News
Green Cluster Competition
Crowdsourcing Branding Strategy Competition
EXTENSION OF DEADLINE! The contest deadline has been extended until the 18th of January 2015!
AKTI Project and Research Centre calls for all Branding and Marketing experts and enthusiasts to take part in developing the Green Cluster branding strategy.
What is the Green Cluster?
Cluster: a bunch, a bundle, a collection… a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together.
Green Cluster is a new initiative being developed by AKTI Project and Research Centre. It is a dynamic form of collaboration aiming to strengthen joint activities, to increase innovation, networking, trust building, business development and business environments. The Green Cluster emerges from a need to bring together businesses with a common interest, the environment, in a collective that will promote business growth and extroversion, will allow access to funds and will encourage and support the creation of start-ups.
Facebook page:Click here
The Project
AKTI Project and Research Centre launch the new project Green Cluster! Green Cluster is a project, which will last for two years, until September 2016.
Green Cluster concerns the identification of and contact with Cypriot men and women around the island that will be interested in participating in the cluster (i.e. working in or about to join the “green” business environment). Through the participation in this novel structure, the aim is to boost cooperation, free from bureaucratic bounds, in order to promote green sector entrepreneurship through:
- Non- formal infrastructure
- Supporting Extroversion of Cypriot nano and small SMEs: Regional, European and International networking
- Support Green Start-ups
- Public engagement
- Challenges for sustainable start ups
- Develop leadership
- Dissemination through the mass media and through social media.
The Green Cluster Sectors
One of the first actions of Green Cluster is the identification of promising green sectors, i.e. green sectors with potential to be expanded in Cyprus, which will cover nano and small enterprises, green workers and green leaders.
More than 40 sectors have been identified. Click here to see them. If you are interested to participate send us your details and your suggestions for more sectors!
Novel interactive e-tools will be developed and implemented, such as an interactive e-platform where all the information about green entrepreneurship in general and the Green Cluster specifically will be created. The platform will act as the tool to knowledge, networking and participation. An electronic and live help-desk will also be developed and operated with the support of experts. Through this help-desk our target audience will be able to have their questions about both green entrepreneurship and gender mainstreaming.
Branding Strategy Competition: Criteria and Deadline
The winner will be selected based on developing an innovative branding strategy on the Green Cluster project. The strategy should include brand recognition and awareness ideas, marketing methods, e-branding and promotional ideas.
The Strategy:
- should be written in English
- should not be longer than 5 pages (A4)
- should be realistic regarding its implementation
- should be low-budgeted or self-funded
- should quantify outreach and cost
The following Criteria will be used to evaluate the strategies:
- Innovation
- Outreach potential
- Cost
- Brand recognition potential
Deadline: All entries should be submitted by the 18th January 2015 via email (akti@akti.org.cy).
No submissions will be accepted after the deadline.
Entry to the competition is free of charge
Prizes
- 500 EUR will be awarded to the first winner
We will also offer to the first winner:
- Future networking opportunities
- Future opportunities for collaboration with AKTI Project and Research Centre
Terms and Conditions
- Submission of the branding strategy will begin on 20th December 2014 and the deadline for submission is 12th January 2015; submissions must be sent via email (akti@akti.org.cy)
- No submissions will be accepted after the 12th January 2015 and no exceptions will be made for late submissions
- The contest is open to any individual (any age, nationality, location)
- The branding strategy must be your own original work
- Incomplete, unreadable, unintelligible or otherwise non-compliant submissions will be disqualified and AKTI reserves the right to reject entries that do not meet the criteria.
- IMPORTANT: By entering the competition you grant AKTI Project and Research Centre the rights to use your branding strategy for the benefit of the project at no extra cost.
- The winner will be announced on facebook and invited to receive their prizes on the 19th January 2015.
The INTERACT street event successfully took place in Italy and Cyprus on 19 and 20 September, 2014 respectively!
Please click here for more information
International Beach Cleaning Day, 20 September 2014, Larnaca
The beach cleanup event was organised by the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus, AKTI Project and Research Centre and was supported by the MARLISCO Cyprus project, on the occasion of the International Coastal Cleanup Day. The event took place on Saturday, 20th September 2014, by the ‘Foinikoudes’ Pier in Larnaca. MARLISCO Cyprus implemented an international marine litter protocol and the data collected was contributed to the Ocean Conservancy database. Students from the American Academy in Larcaca enthousiastically participated in the event.
See below how the event was covered by CYBC prime news on 20 September 2014
Watch a short film in Greek from the event
Watch a short film in English from the event
Το ημερολόγιο μιας μαθήτριας
Follow Tiganokinisi, through the eyes of a school girl. For more info www.tiganokinisi.eu
New Call for Applications for ARGONAFTIS working experience programme for young unemployed scientists. Deadline for applications 17 September 2014 CLOSED!
Please click here for more information and the application forms.
Global Citizenship Education in a Post-2015 context
During my 5-month period as an ‘Argonaftis’, the working experience program ran by AKTI – Project and Research Center and Eurolife, I had the chance to participate in a Summer School in Dublin, Ireland. The Summer School, organised by Unidev – Development Education in Theory and Practice dealt with the Global Citizenship Education in a Post-2015 context and involved academics, volunteers and activists from 3 NGOs, Kimmage DSC from Ireland, the NGO Support Centre from Cyprus and Pontis Foundation from Slovakia. The objectives of the School were the theoretical and practical knowledge of issues associated with Global Citizenship Education and the post-2015 agenda opportunities, the reflection on the concepts, skills and values related to it and discussion of what could be done to improve the Global Citizenship Education in the Global South. During the 4 days of the Summer School, we met and talked to Activists which took part in the Gaza region, e.g. Caoimhe Butterly which was shot during the fights but survived, we had presentations from scientists about various subjects regarding the Global Citizenship, the Post-2015 agenda and activism, and took part in workshops trying to think how we can implement the common goal of improving the life quality of people in the Global South. Other goals of the school were the promotion of activism and volunteerism and the protection of the environment. Finally, we had a debate about the challenges that arose with the subjects we discussed – how all the things we proposed can be transformed into reality. The main idea we end up to was Education. By 2015, all children should be able to complete a full course of primary schooling – this is the the ‘put every child in school’ program by the UN. This goal could be accomplished if everyone contributes, each one from a different prospect. Civil Society Organisations (NGOs, volunteers) can promote activism and spread information, while International Organisations can give the money which is a critical factor of success.
This Summer School in Dublin gave me the chance to meet people from two other countries, discuss with them issues of great interest for me, and finally I had the opportunity to travel and explore a beautiful city. Read more
Tiganokinisi and AKTH take a ride in the city with Urban Gorillas
An interactive installation that takes the form of a bus, transformed into a sustainable kitchen, will be open to the public from the 29th to the 31st of May at Agios Antonios Park in Nicosia. The bus, which was created by Urban Gorillas NGO, in cooperation with AKTI and Isotech, and with funding from the Fulbright Commission’s Alumni Small Grants 2013, aims to raise awareness about the Tiganokinisi project and about sustainable living in general. The opening of the installation will be performed by the Minister for Education and Culture Dr. Costas Kadis. For more information
Inside view of the bus
INTERACT Workshop
Understanding participation rights and opportunities created by the EU for a better quality of life for all European citizens
19/3/2014 – EU House – Nicosia
‘Argonaftis’ Working Experience Programme February 2014
The New February 2014 Call for Applications for the “ARGONAFTIS” Working Experience Programme has been launched!
Deadline for submission of applications: Monday 17 February 2014
Film on Catch Marine Litter
Participate in the MARLISCO video contest and share your vision in Europe!
Are you between the ages of 16 and 18? Have you noticed all the litter that appears on the beach? Do you want to do something about it? Participate in the MARLISCO Video Contest ‘Stopping Marine Litter Together’ and you will have the opportunity to win a trip to Bremen, scholarships up to 50% at the University of Nicosia and much more! For more information please go to http://www.marlisco.eu/video-contest.el.html, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/Marlisco.CY or call us on 22452727.
The Video Contest in Cyprus is supported by the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (Ministry of Education and Culture) and it is conducted by ISOTECH Ltd Environmental Research and Consultancy, a MARLISCO project partner, in cooperation with the University of Nicosia and with the support of “Mediazone”, the University’s audio-visual unit. MARLISCO is funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission.