November 19, 2007

• ALBA & ACT EXECUTIVE MBA ACCREDITED BY NEASC:
  ACT and ALBA Graduate Business School are pleased to announce...(read more)

• ALBA & ACT EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS:
  Business Excellence is a prerequisite for companies in surpassing their competition to succeed ...(read the story)

• 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE: “Commercial Real Estate Opportunities in the Balkans”...(read the story)

• EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS SUCCESS AT THE MONEYSHOW: ALBA & ACT will be participating in the upcoming Moneyshow with...(read the story)

• DUSKO UGRINOSKI '03: talks about his entrepreneurial blood, mystery shopping and an upcoming event ...(read the story)

Dear ACT Students, Faculty and Staff,

I am writing this brief note from the United States where I have been for three weeks for Trustee meetings, expanding our relationships with leading American universities and, as always, seeking support from foundations and generous individuals for everything from scholarships to new computers to faculty salaries to bricks and mortar...(read more)

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Top cosmetics industry executive Leela Grammenidou Petrakis (AC ’81, ACT ’87) returned to her alma mater November 8, to speak about “Driving Growth and New Product Development in a Crowded Marketplace: From Idea to Launch.” Ms. Petrakis is General Manager of Neutrogena Cosmetics U.S., a division of Johnson & Johnson Beauty Care, and directly oversees all aspects of the brand’s sales and marketing in North America.

Ms. Petrakis did not disappoint the overflow audience at ACT’s Niarchos Technology Center. She spoke eloquently and demonstrated an in depth knowledge of the fiercely competitive cosmetics industry and marketing and new product development. She set the stage for her talk by saying that women were “crazy about beauty.” She asked the audience what product 97% of women take with them when they leave home. The student who answered correctly (“a lip-care product”) was rewarded with a sample of Neutrogena Mineral Sheers tossed from the podium. Many more hands were raised for the next question: teachers, take note!

Petrakis went on to survey the American beauty business and Neutrogena’s relatively new place in it. What sets her brand apart, she said, was that it stands behind its products and the claims made for them, which is why it is the number one brand recommended by dermatologists, as summed up in the Neutrogena slogan: “Beautiful. Beneficial.”

Taking Mineral Sheers as an example (a foundation make-up with a base of finely ground, very pure minerals), she outlined the stages of the product cycle, from the crucible of innovation to the various phases of placing and supporting the product in the marketplace. She stressed the importance of cross-functional partnerships within the extended team responsible for the product, from testing to manufacturing to packaging, advertising, and tracking. She also showed how Neutrogena had successfully launched a “viral” internet marketing campaign for the blush version of Mineral Sheers, with user-generated content built around “blushing moments.”

Only a few members of the audience went home with beauty products, but everyone took away a powerful lesson in product development and marketing, from a living example of where an education at Anatolia and ACT can lead.

THE WRITING CENTER

The Writing Center has started up dynamically this Fall with a team of 12 peer tutors offering their assistance to our students here at ACT. Eight of our tutors are currently study abroad students who are volunteering their time. This semester these tutors will also have the option of doing an internship.

In a warm and friendly environment, the Writing Center offers tutoring in reading and writing skills, research skills and also math tutoring. This semester, the Writing Center will be offering a series of workshops focusing on academic skills. All students at all levels are welcome to visit the Writing Center where students can make a weekly appointment with a tutor and/or use walk-in services during scheduled hours. This Fall, we are open from 12.00 to 6:00pm Mondays through Thursdays and 12.00 to 3:00pm on Fridays.

We would like to encourage all faculty to drop by to discuss the writing needs of each of their classes. We’re here to help!

REGISTRATION FOR SPRING 2008

Registration for the Spring 2008 semester will take place between Wednesday, December 12, and Wednesday, December 19, 2007, at the Registrar’s Office on the ground floor of the New Building. Registration will take place daily between 9:30am and 3:00pm. Pre-registration advising will take place between Wednesday, December 5th and Tuesday, December 11th The Spring 2008 Schedule of Classes will be released on Tuesday, December 4th .

Here’s a short list of important steps to be followed in order to make registration as frustration-less as possible:

• Students are registered according to (1) total credit hours earned and (2) the order assigned by a computerized lottery system. Registration order and appointments are posted on bulletin boards in the New Building.
• All students (except seniors with 92 earned credits or more) MUST see their advisors prior to registering. You WILL NOT be able to register without your advisor’s signature on your registration form. Pre-registration academic advising begins on Wednesday, December 5, 2007.
• Students having any outstanding financial obligations will be directed by their advisors to drop by the Registrar’s Office (ground floor, New Building). You WILL NOT be able to register unless you are cleared by the appropriate administrative personnel in that office.
• Registration forms should be brought by students to the Registrar’s Office (ground floor, New Building), on the day and time at which their registration has been scheduled. Registration schedules will be posted on bulletin boards on the ground floor of the New Building. A working student who cannot come at the scheduled date, may ask a fellow student to bringhis/her registration form on the appointed day and time. However, the student registering for the working student must present a statement from the latter’s employer as well as his/her validated Student ID, to the Registrar. Students who miss their appointment on the specified day and hour will lose their priority and will complete their registration at the end of the entire procedure after all other students have registered.
• For any academic questions during registration, there will be real- time, on- the-spot advice from experienced faculty representing each Division.

STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS TRAVEL TO ATHENS
November 9-11, 2007

The Fall 2007 Study Abroad students visited Athens, November 9-11, 2007. The three-day trip had a full program involving sightseeing, excursions, visiting museums and archaeological sites, and dinner at a restaurant with traditional music.

The group of 45 students departed on Friday morning at 10:00am and arrived in Athens in the afternoon where they had free time in Glyfada. The next day, a day with strong winds and occasional rain, the students visited the Athens Archaeological Museum followed by a visit to the Temple of Poseidon in Sounio. The view was amazing! Due to the weather, the sea was incredible with huge waves and shining water.

At night, a visit to a Greek “taverna” with traditional music (“rebetiko”) and good wine gave everybody a chance to practice their Greek dancing skills.
The last day (Sunday) began with the parade and the changing of the guards in Syntagma Square and the visit to the Acropolis. After a walk through the ancient “Agora” with the guide, the bus finally made its way back to Thessaloniki. With a last stop for lunch in Kifisia, all got back to Thessaloniki tired but with the best memories and a desire to visit Athens again.

FIELD TRIPS

"METEORA" from the Field Trip Club

The ACT Field Trip Club is organizing a trip to Meteora on December 1st
and 2nd.

The deadline for sign ups is November 23rd and the cost is 50 euros per person which includes transportation, 1 night’s accommodation with breakfast, entrance to the monasteries, faculty escort –Mrs. Lamprou Daphne- and insurance. To sign up, please contact Stepan Partemian (stepan@act.edu).

SKI at Pilio from the ACT Student Government Association

The ACT SGA is organizing a ski trip to Mount Pilio (December 14th -16th ). The cost of the trip is 100 euros per person. The deadline for sign-ups is December 5th For more information, please contact any SGA member.

DUKAKIS LECTURES

ACT hosted two Dukakis lectures in October by senior diplomats on the subject of the the international community and the former Yugoslavia. First, Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, sometime Ambassador-at-Large to the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (pictured), spoke on "Sixteen Years of International Mediation in the Former Yugoslavia: No End in Sight?" Then, former US Ambassador to FYR Macedonia, Mr. Michael Einik, spoke on "A Case Study on the Management of Diplomacy: Yugoslavia 1988-2002." Both guests also conducted master classes in international diplomacy for senior ACT students during their residence on campus.

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THANKSGIVING DINNER

ACT’s Student Government Association (with the invaluable help of the U.S. Study Abroad students) is organizing a Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 22, 2007, 8:00-10:00pm in the cafeteria of the New Building. Turkey and trimmings prepared by the Study Abroad students will be served to students and faculty. Red and white wine will also be offered. Don’t miss this unique occasion to experience a pure American tradition and don’t forget to bring your favorite dish too.

AIDS DAY
December 1, 2007

The SGA is organizing a survey on the occasion of the “2007 AIDS Day”.
A questionnaire measuring knowledge of AIDS transmission procedures and habits and prejudices surrounding the disease will be distributed to the ACT student community. The results will be announced during a special event on Wednesday, November 28th at 5:00pm in the New Building Lobby.

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