Yiannis Laouris

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Yiannis Laouris
Yiannis Laouris
Years of service 2025-2027
Type of role Agoras President
Field(s) of Study Neurophysiology
Systems and Industrial Engineering
Information Technology
Peace and Conflict Resolution
Education
University(ies) Leipzig University, Germany
University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
Portsmouth University, Portsmouth, UK
Specialization(s) Structured Democratic Dialogue
virtual dialogues
scaling-up deliberations
ORCID 0000-0002-9081-5849
Notable Achievements Provost's Teaching Award

Medical Innovation Award
Silver Award, INPEX 95
Award for Creativity
Civil Society Award
Silver Award Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
Global Education Innovation Award

External Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/laouris/
https://www.futureworlds.eu/wiki/Yiannis_Laouris
https://wiki.isss.org/index.php/Yiannis_Laouris



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

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[1]. He and Marios Michaelides, along with several Turkish-speaking Cypriots, played a key role, as members of the Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group[2] in creating an embryonic peace movement using Interactive Management as introduced by Benjamin Broome.


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.

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).

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.

Laouris and his wife were the first students to be awarded a PhD before graduating from university, an achievement that received press coverage.[3].

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. [4],[5],[6]. 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[7] such as the effect of the stimulation pattern [8], motoneural adaptation[9] 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[10].

Contributions in reforming education to 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.[11] Their intervention involved developing a cybernetics-based innovative[12], 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 2005, Laouris and his Future Worlds Center[ colleagues founded the Cyprus Safer Internet Center[13] 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[14] [15].

Early 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[16],[17],[18], [19], 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.

Recent Contributions in Dialogic Design Science

Laouris recent research focuses on developing systems to enable scaling up participatory dialogic processes to engage thousands of people in meaningful, authentic dialogues asynchronously, thus accelerating institutional and societal change[20],[21],[22]. His team has developed IdeaPrism[23], Concertina[24], Parallel ISM[25], Cogniscope v3[26] and other tools. Laouris is also credited for establishing SDD as a Problem-Structuring Method within Community Operations research[27],[28],[29],[30].

Awards

List of awards for his scientific and societal contributions [31].


Selected distinctions include:

  • 1990: Provost's Teaching Award, Arizona, USA; For development of computer-based undergraduate instruction in neuroscience
  • 1992: Medical Innovation Award, Arizona, USA; For development of computer-based undergraduate instruction in neuroscience
  • 1995: Silver Award, INPEX 95, Pittsburgh, USA; Innovation Competition Fair with thousands of participants from all over the world
  • 1998: Award for Creativity by the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation; Awarded to CYBER KIDS
  • 2008: Civil Society Award, Cyprus; First Award to NGOs pioneering in social transformation
  • 2008: Silver Award Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies; Award to distinguished scientists
  • 2011: Honorable Mention of the Anna Lindh Award to Future Worlds Center for promoting intercultural dialogue, freedom and citizenship
  • 2017: Global Education Innovation Award; One of 12 awarded by GENE – Global Education Network Europe to Future Worlds Center for its innovative Map Your Meal project

Books by Yiannis Laouris

Category Books by Yiannis Laouris not found

Video Presentations

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Advancing Together: An invitation for Systemic Collaboration - Yiannis Laouris
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Dialogic Design Science - Yiannis Laouris
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Complementarities between Syntegrity and SDD - Yiannis Laouris, Allenna Leonard, and Gary Metcalf


Selected Publications

  • Laouris, Y. (2004). Information technology in the service of peace building; the case of Cyprus. World Futures, 60, 67–79.
  • Laouris, Y. (2012). The ABCs of the science of structured dialogic design. International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies, 4(4), 239–257.
  • Laouris, Y. (2015). Reengineering and Reinventing both democracy and the concept of life in the digital era. In L. Floridi (Ed.), The onlife manifesto (pp. 125–142). Springer.
  • Laouris, Y., & Christakis, A. N. (2007). Harnessing collective wisdom at a fraction of the time using structured dialogic design process in a virtual communication context. International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies, 1(2), 131–153.
  • Laouris, Y., Emiliani, P. L., & Roe, P. (2017). Systemic evaluation of actions toward developing practical broadband applications for elderly and people with disabilities. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(1), 247–255.
  • Laouris, Y., Erel, A., Michaelides, M., Damdelen, M., Taraszow, T., Dagli, I., Laouri, R., & Christakis, A. (2009). Exploring options for enhancement of social dialogue between the Turkish and Greek communities in Cyprus using the structured dialogic design process. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 22(5), 361–381.
  • Laouris, Y., & Laouri, R. (2008). Can information and mobile technologies serve to close the economic, educational, digital, and social gaps and accelerate development? World Futures, 64(4), 254–275.
  • Laouris, Y., Laouri, R., & Christakis, A. N. (2008). Communication praxis for ethical accountability: The ethics of the tree of action: Dialogue and breaking down the wall in Cyprus. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 25, 331–348.
  • Laouris, Y., & Michaelides, M. (2018). Structured democratic dialogue: An application of a mathematical problem structuring method to facilitate reforms with local authorities in Cyprus. European Journal of Operational Research, 268(3), 918–931.
  • Laouris, Y., Michaelides, M., Damdelen, M., Laouri, R., Beyatli, D., & Christakis, A. (2009). A systemic evaluation of the state of affairs following the negative outcome of the referendum in Cyprus using the structured dialogic design process. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 22(1), 45–75.
  • Laouris, Y., & Romm, N. R. (2022). African youth's visioning for re-inventing democracy in the digital era: A case of use of structured dialogical design. World Futures, 1–44.
  • Laouris,Y.,Taraszow,T.,Damdelen,M.,Da!glı,I.,Beyath,D., Karayiannis, A., Dye, K., & Christakis, A. N. (2015). Examining economic integration and free trade within Cyprus using structured dialogic design. Action Learning and Action Research Journal, 21(1), 11–52.
  • Laouris, Y., Underwood, G., Laouri, R., & Christakis, A. (2010). Structured dialogue embedded within emerging technologies. In G. Veletsianos (Ed.), Emerging technologies in distance education (pp. 153–173). Athabasca University Press.
  • Laouris, Y. (2022). Managing large-scale societal change. In Operations Management. (pp. 97–112), IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1000220
  • Laouris, Y., & Romm, N. R. (2022a). Structured dialogical design as a problem structuring method illustrated in a Re-invent democracy project. European Journal of Operational Research, 301(3), 1072-1087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2021.11.046
  • Laouris, Y., & Romm, N. R. (2022b). African youth’s visioning for re-inventing democracy in the digital era: A case of use of structured dialogical design. World Futures, 78(1), 18-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2021.2014112
  • Laouris, Y. (2023). Structured Dialogical Design Frameworks for Addressing Complexity in Systems Engineering (Doctoral dissertation, University of Portsmouth).


References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Conflict_Resolution_Trainers_Group Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers
  3. ↑ Newspaper coverage of the Laouris' Doctorate, https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Vitae/Yiannis_Laouris/Newspaper_coverage_of_the_Doctorate
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 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
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Laouris, Y., & Stuart, D. G. (1993). Multiple neuromuscular-strategies for counteracting muscle fatigue. Neuromuscular fatigue. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 181-183.
  8. ↑ 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
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/structured-dialogical-design-frameworks-for-addressing-complexity
  11. ↑ CYBER KIDS
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Cyprus Safer Internet Center https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Cyberethics:_Cyprus_Safer_Internet_Center
  14. ↑ Floridi, L. (2015). The onlife manifesto: Being human in a hyperconnected era (p. 264). Springer Nature.
  15. ↑ Laouris presenting the ONLIFE Manifesto at the European parliament https://youtu.be/lWRW2sSqVGU
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Laouris, Y., & Dye, K. (2024). Multi‐stakeholder structured dialogues: Five generations of evolution of dialogic design. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 41(2), 368-389. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2971
  21. ↑ Laouris, Y., & Metcalf, G. (2025). Assessing the viability of virtual structured democratic dialogue. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 42(3), 587-606. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.3006
  22. ↑ Laouris, Y. (2023). Method to integrate asynchronously produced individual influence maps into an extrapolated population influence map following the face‐to‐face stage of a structured democratic dialogue. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 40(3), 437-450. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2877
  23. ↑ IdeaPrism https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/IdeaPrism
  24. ↑ Concertina http://concertina.ekkotek.com/
  25. ↑ Parallel ISM https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/ISM_Parallel
  26. ↑ Cogniscope Software https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Cogniscope_Software
  27. ↑ Laouris, Y., & Michaelides, M. (2018). Structured Democratic Dialogue: An application of a mathematical problem structuring method to facilitate reforms with local authorities in Cyprus. European Journal of Operational Research, 268(3), 918-931.
  28. ↑ Midgley, G., Johnson, M. P., & Chichirau, G. (2018). What is community operational research?. European Journal of Operational Research, 268(3), 771-783, pg 772.
  29. ↑ Johnson, M. P., Midgley, G., Wright, J., & Chichirau, G. (2018). Community Operational Research: Innovations, internationalization and agenda-setting applications. European Journal of Operational Research, 268(3), 761-770, pg 766, 771.
  30. ↑ Júnior, A. D. A. G., & Schramm, V. B. (2021). Problem Structuring Methods: A Review of Advances Over the Last Decade. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 1-34, pgs 3,15
  31. ↑ Honors and Awards of Yiannis Laouris https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/Vitae/Yiannis_Laouris/Honors_and_Awards
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