The University of Cyprus has appointed professor Constantine Dovrolis as the first holder of the XM Chair in Artificial Intelligence, marking the formal launch of a ten-year, XM-funded initiative worth more than €1 million.

The appointment, announced this week, follows the creation of the chair through a donation by XM Group, which will finance the position for the next decade.

The initiative is designed to strengthen research, education and innovation in artificial intelligence, while linking academic expertise with business needs and Cyprus’ wider technology ambitions. 

Through the XM Chair, the University of Cyprus aims to promote AI research, develop partnerships with research centres and universities abroad, and create internship, training and specialisation opportunities for students and professionals. 

At the event, University of Cyprus’ chairman Tasos Anastasiou congratulated Dovrolis, saying XM’s decision to establish the chair in Cyprus, rather than at a major institution abroad, was “an important vote of confidence” in the university. 

He also expressed optimism that the collaboration would establish the chair as “a point of reference” for artificial intelligence, while helping Cyprus become, within its capabilities, a pioneer in the field, with tangible results for research, technology, academic excellence and entrepreneurship. 

Rector Tasos Christofides described the establishment of the AI chair as “a significant contribution and investment in the future”, saying it would support cutting-edge research and teaching in artificial intelligence.

He added that Dovrolis’ appointment was expected to bring substantial benefits at both research and teaching level, while strengthening the university’s mission by connecting it more directly with future technological developments. 

XM group Co-CEO Stavri Morti welcomed the appointment, saying the filling of the chair gives “substantial content and direction” to the vision behind its creation. 

She said artificial intelligence is “undoubtedly the most transformative technology of our time”, affecting and reshaping almost every aspect of life and the economy. 

At the same time, Morti stressed that such progress must be accompanied by responsibility, transparency and a deeper understanding of its social and ethical implications, pointing to the decisive role of academic research in this direction. 

She also said XM already uses artificial intelligence in key areas, including fraud detection and customer service. 

Morti described the establishment of the XM Chair at the University of Cyprus as “practical proof that cutting-edge research is at the heart of the country’s long-term development strategy.” 

She said the chair can support the new generation of scientists and create substantial added value for Cyprus’ economy and society. 

Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs professor Eleni-Tatiani Synodinou thanked XM group for its generous funding, saying “the establishment and completion of the chair substantially strengthens the university’s strategic course in artificial intelligence.”

She also referred to the university’s academic and institutional initiatives in the field, saying they confirm its firm commitment to the responsible and scientifically documented use of AI. 

Synodinou said the operation of the XM Chair is expected to enrich and promote research in artificial intelligence, with multiple benefits for the academic community, society and the economy. 

Overall, she said the implementation of the chair’s actions is expected to create substantial added value for both the University of Cyprus and XM group, constituting a joint investment in the future of Cyprus and the new generation. 

Professor Chryssis Georgiou, chairman of the Department of Computer Science, said “Dovrolis’ appointment would strengthen the university’s efforts to provide students with solid knowledge in new technologies, with a focus on artificial intelligence.” 

He described Dovrolis as a researcher with extensive scientific work and international recognition. 

Georgiou added that the chair would further strengthen the university’s outward-looking role through meaningful partnerships, while helping produce research with “a positive and measurable impact on society”. 

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For his part, Dovrolis thanked the University of Cyprus and XM group for their trust, saying the new chair carries strong symbolism as the result of cooperation between a public university and an international Cypriot business group. 

He said “both sides share the goal of investing in knowledge, research, technology and the people of Cyprus.” 

Presenting his vision for the chair, Dovrolis focused on three main areas, research, education and innovation. 

He stressed the importance of “fundamental, independent academic research” in artificial intelligence, the need to redefine education and teaching methods in the era of machine intelligence, and the opportunities created for innovation, entrepreneurship and technological development in Cyprus. 

Dovrolis has been director and professor at the centre for Computational Science and Technology (CaSToRC) at the Cyprus Institute (Cyl) since 2023.

He was also a faculty member at the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 2002 to 2025. 

He graduated from the Technical University of Crete in 1995, before completing a master’s degree at the University of Rochester in 1996 and a PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2000. He is also an ACM Distinguished Member. 

In recent years, his research has focused on machine learning, with particular emphasis on neuro-inspired artificial intelligence. 

His work examines how the structure and function of brain networks can inspire the design of learning systems that are more adaptive, efficient, interpretable and resilient. 

His research has been presented at leading international conferences, including ICML, NeurIPS and CVPR, while his interdisciplinary work includes collaborations with researchers in neuroscience, biology, climate science and medicine. 

His publications have received more than 15,000 citations, while his research has been funded by organisations including the NSF, NIH, DOE, DARPA, Horizon Europe, and the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, as well as companies such as Google, Microsoft and Cisco. 

XM group, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cyprus, is an international organisation in online investment services, employing more than 1,700 people worldwide. 

The group operates in countries with established regulatory frameworks, including the UK, the US, the UAE, Australia and South Africa. 

XM said its vision is to continue growing in the online financial trading sector through innovative products and services, while maintaining a strong, people-centred culture. 

Guided by its core values of “Big. Fair. Human.”, XM has been consistently recognised as a distinguished employer. 

The group has been ranked among the top Best Workplaces™ in Greece and Cyprus, in lists recognising technology companies for their working environment, including Best Workplaces™ in Tech, as well as in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For™ in Europe. 

XM has also been recognised for promoting a more equal and inclusive labour market, both in the technology sector and more broadly, which has led it to the top of the Best Workplaces™ for Women list in Greece and Cyprus.