, https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Vitae/Yiannis_Laouris/Newspaper_coverage_of_the_Doctorate</ref>.
 
Laouris and his wife were the first students to be awarded a PhD before graduating from university, an achievement that received press coverage.<ref>Newspaper coverage of the Laouris' Doctorate, https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Vitae/Yiannis_Laouris/Newspaper_coverage_of_the_Doctorate</ref>.


He continued his neurophysiology research at the Georg-August University Göttingen with cyberneticists and systems physiologists Professors Hans Diedrich Henatsch and Uwe Windhorst, studying the dynamic behavior of the motor axon-Renshaw cell, and muscle afferent subsystems. Laouris pioneered the application of digital signal processing in time/space and frequency domains. <ref>Laouris, Y., & Windhorst, U. (1989). The relationship between coherence and nonlinear characteristics in Renshaw cell responses to random motor axon stimulation. Neuroscience, 28(3), 625-633. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(89)90009-2.</ref>,<ref>Cleveland, S., Ross, H.G. Dynamic properties of Renshaw cells: Frequency response characteristics. Biol. Cybernetics 27, 175–184 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365164</ref>,<ref>Gottlieb, G. L., Corcos, D. M., & Agarwal, G. C. (1989). Strategies for the control of voluntary movements with one mechanical degree of freedom. Behavioral and brain sciences, 12(2), 189-210. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00048238.</ref>. He subsequently joined the Robotics, Prosthetics, Motor Control Group at the University of Arizona, where he collaborated with Douglas G. Stuart developing neuromuscular-strategies for counteracting muscle fatigue<ref>Laouris, Y., & Stuart, D. G. (1993). Multiple neuromuscular-strategies for counteracting muscle fatigue. Neuromuscular fatigue. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 181-183.</ref> such as the effect of the stimulation pattern <ref>Bevan, L., Laouris, Y., Reinking, R. M., & Stuart, D. G. (1992). The effect of the stimulation pattern on the fatigue of single motor units in adult cats. The Journal of physiology, 449(1), 85-108. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1992.sp019076</ref>, motoneural adaptation<ref>Nordstrom, M. A., Gorman, R. B., Laouris, Y., Spielmann, J. M., & Stuart, D. G. (2007). Does motoneuron adaptation contribute to muscle fatigue?. Muscle & nerve, 35(2), 135-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.20712</ref> etc. In the U.S., he also completed a Masters in Systems and Industrial Engineering. More recently, he completed a PhD in Systems Engineering at Portsmouth, UK<ref>https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/structured-dialogical-design-frameworks-for-addressing-complexity</ref>.
Yiannis continued his neurophysiology research at the Georg-August University Göttingen with cyberneticists and systems physiologists Professors Hans Diedrich Henatsch and Uwe Windhorst, studying the dynamic behavior of the motor axon-Renshaw cell and muscle afferent subsystems. Laouris pioneered the application of digital signal processing in time/space and frequency domains. <ref>Laouris, Y., & Windhorst, U. (1989). The relationship between coherence and nonlinear characteristics in Renshaw cell responses to random motor axon stimulation. Neuroscience, 28(3), 625-633. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(89)90009-2.</ref>,<ref>Cleveland, S., Ross, H.G. Dynamic properties of Renshaw cells: Frequency response characteristics. Biol. Cybernetics 27, 175–184 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365164</ref>,<ref>Gottlieb, G. L., Corcos, D. M., & Agarwal, G. C. (1989). Strategies for the control of voluntary movements with one mechanical degree of freedom. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12(2), 189-210. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00048238.</ref>. He subsequently joined the Robotics, Prosthetics, Motor Control Group at the University of Arizona, where he collaborated with Douglas G. Stuart developing neuromuscular strategies for counteracting muscle fatigue<ref>Laouris, Y., & Stuart, D. G. (1993). Multiple neuromuscular strategies for counteracting muscle fatigue. Neuromuscular fatigue. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 181-183.</ref> such as the effect of the stimulation pattern <ref>Bevan, L., Laouris, Y., Reinking, R. M., & Stuart, D. G. (1992). The effect of the stimulation pattern on the fatigue of single motor units in adult cats. The Journal of Physiology, 449(1), 85-108. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1992.sp019076</ref>, motoneural adaptation<ref>Nordstrom, M. A., Gorman, R. B., Laouris, Y., Spielmann, J. M., & Stuart, D. G. (2007). Does motoneuron adaptation contribute to muscle fatigue?. Muscle & Nerve, 35(2), 135-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.20712</ref> etc.  


==Contributions in reforming education to the needs of the digital era==
==Reforming education to meet the needs of the digital era==
In 1992, Laouris moved to his homeland, Cyprus, where he and his partners devoted a decade to their CYBER KIDS dream.<ref>CYBER KIDS</ref> Their intervention involved developing a cybernetics-based innovative<ref>Laouris, Y. (2014). Teams construct knowledge during project-driven social interactions. Educating in Dialog: Constructing Meaning and Building Knowledge with Dialogic Technology, 24, 111-113.</ref>, constructivistic-, team-, project-based curriculum that was grounded on the concept of [[KnowledgePacket]] to develop lesson plans that enabled multiple learning goals to be incorporated within a single 2-h session. These included targeted mental development, educational objectives, developing imagination and creativity, value for real-life situations, etc. CYBER KIDS reached 20% of the country’s youth population (ages 6–15) and contributed against brain drain by employing almost 200 young scientists.  
In 1992, Laouris moved to his homeland, Cyprus, where he and his partners devoted a decade to their CYBER KIDS dream.<ref>www.CYBER-KIDS.net</ref> Their intervention involved developing a cybernetics-based innovative<ref>Laouris, Y. (2014). Teams construct knowledge during project-driven social interactions. Educating in Dialog: Constructing Meaning and Building Knowledge with Dialogic Technology, 24, 111-113.</ref>, constructivistic-, team-, project-based curriculum that was grounded on the concept of KnowledgePacket<ref>https://www.cyber-kids.net/index.php?title=The_concept_of_the_KnowledgePacket KnowledgePacket</ref>, <ref>https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/KnowledgePacket_Method</ref> to develop lesson plans that enabled multiple learning goals to be incorporated within single 2-h sessions. These included targeted mental development, educational objectives, imagination and creativity, and value in real-life situations. CYBER KIDS reached 20% of the country’s youth population (ages 6–15), helped counter brain drain by employing almost 200 young scientists, and expanded into 7 countries.  


In 2005, Laouris and his [[Future Worlds Center]][ colleagues founded the [[Cyprus Safer Internet Center]]<ref> Cyprus Safer Internet Center https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Cyberethics:_Cyprus_Safer_Internet_Center</ref> to promote the safer use of the internet for underage children. Yiannis appeared in many TV programs advocating for best practices and participated in dozens of European meetings and conferences. He was also one of the twelve experts commissioned by the Digital Tasks Force of the EU to develop the ONLIFE Manifesto<ref>Floridi, L. (2015). The onlife manifesto: Being human in a hyperconnected era (p. 264). Springer Nature.</ref> <ref>Laouris presenting the ONLIFE Manifesto at the European parliament https://youtu.be/lWRW2sSqVGU</ref>.
In 2005, Laouris and his [[Future Worlds Center]][ colleagues founded the [[Cyprus Safer Internet Center]]<ref> Cyprus Safer Internet Center https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Cyberethics:_Cyprus_Safer_Internet_Center</ref> to promote the safer use of the internet for underage children. Yiannis appeared in many TV programs advocating for best practices and participated in dozens of European meetings and conferences. He was also one of the twelve experts commissioned by the Digital Tasks Force of the EU to develop the ONLIFE Manifesto<ref>Floridi, L. (2015). The onlife manifesto: Being human in a hyperconnected era (p. 264). Springer Nature.</ref> <ref>Laouris presenting the ONLIFE Manifesto at the European Parliament https://youtu.be/lWRW2sSqVGU</ref>.


==Early involvement in Conflict Resolution and Structured Democratic Dialogue==
==Involvement in Conflict Resolution and Structured Democratic Dialogue==
In 1994, Yiannis was invited to participate in a conflict resolution workshop, which eventually marked his further focus on the application of broadband technologies and [[Structured Democratic Dialogue]] as tools to bridge the digital-, economic-, educational- and interpersonal divides on our planet. Today, he is considered an international leader in the development of theory, methodology and tools to support the science of [[structured dialogic design]]. He is credited by [[Alexander N. Christakis]] for the dialogic design [[Law of Requisite Action]]<ref>Laouris Y, Laouri R, Christakis A (2008) Communication praxis for ethical accountability; The ethics of the tree of action. Syst Res Behav Sci 25(2):331–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.890.</ref>,<ref>Bausch, K. C., & Flanagan, T. R. (2013). A Confluence of Third‐Phase Science and Dialogic Design Science. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 30(4), 414-429, p 428. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2166.</ref>,<ref>Flanagan, T. R. (2021). Structured dialogic design for mobilizing collective action in highly complex systems. In Handbook of systems sciences (pp. 765-785). Singapore: Springer Singapore, p. 781. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0370-8_59-1.</ref>, <ref>Jones, P. (2020). Systemic design: Design for complex, social, and sociotechnical systems. In Handbook of systems sciences (pp. 787-811). Singapore: Springer Singapore., p. 804.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0720-5_60.</ref>, which asserts that action plans that are not founded on the authentic engagement of the stakeholders in dialogue and deliberation are unethical and are bound to fail.  
In 1994, Yiannis was invited to participate in a conflict resolution workshop, which eventually marked his further focus on the application of broadband technologies and [[Structured Democratic Dialogue]] as tools to bridge the digital-, economic-, educational- and interpersonal divides on our planet. Today, he is considered an international leader in the development of theory, methodology and tools to support the science of [[structured dialogic design]]. He is credited by [[Alexander N. Christakis]] for the dialogic design [[Law of Requisite Action]]<ref>Laouris Y, Laouri R, Christakis A (2008) Communication praxis for ethical accountability; The ethics of the tree of action. Syst Res Behav Sci 25(2):331–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.890.</ref>,<ref>Bausch, K. C., & Flanagan, T. R. (2013). A Confluence of Third‐Phase Science and Dialogic Design Science. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 30(4), 414-429, p 428. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2166.</ref>,<ref>Flanagan, T. R. (2021). Structured dialogic design for mobilizing collective action in highly complex systems. In Handbook of systems sciences (pp. 765-785). Singapore: Springer Singapore, p. 781. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0370-8_59-1.</ref>, <ref>Jones, P. (2020). Systemic design: Design for complex, social, and sociotechnical systems. In Handbook of systems sciences (pp. 787-811). Singapore: Springer Singapore., p. 804.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0720-5_60.</ref>, which asserts that action plans that are not founded on the authentic engagement of the stakeholders in dialogue and deliberation are unethical and are bound to fail.  


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