The Cyprus Center for Algorithmic Transparency (CyCAT) has officially commenced operating on 9 October 2018, bringing significant added-value to the research activity of the Open University of Cyprus and the research infrastructure of Cyprus in general, as being the only one of its kind at national and European level. During the official presentation of the new CyCAT Research Center, an extensive reference was made to the importance of algorithms and their efficacy in the process of searching and selecting information on the Internet, but also to the fact that the algorithms are not always neutral and transparent while filtering the information provided to the user, which raises the need for control and accountability.
During CyCAT’s Press Conference, OUC Assistant Professor Jahna Otterbacher and coordinator of the Project referred to the main objectives of the project, focusing on a) basic research to understand the nature of social and cultural prejudices and biases in information access systems; b) in the promotion of digital literacy; c) training of target groups, such as teachers and pupils, on algorithmic transparency and the enhancement of their digital skills and d) nourishing a culture of research and innovation in Cyprus.
OUC CyCAT’s Advanced Partners are the University of Sheffield and the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, the University of Trento in Italy and the University of Haifa from Israel, and it’s funded by EU’s Horizon2020-Twinning. CyCAT research team on behalf of OUC consists also of Professor Michalinos Zembylas and Associate Professor Loizos Michael.
More information about the CyCAT Research Center can be found at
Website www.CyCAT.io
E-mail: info@cycat.io
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cycat.eu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CyCAT_EU