The Department of Psychology and the Research Center of the University of Limassol participated in the European Researchers’ Night 2025, organized by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) on Friday, 26 September 2025, at the Cyprus State Fairgrounds in Nicosia.
The European Researchers’ Night is one of the largest science outreach events in Europe, aiming to bring research closer to society, highlight its impact on everyday life, and inspire young people to pursue careers in science.
This year’s event, themed “Mission Possible – The Sequel!”, focused on the EU Missions, including the mission on Cancer, which aligns with the Department’s booth “Mind and Body as One.”
The booth presented a series of interactive activities, experiments and a board game designed to promote awareness around prevention, the value of play and well-being, and the connection between physical and mental health.
Information was also provided for the departments’ following research projects:
PERiFORM– Pushing boundaries: Peripersonal space as a tool to improve sports performance funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation in Cyprus,explores how different types of movement in immersive virtual environments can influence how individuals perceive the space around their body. It aims to identify the most effective approach for enhancing this spatial perception.
EmpaTRaIny– Empathy Training for Regulation of Inflammation in the Human Body funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation in Cyprus,investigates the potential of empathy regulation as a novel intervention for addressing psychosomatic symptoms, such as depression and systemic inflammation. It focuses on achieving a comprehensive and objective assessment of empathy.
LIFT– Lesson Study In Future Teacher Education in Europe: Stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices among pre-service teachers co-funded by the ERASMUS+,works on developing a European blueprint for using Lesson Study (LS) in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Its goal is to support pre-service teachers (PSTs) and teacher educators (TEs) through collaborative learning, innovation in teaching, and international networking.
InnerWorlds– A Videogame Journey Through Teen Depression and Social Pressures co-funded by the ERASMUS+,aims to promote the mental health in the adolescents enhancing social awareness and strengthening resilience through the co-design and co-creation of an innovative and engaging mobile video game that will be developed, piloted and implemented following evidence-based psychological techniques. Furthermore, this project will equip educational institutions, parents and peers with a practical tool and training to recognize early signs of mental issues to foster a supportive environment.
KidLe– Developing an intercultural game as a pedagogic tool for the inclusion of pupils with migrant bacKground in new Learning environments co-funded by the ERASMUS+,by co-creating, together with children, parents, and educators, five (5) intercultural board games aims to support the inclusion of children with a migrant background in new school environments and seeks to enhance the capacity of educators and parents to use games as a tool for children’s learning and development.
The project Interventions supporting early self-regulation: a systematic literature review under the Nuffield Foundation conducts a systematic review of self-regulation interventions to children up to eight years old in order to support teachers and early years practitioners how to better support children’s self-regulation, and this review will provide evidence to guide future interventions.
This participation provided a valuable opportunity to communicate research and project work to the public, engage young audiences with hands-on science, and highlight the Department’s and project’s commitment to bridging research, education, and society. It was also an excellent opportunity to connect with other researchers and professionals, exchange ideas, explore potential future collaborations, and reach out to individuals interested in the thematics mentioned above.
Thank you to the Research and Innovation Foundation in Cyprus for the opportunity to present the research work conducted at the University of Limassol and in Cyprus overall.
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