European Office Of Cyprus

101.CY Unconference: Freedom. Democracy. Internet: Cyprus EU Presidency edition, 2026
2026-06-15 10:30 - 18:00 UTC
This year’s 101.CY Unconference, follows the call Freedom. Democracy. Internet: Cyprus EU Presidency edition 2026, and is part of the Cyprus Open Digital Futures Week. It is the latest in a series of local unconferences (open space gatherings with an emergent agenda) aiming towards conscientious and democratically-grounded tech policy, in Cyprus and beyond.*
The Unconference is an invitation to come together in a moment of European digital policy visibility. The current policy landscape increasingly focuses on cybersecurity, AI development, and national or EU-first digital sovereingty metrics. In doing so, it risks overlooking the deeper questions that shape our collective technological futures. How do we make decisions regarding our technological future in a way that is inclusive, transparent, and human-centered rather than institutional? What kind of digital futures are we building? And how do we address the systemic pressures, lobbying, institutional inertia, and internal fragmentation, that continue to challenge the FLOSS and digital commons ecosystems from within?
On June 15th 2026, as Cyprus and Nicosia become the setting of European Digital Policy, we pull together threads and invite individuals and communities that believe in open and freedom-respecting technologies to gather and coordinate in a spirit of informal productivity, to give pulse to a week of activities hosted by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, and make sure that the most important and urgent digital commons and digital rights-debates are brought it into the conversation.
We seek to centre digital rights, digital sovereignty understood as public capacity rather than control, and the digital commons as a shared infrastructure of care and governance. In doing so, we challenge extractive and opaque models of technological development, and instead nurture free, fair, and participatory systems for governance, security, education, and life.
We call together people who think and work towards digital rights and the democratisation of technology; FLOSS developers, educators, researchers, creatives, and community organisers; those interested in co-creating ethical digital policy and resilient community tech; those invested in mapping the obstacles and opportunities for free/libre software in public institutions, schools, and cultural spaces; those interested in the Right to Repair, and the “Public Money? Public Code” movement; practitioners and policy-makers looking to move toward grounded, implementable strategies for digital justice; and those interested in connecting the above priorities with sound business practices. We invite all who care about the protection of digital commons and see the need and significance of to support this initiative on this day through in-person participation.
Locally we call on Ubuntu.cy, ELLAK Cyprus, hack66, Hackerspace Limassol, the Cyprus Pirate movement, 101.cy, NeMe.org, UCY, CUT and local universities, local NGOs with budding interest in tech policy, and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Tech Policy, […]
and internationally, we invite Freedom not Fear (BE), EDRi (BE), homo digitalis (GR); digital courage (DE);
What to expect

A fluid, minimally guided, participant-led networking, brainstorming, and co-working atmosphere, following the principles of Open Space Technology: sessions are proposed and shaped by attendees themselves, allowing for spontaneity, relevance, and co-ownership of the agenda.
Space for panels, co-writing labs, workshops, and policy roundtables.
Emphasis on dialogue, transparency, and co-creation.

As part of our commitment towards a community-conscious and low-waste event, we kindly ask participants to a reusable cup or bottle. Let’s care for the commons: online and offline.
What Open Space can look like
– The Basics – https://youtu.be/XCPZ5iQLlnA?si=8q3l7NRx6_06FR3_
– The potential – https://youtu.be/WQj12jmLGr4?si=AM660pl2L7BUAZVX
When: 15/6/20
Official webpage here.
Find the latest updates here.
Source: https://ellak.org.cy/en/2026/05/05/unconference26/

OFE Capital Series, Nicosia, Cyprus
2026-06-16 12:00 - 18:00
Sign up now to join OpenForum Europe and partners for the next edition of the Capital Series events, taking place in Nicosia on 16 June 2026.
Marking the eight instalment of our cyclical events, Capital Series Cyprus will bring Brussels-level discussions of open source policy directly to Nicosia. This event will provide a unique opportunity for the local open source community to directly engage with EU and national policymakers to better understand policies that impact the Cypriot market.
The event will explore how open source and open technologies support Europe’s digital ambitions, from cybersecurity and digital public infrastructure to innovation and competitiveness. Together with policymakers, industry representatives, researchers and members of the open source community, we will discuss how European digital policies translate into national opportunities and challenges for the Cypriot ecosystem. The event will also create space for dialogue between EU institutions and local actors working with open technologies.
Capital Series events are single-day, high-level policy gatherings dedicated to advancing open source policy priorities in alignment with the objectives of the member states holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Series builds on the OFE’s annual EU Open Source Policy Summit in Brussels to further connect the dots between the EU and national policy cycles.
Where?
The Cyprus Institute, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi St., Nicosia
More info: https://openforumeurope.org/events/open-source-and-the-european-union-cyprus-ofe-capital-series/

UniLiON Annual Event, 19 November 2026, Brussels
2026-11-19 09:30 - 19:00
European Office of Cyprus is a member of UnILiON (Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network), an informal network of 60 Brussels-based university liaison offices representing more than 170 universities across Europe.
This year, UnILiON will celebrate its 10th anniversary with its Annual Event, which will take place on Thursday, 19 November 2026, from 09:30 to 19:00 in Brussels. The event has two main objectives:

To position UnILiON and its members as a proactive stakeholder in the European higher education landscape; and
To provide a platform for dialogue between UnILiON member universities and EU policymakers on issues of strategic importance to the network.

We would like to invite you to save the date and draw your attention to the following two sessions:

09:30-12:00 High-level dialogue on FP10/ECF – The Future of European R&I Policy and Competitiveness Participants: University Leadership, Rector, Vice-Rector or Pro Rector (or equivalent) and their accompanying UnILiON Brussels representatives, MEPs, (up to 70 participants).

Hosted by Eszter Lakos MEP (EPP) this high-level dialogue will bring together 6 Members of European Parliament: Parliament Eszter Lakos (EPP) , Lina Galvez (S&D), Christian Ehler (EPP), Ivar Ijabs (Renew), René Repasi (S&D), Villa Ninisto (Greens/EFA) and university rectors, vice rectors and MEPs on upcoming European R&I policy and funding landscapes. The session aims to:

Engage rectors with MEPs at this critical moment in the European policy cycle.
Reflect collectively on how FP10 and ECF proposals align with the missions, capacities, and long-term strategies of European universities, and covering R&I policy issues such as dual use, academic freedom, security and sovereignty.
Foster an open, active, and constructive dialogue, encouraging rectors to exchange experiences, concerns, and strategic priorities in a trusted environment.

We kindly ask you to begin engaging your rectors and senior executives to attend the dialogue. We have committed to ensuring 30 high‑level university representatives, and your support is essential.
The internal registration link is ready. Please fill it in and indicate how many rectors we can expect from your institution. Registration link to the High -level dialogue
2. 09:00-12:00 Expert session on Creativity as Europe’s Competitive Strength for Innovation Participants: University experts / researchers, European Commission representatives
This Expert Session will focus on the pivotal role of arts, design and creativity as a cross‑cutting enabler for user‑driven and open innovation. Drawing on insights from our universities’ researchers and experts, the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of how creative skills, often developed through sustainable collaboration frameworks with CCSI, are applied to design technological innovations, approaches and new training models. The session will:

Showcase examples of excellence from member universities to European Commission representatives;
Facilitate the exchange of good practices;
Foster new collaborations across the network; and
Inspire new ideas for research, innovation, and education.

We are currently collecting examples of good practices that demonstrate how artistic, design-based, and creativity-driven approaches contribute to research excellence, innovation, and innovative teaching and research methods. The deadline for submitting a good practice is 11 September 2026. Selected contributors will be invited to present their work in person during the Annual Event in Brussels on 19 November 2026.
We would be grateful if you could circulate the survey among relevant colleagues and experts within your institution who may wish to submit a good practice and, if selected, present it in Brussels. The expert survey for participation in the Expert Session is now available. Survey – expert session
Annual event 2026_briefing for executives
Please note that participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
We hope that many of you, your senior representatives and experts will be able to join this important event that will enhance your institution visibility and open new collaboration opportunities.
Should you need more information or clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact us.
