We are proud to announce that ACT’s Daniel Kalemi, a senior Computer Science student from Albania, and his 5 member team the “Semi-Atlantic Kelproots Get-Together” (SAKGT) took first place in the Internet Policy challenge during the October 23-25, 2020 MIT Policy Hackathon!
The weekend-long event gathered over 150 high-caliber participants from 22 US states and 33 countries, competing in five different categories. The “Semi-Atlantic Kelproots Get-Together” team, made up of members Daniel Kalemi (ACT, Greece), Helen Landwehr (MIT, USA), Moe Sunami (Pomona College, USA), who was in Japan at the time of the event, Giovana Carneiro (Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil) and Kevin Paeth (MIT, USA), focused on the Internet Policy Challenge, which was sponsored by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security (SCSS). Kalemi’s team had 40 hours to collaborate and coordinate across four continents and 14 hours of time difference.
The team chose to participate in the Internet Policy hackathon challenge, which revolved around the thematic track of Internet Shutdowns as a Global common threat, touching upon issues of Internet accessibility and censorship. Using Ooni data (open-source network disruption tool) and other supplemental data sets, team SAKGT drafted a policy brief on how the US can pioneer better data collection techniques and practices to inform policy on Internet Governance. After two rounds of pitches and the submission of the five-page policy memo, Kalemi’s five-member team was announced the winner of the Internet Policy challenge.
What is the MIT Hackathon?
MIT Policy Hackathon is an annual three-day hackathon organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) alongside MIT’s Technology and Policy Program that aims to address relevant societal challenges via data and policy analysis. MIT is the top-ranked university in the US and is well known for research, and their programs in engineering and physical sciences. This annual hackathon allows participants to work in teams to develop creative policy solutions to problems posed by governmental and industry partners. Historically, hackathon participants have come from a wide range of backgrounds, from data science to engineering to public policy, and challenges have covered a diverse array of topics. Each year, participants are given interdisciplinary challenges on issues like climate change, energy, health, cybersecurity, AI, and the future of work. These challenges are based around real data from MIT partners in government, academia, and industry.
For the 2020 competition, MIT Policy Hackathon held challenges in 5 categories:
Environmental Justice - sponsored by the Global Center for Climate Justice.
Transportation - sponsored by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).
Planning (Future of Work) - sponsored by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), Washington.
The Internet Policy Challenge was sponsored by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security (SCSS). SCSS works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the US and the world with its mission of “shaping the global future together.”
The Hackathon Journey
After an initial online selection phase, ACT’s Daniel Kalemi was invited to participate in the 3-day event. During the week leading up to the hackathon, all selected participants introduced themselves on Slack and reached out to one another in order to form teams. On the first day of the event, MIT presented the teams with the 5 challenges and assigned each team to review the challenges and submit their top 3 choices.
Kalemi’s team unanimously opted for the Internet Policy challenge and thought of a fun and creative way to get the attention of the organizers. By choosing an interesting name for their team, they sent a subtle message that they were serious about the challenge and could think outside of the box. They modified the Internet Policy sponsor’s name “Atlantic Council” into “Semi-Atlantic Get-Together” and added “Kelproots” in between. Kelproots can be considered the ocean’s equivalent of grassroots, which is widely used as a term for community initiatives (Kelp don’t actually have roots, but the team chose to use it for the analogy and originality, which effectively got the attention of the judges during the pitch rounds).
The Internet Policy hackathon challenge revolved around the thematic track of Internet Shutdowns, as a Global common threat, touching upon issues of Internet accessibility and censorship. Using Ooni data (open-source network disruption tool) and other supplemental data sets, team SAKGT drafted a 5-page policy brief on how the US can pioneer better data collection techniques and practices to inform policy on Internet Governance. Despite the pressure of working within 40 hours and having to coordinate among 4 different time zones, after 2 rounds of pitches and a policy memo deliverable that took place between 23-25 October 2020, Daniel’s five-member team was announced the winner of the Internet Policy challenge.
“Semi-Atlantic Kelproots Get-Together” was awarded with a cash prize of $1000 and an invitation to deepen their Internet Policy research findings and by authoring a scientific paper that will be published this summer in the "MIT Science Policy Review", which is an invite-only peer-reviewed journal by MIT.
In Kalemi’s own words
“hands down, this has been one of the most unique experiences I’ve had so far! The hackathon really challenges you to get out of your comfort zone and work around the clock with a set of different people, exploring real-world challenges from top organizations in the field. If I have to describe the hackathon in one phrase it would be “Growth through exposure”. It was a nice opportunity to get out of a classroom setup and challenge my own knowledge and skillset in the field among a competitive pool of participants that mimic the international job market, which pushes you to rise to the occasion and embrace the challenge. I would highly encourage any ACT student to consider applying to the MIT Policy Hackathon, or any other competitions, and I guarantee that not only it will boost your confidence levels, but most importantly you will have a lot of fun in the process and make new, long-lasting friendships.”
We are very happy to see our students excel and we wish Daniel all the best in his future endeavors!
For more information on the event, you can read “Data for Good”, on the MIT website.
(NOTE: The Hackathon Proceedings for this year and other related content will be published by MIT in the coming weeks).
Τα brands, το χρειάζονται. Το κοινό, το αναζητά. Το γραπτό περιεχόμενο στην ψηφιακή εποχή μπορεί να γίνει το στοιχείο αυτό που θα κάνει ένα προϊόν, μια υπηρεσία ή μια επιχείρηση, να διαφοροποιηθεί, να ξεχωρίσει, ν’ αναδειχθεί. Αρκεί το content αυτό να οργανωθεί, δημιουργηθεί και προωθηθεί σωστά. Σε μια εποχή που τα εργαλεία πολλές φορές περισσεύουν, πάντα υπάρχει η ανάγκη για αυθεντικό, ουσιαστικό κείμενο, σε κάθε του έκφανση και εφαρμογή -από ένα tagline ως ένα newsletter.
Μέσα από έναν συνδυασμό θεωρίας, παραδειγμάτων, παλιότερων αλλά και υπό δημιουργία cases -practice makes perfect, after all- θα δώσουμε μέσα από 4 βασικές ενότητες μια συνολική γνώση κάθε παραμέτρου που αφορά τη δημιουργία και αξιοποίηση του γραπτού περιεχομένου σε κάθε ψηφιακή -ή και αναλογική όπου χρειάζεται- εφαρμογή. Από το copywriting και τις αρχές του, την ανάπτυξη concept -από το ideation ως την υλοποίηση- τη δημιουργία και διαχείριση του digital content, ως το πώς το storytelling, ένα εργαλείο παλιό όσο και ο άνθρωπος, “μιλάει” δυνατά στο σήμερα.
Σε ποιους απευθύνεται
Σε επαγγελματίες που θέλουν να ασχοληθούν με τη δημιουργία γραπτού περιεχομένου, είτε για το δικό τους brand ή επιχείρηση, είτε ως content creators.
Οφέλη
Κατανόηση των κανόνων που διέπουν το σωστό και λειτουργικό ψηφιακό περιεχόμενο
Εξοικείωση με τις διαδικασίες δημιουργίας, αξιολόγησης και προσαρμογής του
Αποτύπωση των μεθόδων και κατευθύνσεων που θα το κάνουν μοναδικό
Αντίληψη των μηχανισμών και μέσων μέσα από τα οποία μπορούμε να το αξιοποιήσουμε
Περιγραφή του Προγράμματος
Διάρκεια Προγράμματος
18 ώρες
Ημερομηνίες/Ώρες
Τετάρτη 10/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Παρασκευή 12/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Τετάρτη 17/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Παρασκευή 19/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Τετάρτη 24/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Παρασκευή 26/11/21, ώρα 18:00-21:00
Aναλυτική Θεματολογία
Copywriting Τι γυρεύει ένας κειμενογράφος στην αυλή του βασιλιά Web; Οι πρακτικές, τα εργαλεία, οι δυνατότητες που έχει στην ψηφιακή εποχή ένα δυνατό μήνυμα, ένα σωστό headline, ένα άρτιο κείμενο.
Concept Από την καρδιά του brand ως το μυαλό του καταναλωτή, μια ιδέα για να ταξιδέψει χρειάζεται την καλύτερη δυνατή προετοιμασία, δόμηση και πορεία. Γιατί δεν έχουμε πάντα eureka moments...
Digital Content Smartphone. Tablet. Laptop. Περιεχόμενο που με ένα scroll δυνητικά μπορεί να χαθεί μια και καλή από την κάθε οθόνη, διεκδικεί τον χρόνο ανάγνωσης, το share, το bookmark, αλλά και ένα δυνατό ranking.
Storytelling Ποιος δεν θέλει ν’ ακούσει μια ιστορία; Ποιος δεν έχει να πει μια ιστορία; Υπό συνθήκες, όλοι. Αρκεί όμως απλά μια αφήγηση -όσο πηγαία ή αυθεντική και αν είναι- για να εντυπωθεί και να εντυπωσιάσει;
Και ποιος θα τα λέει αυτές τις 18 ώρες;
Εισηγητής
OΓιώργος Μαντζουρανίδης είναι Copywriter - Brand Narrator.Γεννήθηκε στην Αθήνα το 1973, και ζει στη Θεσσαλονίκη από το 1988. Από το 2003 βρίσκεται στον χώρο της διαφήμισης, και από τότε εργάζεται ως κειμενογράφος, content creator, copy editor και brand narrator.Κατά το παρελθόν έχει συνεργαστεί με τον Πολιτιστικό Οδηγό Θεσ/νίκης & Βορ. Ελλάδος, συμμετείχε το 2014 σε επίπεδο concept και κειμένων στη συλλογική έκδοση του ΚΕ.Θ.Ε.Α. Ωδή Στον Κώδικα, ενώ κείμενα και ιστορίες του φιλοξενούνται -πέρα από online συλλογές και blogs- στις ανθολογίες φαντασίας και μυστηρίου Αντίθετο Ημισφαίριο 3 & 4 της Gamecraft.Είχε τη χαρά να είναι συνδημιουργός -σε επίπεδο σεναρίου- της ταινίας μικρού μήκους του 2012 Nobody’s Perfetc -με συμμετοχές και βραβεύσεις σε φεστιβάλ όπως αυτό των Καννών και της Δράμας.Επιπλέον, είναι μέλος της πολιτιστικής εταιρίας dot2dot, με την οποία πραγματοποιεί για 7η συνεχόμενη χρονιά φέτος τις διαδρομές Αυτός, Αυτές και τα Μυστήρια 1 & 2 με θέμα τη μυστική και μεταφυσική ιστορία της πόλης. Τέλος, ασχολείται με το ραδιόφωνο ως παραγωγός στον OFF Radio, εργάζεται ως διορθωτής στην εφημερίδα Μακεδονία της Κυριακής, και έχει την αρχισυνταξία και σεναριακή επιμέλεια στην εκπομπή της ΕΤ3 Άγρια Ελλάδα -η 2η σεζόν της οποίας προβάλλεται φέτος. Στον χρόνο που του απομένει, προετοιμάζει περιεχόμενο για το προσωπικό του website, το noimagefound.eu.
Super Early bird (για εγγραφές έως Παρασκευή 22 Οκτωβρίου): -20% (220€) Early bird (για εγγραφές έως Τετάρτη 29 Οκτωβρίου): -10% (250€) Απόφοιτοι Anatolia High School & ACT: -10%
Δικαίωμα αθροιστικής έκπτωσης μέχρι 20%, εφόσον τηρούνται οι παραπάνω προϋποθέσεις.
Μετά την αποστολή της αίτησης συμμετοχής, ένας εκπρόσωπος του Lifelong Learning Center του ACT θα επικοινωνήσει μαζί σας για τη διαδικασία της εγγραφής σας στο πρόγραμμα και την πληρωμή.
Μετά την ολοκλήρωση του προγράμματος, οι συμμετέχοντες θα λάβουν ένα πιστοποιητικό παρακολούθησης από το ACT.
Περισσότερες Πληροφορίες
Η διδασκαλία των προγραμμάτων του Lifelong Learning Center πραγματοποιείται δια ζώσης με ταυτόχρονη online σύγχρονη διδασκαλία,σε ζωντανό χρόνο (live streaming).
Μπορείτε να επικοινωνείτε με το ACT Lifelong Learning Center στο τηλέφωνο 2310 398 430 ή μέσω email στο This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. με την ένδειξη "Content made Write".
The American College of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, are proud to announce their new partnership in the launching of their joint Classical Civilizations Academic Year.
The program aims to connect students with the foundations of Western civilization, focusing on two areas: Thessaloniki (Greece) and Sorrento (Italy), which are located in the center of the Mediterranean.
During the program, students will have the opportunity to study the languages, art, history, religion, and political systems of these two areas of the ancient world that shaped Western civilization.
Democracy, individualism, monotheism, architectural proportion, musical harmony: all these concepts were first developed by the classical civilizations. Studying the roots of our cultures will allow students to better understand the complexity of our current era and society in the Third Millennium.
The program is specifically designed for students with majors in Classics, Archaeology, Art History, History, and Political Science, but is also open to students from different majors who wish to explore the roots of our culture.
Program Structure
The program includes:
the Fall Semester in Thessaloniki, Greece
the Spring Semester in Sorrento, Italy
Students attend five courses during the Spring Semester and five during the Fall Semester for a total of 30 credits (15 + 15). Credits are issued by the American College of Thessaloniki for the courses in Thessaloniki and by Jacksonville University (Florida) – the school of record for Sant’Anna Institute – for the courses in Sorrento.
Specific questions on the program can be addressed to Serena Vacca at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.and Vanessa Constantinidis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Classical Civilizations Academic Year aims to put students in contact with the foundations of Western civilization, focusing on two areas: Thessaloniki (Greece) and Sorrento (Italy), which are located in the center of the Mediterranean.
During the program, students will have the opportunity to study the languages, art, history, religion, and political systems of these two areas of the ancient world that shaped western civilization.
Democracy, individualism, monotheism, architectural proportion, musical harmony: all of these concepts were first developed by the classical civilizations. Studying the roots of our culture will allow students to better understand the complexity of our era and society in the Third Millennium.
The program is specifically designed for students with majors in Classics, Archaeology, Art History, History, and Political Science, but is also open to students from different majors who wish to explore the roots of our culture.
Το πρόγραμμα διδάσκεται στα ελληνικά, ωστόσο απαιτείται καλή γνώση της αγγλικής γλώσσας για την παρακολούθησή του.
This 40-hour training program provides the essentials for professional application development using TypeScript programming language and the Angular web application framework. Additionally, it introduces the participant to the important aspects of modern front-end software development that help increase productivity and quality. The program is jointly developed with TechSaloniki, in partnership with Dataviva and Onelity.
The program:
Covers all fundamental concepts of TypeScript programming language, as well as advanced programming techniques.
Presents Bootstrap, a lightweight front-end framework that helps developers become more efficient and design more responsive web applications.
Focuses on Angular, a framework to build large-scale, high-performance and easy to maintain web applications.
Focuses on practical aspects of using TypeScript and targets efficient and clean code development.
Presents the essentials for creating desktop user interfaces that are portable across a variety of devices, web applications and web services.
How you will benefit
Professional Up-Skilling: The program focuses on skills and knowledge that are high in demand according to current market needs. The course aims to engage programmers to improve their individual and organizational effectiveness skills.
Ηands-on Training & Evaluation: Capstone project based on a Real Case Study. The program will conclude with a project designed and based on companies’ input, to assess participants’ performance.
Train-To-Hire Opportunities: Candidates will be able to transfer technical knowledge and knowhow in a job focused scope. Dataviva and Onelity offer hiring opportunities based on candidates' results. Qualified applicants will be funneled to all collaborating companies to be considered for hiring.
Participant Profile & Selection Criteria
Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Electronics, Electrical Engineering or related fields – preferable 4 years of studies at least.
The participants of the program are expected to have good knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as a solid understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and principles in a language of their choice.
Bootstrap Grid System Uses a series of containers, rows, and columns to lay out and align content.
Typography Includes global settings, headings, body text, lists, and more.
Forms Form control styles, layout options, and custom components for creating a wide variety of forms. Custom button styles for actions in forms, dialogs, etc., with support for multiple sizes and states.
Tables Opt-in styling of tables.
Presenting images and videos
Bootstrap Dropdowns
Button Groups Combine sets of button groups into button toolbars for more complex components.
Navigation elements Combination of navbar, sidenav, and footer in various forms and different functionalities like non-fixed navbar or hidden sidenav.
Pagination To indicate that a series of related content exists across multiple pages.
Labels and Badges To highlight additional information about the content.
Progress Bars and Spinners To show users how far along they are in a process.
Jumbotron A big grey box for calling extra attention to some special content or information.
Overview, Setup and Basic Syntax (Variables, Types, Operators) Covers TypeScript installation and basic syntax for writing programs. Declaring and using variables. Type annotation.
Decision Making and Loops Conditions, repeat a sequence of instructions.
TypeScript Functions Creating and using custom functions, which perform a specific task and organize the program into logical blocks of code.
Classes Covers object-oriented concepts in TypeScript. Class declaration, object creation, object-oriented techniques like encapsulation, abstraction and inheritance.
TypeScript Interfaces Includes interface declaration and usage.
Modules and Ambients Creating a group of related variables, functions, classes, and interfaces, etc., which cannot be accessible outside the module directly.
Introduction Includes overview, Angular CLI, environmental setup, project creation and Angular’s architecture.
Components and Modules Creating, declaring and using components. Components are basically classes that interact with the “. html” file of the component, which gets displayed on the browser.
Data Binding Angular template syntax and data binding: interpolation and event binding, two-way binding.
Angular Directives Component directives – directives with a template. Structural directives – change the DOM layout by adding and removing DOM elements. Attribute directives – change the appearance or behavior of an element, component, or another directive.
Forms Handling user input through forms. Creating custom form controls and easy validation experiences.
Services Create a custom service or use existing built-ins.
Dependency Injection Includes dependency injection design pattern in which a class requests dependencies from external sources rather than creating them.
A capstone project will be assigned to participants and will be delivered at the end of the program. For its implementation, the participants will utilize and combine technical knowledge gained through the various topics covered by the program. More specifically, after the project completion, the participants will be able to:
Produce consistent, maintainable, reusable and easier-to-test code.
Quickly design and customize responsive websites.
Implement efficient and modular client-side web applications using TypeScript and Angular.
Create large-scale single-page applications.
Develop effective cross-platform applications that interact with APIs and servers to send and receive data asynchronously.
Design and implement high-performance web applications based on the Model-View-Controller architecture, thus isolating the application logic from the User Interface layer and supporting separation of concerns.
Instructor Bio
Dr Iosif Viktoratos holds a BSc, MSc in Computer Engineering and Informatics from University of Patras, Greece and a MSc degree in Informatics and Management from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He completed his PhD in the department of Economic Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Iosif has worked as a teaching assistant in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Department of Economics) and is currently teaching as an adjunct professor at ACT (American College of Thessaloniki) and the International University of Greece, department of Accounting and Information Systems. Regarding his research work, he is currently a postdoc researcher (personalized advertising, Department of Economics) and he has published various works in academic journals and international conferences. Two of his works have won awards in competitions for the best application. His research interests focus on mobile commerce and development, semantic web, artificial intelligence, context-aware computing and social networking.
About the ACT Lifelong Learning Center
The Lifelong Learning Center at ACT, recognizing the need for high-quality, flexible training opportunities, offers a variety of educational programs for those who wish to advance professionally, or seek an opportunity for self-improvement. Designed with a strong emphasis on real-world application, our programs engage individuals to improve their individual and organizational effectiveness skills. The Lifelong Learning Center draws heavily on the expertise of leading professionals as well as ACT’s faculty and alumni network to ensure an unmatched learning experience!
About TechSaloniki
The business culture of TechSaloniki supports people who want to excel in their tech career and makes sure that community building is a key that remains at the forefront. TechSaloniki is the product of a shared vision to showcase the thriving tech industry of Northern Greece. Α collective effort of major IT companies trying to bridge the gap between unemployment and unfilled positions in Thessaloniki.
Our mission is to spread awareness about our growing ecosystem of world-class tech companies, create an environment of corporate synergy and highlight the competitive career opportunities available to new graduates and seasoned professionals alike, growing Thessaloniki’s tech. Find out more: techsaloniki.gr
This program will be delivered in Greek, however, basic knowledge of English is required in order for participants to be able to follow it without difficulty.
This 100-hour training program provides the essentials for professional application development using JavaScript and Java programming languages. Additionally, it introduces the participant to the important aspects of modern software development that help increase productivity and quality. The program is jointly developed with Deloitte.
The JavaScript module presents in detail all the fundamental concepts of Bootstrap, jQuery and Angular 11. Using these technologies, Front-End developers can build large-scale web applications that are more responsive, interactive and easy to maintain.
The Java module starts from the fundamental syntax and object-orientation aspects and extends to elements of design and advanced implementations with classes, objects and interfaces. It facilitates a deeper understanding of Object-Oriented Design and Development (OODD) concepts. Moreover, it presents the powerful and versatile Spring framework along with common topics that a Java developer might need, such as database development, portable desktop interfaces, web development, web services, multithreading and TCP/IP programming. A variety of other Java technologies, libraries and tools are covered like Java Stream API, Jackson and JUnit.
The program includes hands-on training and concludes with a capstone project that gives the participants the opportunity to apply the programming skills they have gained throughout the program sessions.
How you will benefit
The program:
Covers all fundamental concepts of JavaScript and Java programming languages, as well as advanced programming techniques.
Presents Bootstrap, a lightweight Front-End framework that helps developers become more efficient and design more responsive web applications.
Presents jQuery, a widely used JavaScript library that leads to more interactive and dynamic web applications.
Presents Angular 11, a framework to build large-scale, high-performance and easy to maintain web applications. Developers can write client-side applications in JavaScript using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.
Focuses on practical aspects of using Java and targets efficient and clean code development.
Follows the professional development approach: write Java applications with tools that increase productivity, in pair with a single versatile and powerful Java-based framework that covers any development needs.
Covers elements of software design in parallel with object-oriented development.
Elaborates on advanced object-oriented subjects that target optimal software design and code implementation.
Presents common software design patterns and their implementation in Java.
Introduces test automation for Java projects, highlighting the importance of software testing.
Presents the essentials for connecting to databases, creating desktop user interfaces that are portable across a variety of devices, web applications and web services.
Extends to parallel programming and network programming.
Train-To-Hire Opportunities
Candidates will be able to transfer technical knowledge and knowhow in a job-focused scope.
Deloitte offers hiring opportunities based on candidates' results.
Qualified applicants will be funneled to Deloitte to be considered for hiring.
Participant Profile & Selection Criteria
Α degree from a University or Technological Educational Institution (already graduated or expected to graduate within 2021) in Computer Science, Software Engineering or similar technical course of study.
Α good understanding of the software lifecycle and problem solving skills.
Knowledge of one of the following programming languages: Python (or another object oriented language). Knowledge of Angular, Node.js, React Native or Vue.JS is considered a plus.
Good knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Basic understanding of Ajax is preferred
Good knowledge of Java /C++/C# syntax, data types, decision, loop statements, exception handling, etc. Basic knowledge of objects and classes in Java /C++/C#.
jQuery Introduction Covers jQuery installation, syntax, selectors and events.
jQuery Effects Includes jQuery-related functions such as Show/Hide, Fade, Slide, Animate, Stop, method Chaining and Callback.
jQuery Manipulation Covers get/set methods, inserting and removing HTML content and CSS manipulation.
jQuery Traversing Includes DOM traversing (ancestors, descendants, siblings, filtering).
jQuery Ajax Covers Ajax and how to retrieve the information from a server and update the page content without refreshing it and Load, Get/Post methods.
Angular 11
Introduction Includes overview and environmental setup and Angular’s MVC architecture.
Data binding and directives Includes Directives and Expressions.
Angular and DOM Includes DOM manipulation and events.
Components and Modules Create a custom component. Define modules to separate logic (such as services, components, etc.) from the code and maintain the code clean. Component communication.
Forms Input, Validation.
Angular and Ajax Provide $http control to read data from the server.
Includes Include HTML from an external file.
Scopes Using $scope object.
Services Create a custom service or use existing built-ins.
Dependency Injection Includes dependency injection design pattern in which a class requests dependencies from external sources rather than creating them.
Java and Object-Oriented Design and Development (OODD) Basics
Introduction to the IntelliJ Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Overview of the IDE, features, types of projects, source code files.
Basics of the Java language syntax Recap of the data types, variables, constants, loops, conditions, enumeration types, classes and objects.
Fundamentals of Object-Oriented Design and Development (OODD) with Java Includes classes, instantiation of objects, fields, methods, properties, constructors, static members, overloaded methods.
Depicting a software design in UML using Visual Paradigm Includes UML Class Diagram, UML Sequence Diagram, UML State Diagram, UML Package Diagram.
Additional language features
Exceptions Includes handling/raising exceptions, exception classes.
Generics Includes generic classes and methods, bounded type parameters.
Lambdas Includes multiple parameters and statements, forEach method, action listeners.
Streams and Text Using Java I/O streams and Java Stream API to read/write binary data and text. Includes string operations, encodings and key-value dictionaries.
Dynamic Polymorphism
Dynamic binding and virtual methods How to override methods and implement polymorphism in the descendant classes.
Reflection and dynamic instantiation Includes reflection, dynamic class instantiation with constructor parameters, dynamic class loading.
Software Design Patterns and Interfaces
Implementation of creational patterns Includes Lazy Initialization, Singleton, Factory Method.
Implementation of structural and behavioral patterns Includes Facade, Command, Mediator.
Understanding interfaces How to declare, implement and use interfaces. Understand the garbage collector (GC) mechanism.
Implementation of patterns based on interfaces Includes Adapter, Iterator, Observer.
The Dependency Injection (DI) pattern Overview of DI through examples.
Improved Software Quality with Unit Testing
Test-Driven Development (TDD) Overview of integration, performance, unit tests based on expected behavior/value/state assertions.
Unit testing with JUnit How to create unit tests in your project using JUnit.
Improved Object-Oriented Design with Modules and Layers
Packaging classes Understand packages as namespaces, explore built-in and additional packages.
Modules Create a custom package.
Layers Implement a 3-tier architecture in Java.
Data Layer Objects
JDBC Includes connecting to different RDBMS, wrapping functionality in data layer objects.
XML Includes reading XML, recursion on XML trees and writing XML files.
JSON Includes serializing/deserializing Java objects with Jackson.
Presentation Layer Objects
User interface design and implementation Includes mockups, declarative UI programming with JavaFX.
The Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern Understand and implement MVC without any framework.
The Spring Framework
Spring Core and Spring Boot Overview of the Spring framework modules, the concept of Inversion-of-Control (IoC). Includes IoC container and beans, application configuration.
Spring Data How to develop database applications with Spring.
Spring MVC How to develop MVC web applications with Spring.
Spring Rest How to develop a RESTFul web API with Spring.
Parallel Programming
Asynchronous execution Includes Future, CompletableFuture, ListenableFuture interfaces.
Multithreading Include threads, semaphores.
TCP/IP socket programming Create a custom TCP stack layer 5 protocol using sockets in Java.
A capstone project will be assigned to participants and will be delivered at the end of the program. For its implementation, the participants will utilize and combine technical knowledge gained through the various topics covered by the program.
Instructor Bios
Pantelis I. Kaplanoglou is a Machine Learning Engineer and Ph.D. candidate in Explainable Machine Learning, with an M.Sc. in Web Intelligence and a B.Sc. in Software Engineering. He has worked for 20+ years in computer industry, in both IT Services and Software Development, before pursuing research and teaching. He has served as a team leader for a software R&D department and an international software development associate for a major multinational retailer. He has acquired knowledge on various domains and subjects, that spans from IT Security to Deep Neural Networks, and diverse programming languages from x86 Assembly to ASP.NET/C# and Python. The last three years he is participating in research projects relative to Computer Vision for Autonomous UAV, Big Data Recommender Systems, Natural Language Understanding.
Dr Iosif Viktoratos holds a BSc, MSc in Computer Engineering and Informatics from University of Patras, Greece and a MSc degree in Informatics and Management from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He completed his PhD in the department of Economic Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Iosif has worked as a teaching assistant in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Department of Economics) and is currently teaching as an adjunct professor at ACT (American College of Thessaloniki) and the International University of Greece, department of Accounting and Information Systems. Regarding his research work, he is currently a postdoc researcher (personalized advertising, Department of Economics) and he has published various works in academic journals and international conferences. Two of his works have won awards in competitions for the best application. His research interests focus on mobile commerce and development, semantic web, artificial intelligence, context-aware computing and social networking.
About the ACT Lifelong Learning Center
The Lifelong Learning Center at ACT, recognizing the need for high-quality, flexible training opportunities, offers a variety of educational programs for those who wish to advance professionally, or seek an opportunity for self-improvement. Designed with a strong emphasis on real-world application, our programs engage individuals to improve their individual and organizational effectiveness skills. The Lifelong Learning Center draws heavily on the expertise of leading professionals as well as ACT’s faculty and alumni network to ensure an unmatched learning experience!
About Deloitte
Deloitte Greece is a member of one of the world’s largest professional services networks, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu since 1975. With offices in Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion and over 1,300 professionals, we combine an unmatched breadth and depth of capabilities in audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and legal.
Operating as a true multidisciplinary model we collaborate across businesses to solve the most challenging issues of our clients. We work with clients in every sector of the Greek economy to deliver innovative solutions using the latest tools and technologies.
Our people are unified by a collaborative culture guiding them to lead the profession, to serve with integrity, to take care of each other and to foster inclusion. They enjoy an environment of continuous learning and opportunities, and are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities.
In 2018, we launched Deloitte Alexander Competence Center in Thessaloniki, a hub for the development of specialized technical skills and competencies, aiming to capitalize on the abundant talent in Greece and reduce brain drain. The center is housed in the Technology Park of Thessaloniki (Technopolis) and employs talented university graduates with significant development prospects, who, through continuous and specialized training in the most advanced technologies, participate in the development and implementation of international projects mainly in the Deloitte Europe network. Deloitte Alexander Competence Center is the 1st model center for the development of innovation and skills in new technologies, in the region of Northern Greece and especially Thessaloniki, with the aim of stimulating employment and entrepreneurship.
In 2019 Deloitte Foundation was founded, a non-profit voluntary organization, to make an impact that matters through initiatives promoting education, culture, environment and relief in national emergencies.
If you want to have a sneak peek from DACC life in Thessaloniki please see the video below:
Every year, ACT hosts Spirit Day, a day that allows faculty and students to demonstrate their school spirit, and participate in an array of events. This year, due to the new regulations about physical distancing and for avoiding overcrowding, the planned activities were spread out over a three-day span and new online events were introduced. During the activities and the events, the students gathered points and qualified them for prizes. And the Spirit Week was born!
The first day’s showcase was the Bissell Library’s Podcast Tutorial and the English Departments Poetry Board. Students were able to learn how to access subscription podcasts via Bissell Library and create original poetry using verses from existing poems.
Day 2 was dedicated to sports. ACT students participated in ping pong and volleyball tournaments organized by the Student Services and Activities office.
The closing event on Day 3 co-organized by the English Department was Speed Friending: a spinoff of the popular speed dating app. Students from all classes attended sessions for getting to know each other better through a series of uncommon questions and quick answers.
Students currently studying online had the opportunity to participate in a variety of engaging activities on Facebook and Instagram. Those who were more tech-inclined had also the opportunity to show their school spirit through a weeklong Hackathon.
Michael Dukakis, the former Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, celebrated his 87th birthday on November 3, Election Day this year in the United States. Did this life-long Democrat and public servant have any extra reason to celebrate?
Mr. Dukakis shared his thoughts on a range of issues to a national audience in an exclusive live online appearance yesterday with the directors of the Dukakis Center at ACT and Eliamep, who co-hosted the event. Donald Trump is the former Governor's biggest worry, whether or not he returns to the White House once the results have been announced. Dukakis is concerned about the fact that a very large number of American voters continue to support President Trump and seem ill-disposed toward accepting a victory by the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden.
Mr. Dukakis shared further thoughts on the need to address issues like climate change, health care, housing in urban and suburban areas, and the economy more generally, On foreign policy, he urged an approach favoring diplomacy and consensus-building, which had been the hallmarks of Mr. Dukakis' governing style for over three decades. He worries about the prospect of a second Cold War, this one with China, and is adamant about the need to preserve and cultivate friendship and alliance around the world.
On the prospects of a Biden victory in the coming weeks, Mr. Dukakis was a little more optimistic, calling the former Vice President a true consensus-builder and a life-long friend of Greece. Mr. Biden will face considerable challenges in the likely event that he prevails once the votes have been counted.
The interview, conducted by David Wisner, Executive Director of the Dukakis Center, and George Pagoulatos, General Director of Eliamep, elicited a few more intimate revelations as well, in which Mr. Dukakis recollected how he began, how he has approached his role as an educator, and how he has stayed true to his Hellenic heritage.
The Dukakis Center at the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), cordially invite you to attend the online public discussion with Michael Dukakis on the 2020 US Presidential Election.
The former Greek-American candidate for the US Presidency will comment on the 2020 general elections and the ramifications for US-Greek Relations.
Moderated by George Pagoulatos, General Director of ELIAMEP, and David Wisner, Executive Director of the Dukakis Center.
The event will be held in English on Thursday 5 November 2020 at 16:00-17:00 (EET) and live streaming will be available:
By Maria Kyriakidou, Ph.D. and Heather Funk Theodoridi
“Dedication to education!” That’s what Julia happily exclaimed when she arrived at pre-departure orientation after making the 10-hour drive to get herself and her mother, who worked nights, to 8 am study abroad registration on time. For 25 years, the ACT (American College of Thessaloniki) campus has been buzzing with the energy of study abroad students who come and go; bringing their enthusiasm for new experiences and absorbing the light and life of the Greek culture around them. In April 2020, everything came to a screeching halt. Students rapidly returned to their homes while the world watched and waited as COVID-19 spread across the globe. Students, faculty, administrators, scrambled to find new ways to keep going forward. Education is like water, despite massive barriers, it will find a way to flow. In the era of COVID-19, students and educators are carving new river beds to keep the information flowing. Global engagement is now meeting students at their own doorstep through one-to-one opportunities forged by colleagues and partners around the world.
In the context of global engagement, ACT’s Director of International Programs & Student Services, Heather Funk Theodoridi, at the invitation of Laura Dunn Grodewald, Director of Global Education Programs at Georgian Court University, have paired faculty from each intuition through the COIL initiative. COIL stands for Collaborative Online International Learning and aims to increase global connection, intercultural awareness, and global perspectives through online collaboration. On October 7, 2020, Dr. Maria Kyriakidou, ACT professor and Chair of the Humanities Department, was the first ACT professor to engage in the COIL initiative. Dr. Kyriakidou presented three interactive guest lectures for the World History classes of Dr. Jessica Keene, GCU Assistant Professor of History. Dr. Kyriakidou virtually presented themes of Ancient Greek History and had the opportunity to engage with over 60 students. Presenting and answering student questions on a variety of topics, there was an opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge. The opportunity for students to interact with an expert in the field, who has daily encounters with the history that they were reading about in the textbooks was enthusiastically received.
Barriers to access study abroad, including finances, scheduling, majors, personal reasons, have prohibited many students from having meaningful global engagement during their college years. Some of the 60 students who participated in this COIL event may have considered studying abroad, but some would not have had the opportunity. As educators, we see COIL as an exciting initiative because it allows us to bring global perspectives and a unique educational experience to the student and meet them right where they are at- literally.
It was a very positive experience and collaborative effort which we plan to continue in the future.
17 Sevenidi St. 55535, Pylaia Thessaloniki, Greece Tel. +30 2310 398398 P.O.Box 21021 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.