Basic HTML Version
23
dation would be able to cover, financially and
organisationally. This resulted in the five areas
referred to briefly in the Foundation’s Memo-
randum of Association, Engineering, Envi-
ronmental Protection, Seismology, Health and
Medicine and Classical Music.
The work to lay down the aims and the objec-
tives of the Foundation began in 2006 with the
development of the general aims of the Founda-
tion and the review of the laws of the Republic
of Cyprus that regulate such bodies. Once the
first notes had been completed, I began contact-
ing and sounding out leading Cypriot person-
alities among my friends. I had numerous meet-
ings with Dr Alkis Pierides, my close friend
and personal doctor, with my friend Demetris
Eliades, the current Minister of Defence, and
with many others.
I sought the opinion of many academics, and I
was fortunate that at the time the Technologi-
cal Institute of Cyprus had been established in
Lemesos. I met with the first Chairman of the
Administrative Committee, Professor Andreas
Demetriou (later Minister of Education & Cul-
ture), with Professor Demetriou’s associates,
Andreas Malloupas and Mimis Sophocleous,
and with Professor Demetriou’s successor, Pro-
fessor Antonis Constantinides. These meetings
helped me determine the scope and activities of
the Foundation. I also consulted Mr Nikos Ros-
sos, who had just prepared the charter for his
own foundation.
On the basis of a plethora of notes taken from
the websites and charters of other foundations,
I prepared the Foundation’s first complete draft,
methodically and with great care, based on the
Charitable Foundations Law, Cap. 41. This was
at the end of 2007. In January 2008 I approached
the Law Office of Chrysses Demetriades & Co,
which had merged with the Law Office of P. L.
Cacoyiannis, to assist me in drafting the Char-
ter and registering the Foundation.
I must say I was most moved by the interest
shown by my late friend Yiannakis Agapiou,
by his son, Agis Agapiou, and by Christos Ma-
vrellis. With Agis Agapiou as coordinator, we
began to draft the Memorandum and Articles
of Association in accordance with the Compa-
nies Law, Cap.113. We registered the Takis &
Louki Nemitsas Foundation as a limited liabil-
ity company on 25 September 2009. This, in a
nutshell, is the story behind the creation of the
Foundation.
Please explain the objectives of the Founda-
tion.
The objective of the Foundation, as it was final-
ly set down, is to grant awards –in accordance
with the procedure established in the Articles of
Association– as follows:
Ι. To the person or persons who make the
most important discovery or invention in
all the branches of the science of engineer-
ing, in particular in the fields of Mechani-
cal Engineering, Electrical Engineering,
Civil Engineering and Architectural Engi-
neering, which result in bettering the situa-
tion of mankind with the least possible det-
rimental impact on the environment and at
the lowest possible cost.
II. To the person or persons who make the
most important discovery or invention
for the improvement and protection of the
planet’s environment, resulting in an im-
provement in human life and enhancing
the quality of life in Cyprus and in every
country on Earth.
ΙΙΙ. To the person or persons who conceive
such anti-seismic measures and applica-
tions offering increased protection to the
world from earthquakes and the destruc-
tion they cause.
IV. To the person or persons who make an im-
portant discovery in Health and Medicine
that cure people of previously incurable
diseases or increase the useful span of hu-
man life.
V. To the person or persons who have had an
outstanding international career in classical