For a third consecutive summer from June 24 to July 5, ACT offered a special set of innovative educational programs and real-life experiences specially designed for 14 - 17-year-olds. More than 60 young students from Greece, the US, and other countries were engaged in academic life after High School by joining one of our college-level classes under the guidance of ACT's professors. This year the participants chose two-week courses in Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Girl Empowerment, and Web Development.

The Biotechnology Program familiarized students with the nature of work and activities conducted in a real biology/biochemistry research laboratory setting. The course offered hands-on training on essential and current laboratory techniques used in microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The students used equipment found in state of the art ACT research laboratories and gain hands-on experience in laboratory techniques and practices such as micro pipetting, centrifuging, spectroscopy and the basic recombinant DNA technology techniques. They also visited biotechnology research laboratories and talked to scientists in the areas of genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and bioethical issues. A one day - visit took place at the Institute of Applied Biosciences at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (INAB | CERTH) where young students visited the labs, observed applied technics of Molecular Biology and discussed with researchers the prospects and future possibilities of pursuing a career in the field. They also visited the Laboratory of Biochemistry in the Chemistry Department, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki where they were toured to the Biotechnology and Cell Biology Labs and familiarized themselves with research equipment and novel applications.

Girl Empowerment, a program in the Social Sciences field, offered a valuable focus on the empowerment of young adolescent girls discussing the challenges, the opportunities and the concerns for young girls on topics such as social stereotyping, health and body image, personal safety, community engagement, choice of profession and career decision. In relation to this topic, the camp welcomed a guest speaker, Ms. Athina Nousiopoulou, an ACT alumna who is currently the Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at ISOMAT S.A. Ms. Nousiopoulou referred to women and entrepreneurship as well as the opportunities and challenges for young entrepreneurs in Greece. The wide range of daily workshops provided girls with resources, skills, and competencies helping them to build self-respect, positive mindset and confidence in order to fulfill educational and personal aspirations.

Students who took the Web Development course worked with HTML, CSS, JavaScript technologies, with hands-on examples and exercises to understand new items. The participants learned how to build a website and manage the content, and they received a certificate of attendance to add it to their CV and their LinkedIn profile.

Young Business Creators aimed to cultivate entrepreneurial culture through the development of students' creativity, innovation, imagination, business skill, and business thinking in order to design their own business plan. The students learned how to develop innovative ideas with the support of the ACT’s tutors and through a guided process based on Iowa University's Jacobson Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. Startup strategies, Marketing Mix Game, Customer Identification, and Customer Relationship Management were part of the agenda for the students. As an integral part of their program, students attended also a series of company visits and business shadowing activities that enhanced their understanding and helped then to witness the real-world experience. The site visits included ISOMAT SA (www.isomat.gr), Intertrans International Transports (www.intertrans.gr), Thermi Group Business Incubator (http://www.thermi-group.com/en/), I4GPro (www.i4gpro.gr), Coho coworking space (www.coho.gr).

Dukakis Center director David Wisner traveled to Madrid, Spain, on April 10-13, to participate in the Seventh Annual European Think Tanks Summit following an invitation of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania (TTCSP), and the Real Instituto Elcano,
Dr. Wisner’s invitation came on the heels of his having invited Dr. James McGann, Director of the TTCSP, to be the keynote speaker at the Dukakis Center event in Athens on May 13.
The Madrid summit was attended by 65 senior think tank executives, from 50 think tanks in 42 countries, among which Chatham House, the Institut Montaigne, Bruegel, Clingendael, and dozens more. The Dukakis Center was the only institution based in Greece in attendance.
Among the distinguished speakers to participate were Joaquin Almunia, Javier Solana, and current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, who hosted a dinner for conferees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr. Wisner will attend the 2020 European Think Tank Summit in Amsterdam. In the interim, he will pursue the select strategic partnerships he discussed in Madrid with representatives of such institutions as Real Elcano, the Institut Montaigne, the European University Institute, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the Centre for Liberal Strategies (Sofia).

Such an endeavor is one of the cornerstones of current Dukakis Center strategic planning. As Dr. Wisner notes, “we have continued to attain international recognition, as a result of my having attended events in Paris, Brussels, and Madrid over the past two years, just as we have consolidated our standing among select American institutions, including, most recently, the TTCSP.”

ACT's 2018 recruiting campaign received the Bronze Award for Direct Response & Lead Generation at the IAB MIXX Awards organized by IAB Hellas in Athens last month.

ΙΑΒ (Interactive Advertising Bureau) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership is comprised of more than 650 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns.

Multinational BGM OMD in Athens provided their expertise and acted as the campaign's media agency, while the ingenious minds of MullenLowe Athens were responsible for the excellent and disruptive creative.

ACT - The American College of Thessaloniki has signed cooperative agreements with the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade and the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) in Belgrade.

The agreements establish a connection between ACT and the two Serbian institutions by enabling faculty and student exchanges, joint research activities, special short-term academic programs, professional development programs, and collaborations in other areas of mutual interest.

“We are delighted with those two new collaborations since they underline our institution’s long historical ties with the people and the institutions of Serbia,” stated Dr. Stamos Karamouzis, ACT Provost. On their part, the Faculty of Political Sciences stated that they are “looking forward to future cooperation” with ACT while the IIPE Deputy Director for Research, Dr. Srđan Korać, noted that “now has come the moment to start conceiving possible avenues of our cooperation”.

The University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Sciences was established in 1968 and since then it has been a leading institution of higher education focusing on education and research in the areas of political science, international relations, journalism and communication studies, social policy and social work.

The Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade is one of the oldest research institutes in Southeastern Europe in the field of research on international relations. Founded in 1947, the Institute has gradually turned into a leading research organization of its kind and since its establishment, international co-operation is an important part of its activities.

On July 3rd, ACT bade farewell and congratulations to the Class of 2019. The wonderful Commencement Ceremony at the outdoor amphitheater of ACT campus signed the successful completion of a demanding academic period that led the class of 2019 to degrees, academic awards, and distinctions for outstanding performance in extracurricular activities.

In his opening remarks Dr. Stamos Karamouzis, ACT Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs pointed the institution’s mission in educating a diverse student body within the framework of the Greek heritage and the principals of the American Liberal Arts education philosophy, and conveyed his gratitude to parents, family members, and faculty members to the achievement of the graduating class.

This year the entire ACT community was involved in identifying and naming the ACT mascot. Ace, the Sparrowhawk (Saini) was the winner of this process, after the Greek bird that has been spotted flying over the ACT campus. The new mascot was presented during the Commencement Ceremony and was welcomed with enthusiasm and joy.

Ace, the Sparrowhawk

This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Jana Arsovska, ACT Class of ’03, associate professor of Sociology and, as from fall 2019, co-director of the International Criminal Justice BA Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York. In 2014 Dr. Arsovska was named one of the Top 25 criminal justice professors in the US by the leading forensic sciences website ForensicsColleges.com. The speaker was introduced to the audience by Constantinos Constantinidis, Anatolia College Trustee and chair of the ACT Governance Board.

 Dr. Jana Arsovska

During her vibrant and inspiring speech Jana Arsovska urged the graduates to be brave and take chances professionally, to think outside the box and delay gratification, to aspire to make a difference and not just a living, to be critical and independent, to work hard and look at the big picture, and finally to out the smartphones down and socialize the old fashioned way. “Knowledge is not necessary cumulative and there is not one reality. There could be one objective truth out there but also many subjective realities that you need to be aware of...”

This year valedictorians were Stefana Raileanu (undergraduate) and Leandros Nanos (graduate). Maria Thomai was the recipient of the William McGrew Award for Excellence in International Relations, Despina Karkaletsi received the George B. Zotiades Memorial Prize for Excellence in International Relations, Sofija Getova received the Elizabeth Yfantis Demeter Award for Excellence in Business Administration, and the Stavros Niarchos Award for Excellence in Computing was presented to Maria Eleni Athanasiadou and Christos Dimitrousis. The recipient of Fotis Minaretzis Memorial Award for Outstanding Participation in Extracurricular Activities was Karina Iskandarova. The Teaching Excellence Award was given to Dr. Joseph Michael Gratale, Professor in the Division of Humanities and Social Studies.

Dr. Joseph Michael Gratale received the Teaching Excellence Award from Constantinos Constantinidis and Dr. Sevasti Kessapidou, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs  

Stefana Raileanu, undergraduate valedictorian, with Emmanuel Maou, Technology & Science Division Chair

Leandros Nanos, graduate valedictorian, with Dr. Nikolas Hourvouliades, ACT School of Business Chair.

Dr. Maria Kyriakidou, Division of Humanities & Social Sciences Chair, Maria Thomai, recipient of the William McGrew Award for Excellence in International Relations, Peter Chresanthakes, Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

Dr. Nikolas Hourvouliades, ACT School of Business Chair, Sofija Getova recipient of the Elizabeth Yfantis Demeter Award for Excellence in Business Administration, Asteris Tsoukalas, ACT non-Trustee Committee member.

Christos Dimitrousis, one of the recipients of Stavros Niarchos Award for Excellence in Computing, Athanasios Kouimtzis, Pinewood Non-Trustee Committee member.  

Stepan Partemian, Athletic & Student Activities Coordinator, Karina Iskandarova,  recipient of Fotis Minaretzis Memorial Award for Outstanding Participation in Extracurricular Activities, Dr. Roxanne Giampapa, Head of Pinewood - International School of Thessaloniki.

Dr. Stamos Karamouzis, Tom McGuire, Dr. Roxanne Giampapa, Dr. Jana Arsovska, Dr. Panos Vlachos.

The opportunity to experience five days of creativity, co-operation, and familiarization with the business mindset was given from 18th to 24th of June to students who attended ACT’s Young Business Creators program. The summer program has been implemented by the Entrepreneurship Hub of ACT, based on the methodology of Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship of the University of Iowa.

During the program, the young participants learned how to create their small businesses step by step, formed business groups, produced products, priced them, and sold them in the ACT campus. They visited companies in Thessaloniki area where they were informed by CEOs about modern business thinking. The amount of 500 euros gathered from the program's bazaar was donated to Storgi organization for children with cancer, to cover its needs.

Having obtained a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry with Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology, from University of California, Davis, Mary Kalamaki has brought to ACT – where she holds the position of Assistant professor of Chemistry, Department of Science and Technology,- her valuable academic experience and the outcomes of her acknowledged research in microbial food safety and public health. She also serves as an invited expert in the Working Group of Food Quality and Safety of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe that evaluates current food safety practices and proposes modifications that will enhance the safety and quality of food sold in the EU.

By using metagenomics and high-throughput DNA sequencing methods Dr. Kalamaki studies microbes directly in their natural habitats (i.e., without culturing). She also works on factors and stress conditions that influence virulence gene expression in the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. “Foodborne disease outbreaks in recent years and the emergence of new food-associated pathogens have indicated a vulnerability of our food supply” she notes pointing out the need for rapid detection and identification of potential risks in order to prevent food-borne diseases.

In the past, she has taught in five academic institutions in the US and in Greece. At ACT, she really enjoys the philosophy and didactic approach of small-sized classes, which enables her to modify the teaching according to the dynamics of the class, in order to identify students who need more assistance and even students that need more challenges. “The best reward is when I hear they were inspired to take more chemistry or to pursue a career in a related discipline,” she says.

The new ACT Chemistry Lab provides her an “inspiring space to teach science” but also a state of the art equipment which she uses in her research and research collaborations with public academic institutions. With colleagues from the School of Dentistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, took tissue samples from surgery, and performed molecular analysis using ACT’s new, state of the art, real-time PCR machine. Additionally, a team of scientists of the ACT Science and Technology Department has started a new innovative project aiming to investigate food safety practices in community meals (soup kitchens) in Thessaloniki.

Known for being passionate in promoting Science to young students, Mary Kalamaki is also excited when she teaches younger students. Last summer she began teaching at the ACT Biotechnology Summer Camp for High School Students, “a great opportunity to expose HS students to this rapidly evolving and often controversial scientific field” as she describes it. She is also the instructor of the newly introduced course “Nutrition: Highway to Health” which is offered to the high school students of Greece’s Center for Talented Youth (CTY - Greece), a collaborative venture between our institution, Johns Hopkins University, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

She is also very fond of coaching her kids in their science classes, and creating fun experiments using household chemicals/items. “Science is always fun” she believes. She is right!

Ms. Athina Nousiopoulou was the guest speaker at the ACT summer camp ‘Girl empowerment’ on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Ms. Nousiopoulou is an ACT graduate with BA degrees in English and International Relations and earned her MBA from ACT. She worked in the ACT Entrepreneurship Hub, OK!Thess and is currently Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at ISOMAT S.A. The topics of Tuesday’s camp were choice of profession, career decision, gender diversity in the workplace and in this context, Ms. Nousiopoulou referred to women and entrepreneurship as well as the opportunities and challenges for young entrepreneurs in Greece. The participants actively engaged in the ensuing discussion and the session was very informative.

Το αγγλόφωνο Master του ACT στη Διοίκηση Τουριστικών Μονάδων & τη Φιλοξενία σας δίνει τη δυνατότητα να γίνετε πιο ανταγωνιστικοί στην αγορά εργασίας και να εξελίξετε περαιτέρω την καριέρα σας στον κλάδο του τουρισμού και της φιλοξενίας.

Μπορεί να σας βοηθήσει αν επιθυμείτε να αναλάβετε υψηλότερες θέσεις ευθύνης ή να ξεκινήσετε τη δική σας επιχείρηση και σας εξασφαλίζει εργασιακή εμπειρία σε κορυφαίες ξενοδοχειακές μονάδες της χώρας.

Περιηγηθείτε στην ιστοσελίδα του ACT για περισσότερες πληροφορίες στα αγγλικά.

Το αγγλόφωνο πρόγραμμα MBA του ACT απευθύνεται σε όλους όσους επιθυμούν να εξελίξουν τόσο τις γνώσεις όσο και την καριέρα τους. Προσφέρει τέσσερις σύγχρονες κατευθύνσεις που κάνουν κάθε βιογραφικό πιο ανταγωνιστικό από ποτέ, αφού ανταποκρίνονται στα όσα πραγματικά αναζητά η αγορά εργασίας από τα στελέχη σήμερα: Banking and Finance (Τραπεζοοικονομικά), Entrepreneurship (Επιχειρηματικότητα), Management (Μάνατζμεντ), Marketing in the Digital Era (Μάρκετινγκ στην Ψηφιακή Εποχή).

Περιηγηθείτε στην ιστοσελίδα του ACT για περισσότερες πληροφορίες στα αγγλικά.