Volodymyr Zhukov

Venture & Ecosystem Development

Session: AI in Research

Volodymyr Zhukov is a serial entrepreneur and consultant specializing in selling premium Digital Transformation services. With 20+ years in IT, he helps companies package and sell advanced technologies to high-ticket clients and scale into US and European markets.

Demetris Skourides

Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus

Session: Discussion on the AI Strategy of Cyprus and Human Centricity

Demetris Skourides is the Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus, appointed in 2023 to lead the country’s strategy in research, innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence. He chairs both the National AI Taskforce and the Board of the Research and Innovation Foundation and represents Cyprus in leading European and global networks on technology policy. Since taking office, Skourides has prioritized industry engagement, holding over 1,100 meetings to map Cyprus’s AI adoption landscape. He actively connects research centres and startups with industry, facilitating proof-of-concept collaborations and guiding policy around digital infrastructure, AI, and emerging technologies.

He has accelerated Cyprus’s internationalization, playing a key role in securing MoUs with Japan, Israel, and the UAE, and initiating strategic partnerships with Singapore, the USA, and India. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Arizona State University and an MBA from Henley Management College, with additional executive training at Columbia, Stanford, MIT, and Harvard. With over 17 years at Oracle and later AWS, he led multi-partner cloud transformation programmes and industry-specific AI strategies across EMEA and APAC. Skourides is committed to positioning Cyprus as a regional hub for AI innovation, startup growth, and technology leadership.

Haim Michael

Software Development Trainer

Session: When Code is Cheap, Specifications Matter

Haim Michael is a software development trainer, entrepreneur, and lecturer with nearly 25 years of experience. He founded life michael (lifemichael.com), delivering professional training in Java, Python, JavaScript, Scala, Kotlin, and more. Haim has lectured at leading universities, including Bar-Ilan, HIT, Shenkar, and Technion, and has trained developers at top tech companies.

Dr. Tassos Anastasiades

Director Education Speaks

Session: AI in Education

With an extensive background in biochemistry, educational leadership, and positive psychology, I bring a holistic approach to fostering student growth and institutional excellence. My career spans multiple continents, where I have held key leadership roles, developed bespoke training programmes, and guided schools through accreditation processes, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality and innovation.

Christiana Aristidou

Founder Partner / Director – The Hybrid LawTech Firm

Panel: How AI is Reshaping Enterprise Operations and Productivity

Christiana Aristidou is a Transnational Technology Lawyer, Founder, and Managing Partner of The Hybrid LawTech Firm, with more than 28 years of experience in business, technology law, regulatory
compliance, and digital transformation.

She is widely recognised as one of the most reputable experts in blockchain regulation and standardisation internationally, with extensive expertise spanning fintech, artificial intelligence, digital assets, payments, banking, investment services, sustainable finance, and emerging decentralised ecosystems.

Her work sits at the intersection of fintech, blockchain, and AI, where she advises startups, SMEs, incumbent financial institutions, regulators, supervisory authorities, and governments on the integration of advanced technologies within complex, multijurisdictional regulatory frameworks.

Christiana has served and trained a significant number of regulated entities, executives, policymakers, regulators, and government bodies on fintech regulation and policy design, blockchain governance, digital asset compliance, AI oversight, AML frameworks, electronic identification and trust services, and digital financial infrastructure. She is particularly known for transforming regulatory complexity into clear, operational, innovation-enabling compliance strategies.

Kevin Zhang

Solution Architect Alibaba Cloud AI Native

Session: Alibaba Cloud

Kevin is a Senior Solutions Architect and SA Team Leader at Alibaba Cloud, where he leads a team of solution architects in Xi’an, China, helping enterprises design and deploy scalable AI infrastructure. Previously, he served as Senior Solutions Architect at Huawei Cloud in Saudi Arabia, driving cloud and AI adoption across the Middle East. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.