Managing Director
Prof. Diofantos G. Hadjimitsis is a Full Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the Managing Director of the ‘Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence-Cyprus University of Technology’. He was the former ‘Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs’ of the Cyprus University of Technology (2016-2019) with main duties of chairing and managing the ‘Research’, ‘Quality Assurance’, ‘Studies’ committees for the whole university. During his term, his management and promotion efforts achieved a high ranking for the University e.g. Ranked #351-400 in 2018 and 301-350th in 2019-2020 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. He is the Vice President of the ‘The Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education’ board and he is a member of the board since 2015. He is included in the world’s top 2% of most important scientists in the list issued by Stanford University.
He is also the Head and founder of the Remote Sensing & Geo-Environment Lab. Diofantos was the first appointed staff of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics of CUT. Diofantos was responsible for developing the undergraduate syllabi for both Civil Eng. and Geomatics courses as well for the development of the existing laboratories. He was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at CUT (2011-2015). He obtained his PhD and MPhil in the field of Satellite Remote Sensing from the University of Surrey (UK). His PHD has been sponsored from Thames Water Utilities (UK). During his doctoral studies he received an ORS Scholarship and a Faculty of Engineering Scholarship. He obtained a First Class BEng. (Honours) Degree from Surrey University and was awarded the Felix Pulzer Memorial Prize (Surrey University) and National Guard Prize (HTI). He obtained a First class HND Diploma from the Higher Technical Institute and a distinction MSc award in Real Estate and Property Management (RICS), from the University of Salford (UK). He has worked in the past at the University of Surrey (UK) (researcher, teaching assistant, 1996-1999), University of Southampton (UK) (post-doctoral research fellow, 2000-2003), and Frederick University (2003-2007).
Diofantos is the coordinator of the ‘Excelsior’ Horizon Teaming2020 project ‘ERATOSTHENES: EXcellence Research Centre for Earth SurveiLlance and Space-Based MonItoring Of the EnviRonment’ (www.excelsior2020.eu & www.eratosthenes.org.cy) (38 million euros funding). He has more than 500 publications in journals, conference proceedings, and chapters in books and monographs in the field of remote sensing and GIS. His research has focused on remote sensing and GIS applications in environmental monitoring. He participated as a coordinator or partner in more than 150 funded projects from HORIZON EUROPE, H2020, FP7, LIFE+, ERASMUS, Structural Funds, ESA, Eureka, Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation etc. He is the top-ranked academic within the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). in securing grants since 2007 when he joined the CUT. He was a National Delegate for Space (FP7) and the member of the National Experts appointed by the Government for evaluating Cyprus to join the European Space Agency (ESA) as a full member (since 2009). He is the Chairman of the SPIE RSCy International conferences of Remote Sensing and Geo-information (SPIE) co-organised with European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, DLR, GEO etc in Cyprus. He is the editor of the book ‘Remote Sensing of Environment-Integrated Approaches’ (intech) (2013). He was nominated and selected by SPIE chairs as SPIE senior member from the whole world for the year 2014.
Dr Hadjimitsis has worked in the industry in the capacity of managing and supervising various town-planning projects (road-works) as well in remote sensing industry in Cyprus, with a total construction project budget over 40 million Euros. Diofantos is a civil engineer and accredited valuator by profession and member of the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ΕΤΕΚ) in both professional areas. He was the President of the Cyprus Association of Civil Engineers (Paphos Branch) for 10 years. He is a member of the editorial boards of several journals such as ‘MDPI Remote Sensing’ (4.509 impact factor), ‘MDPI Heritage’ Journals, ‘Open Geosciences’ Journal , an Associate Editor in Data Fusion and Assimilation (specialty section of Frontiers in Remote Sensing). Diofantos is the first leader of the NASA LCLUC Mediterranean Regional Information Network (MedRIN). He has been elected as a Deputy Chair at the GEO Climate Change WG Subgroup 1 and has had significant contribution in the GEO Climate Change Working Group Roadmap. He has been nominated by the Meteorological Service in Cyprus to participate in GEO. He participates in several accreditation panels in the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education.
