The Bissell Library American College of Thessaloniki is one of the largest private learning resource centers in Southeast Europe. It holds one of the largest English language book collections in Greece, occupying the ground and upper levels of a 4,500-square meter building. Today, it offers a collection of over 27,000 books in print, 130,000 electronic books, DVDs and other media.

The upper level hosts the Learning Hub while the Stavros S. Niarchos Technology Center is located in the basement level and includes computer teaching laboratories, a multimedia center and lab, two viewing rooms, a Web and teleconferencing center, and the Systems Administration headquarters.

360° / VR Tour

The Second Energy Union Future Leaders Academy, co-organized by the Greek Energy Forum (GEF) and the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT), took place at the ACT campus on April 12-14, 2019. The Academy was under the auspices of Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the Energy Union, European Commission.

Among the distinguished keynote speakers at the opening ceremony were Maroš Šefčovič who opened the processes of the Academy through a video-recorded message, Geoffrey Pyatt, US Ambassador in Greece and Eva Kaili, Member of the European Parliament.

A round table discussion followed with speakers such as Liana Gouta, the Group Director Energy Policy & International Affairs of HELLENIC PETROLEUM; Gerasimos Avlonitis, Advisor - Regulatory Affairs, DESFA SA; Iván Pineda, Director-Market Intelligence & Membership at WindEurope; Alexandros Lagakos, COO, Blue Grid Gas & Power/Founder of the Greek Energy Forum and Michalis Mathioulakis, Energy Strategy Analyst/Academic Director, Greek Energy Forum. The GEF – ACT cooperation promoted the following objectives:

 To identify students, researchers and young professionals with a genuine
interest in energy studies and the willingness to excel in this field
 To become an incubator for the energy leaders of the future in the Region.
 To educate the participants about the goals of the Energy Union and the
importance of energy diversification.
 To promote the energy diversification and energy security of the Region of
South-Eastern Europe.

Through the smooth and fruitful GEF-ACT cooperation, the Academy’s objectives were achieved through targeted seminars on the implementation aspects of the Energy Union as well as workshops with successful professionals, academics and decision makers on the full spectrum of energy topics that are currently critical to the Region.

Forty high-caliber university students and young professionals with proven, genuine interest in Energy and with the potential to stand out in this field in the future, among which were five ACT students, were educated on the significance of the European Energy Union and its benefits for the Region. The ACT delegates were: Borebardhe Mazreku, Karina Iskandarova, Nikita Triandafillidis, Sofija Getova and Daniel Kalemi. Two ACT professors, Mr. George Anastasiadis and Dr. Maria Bouzoudi, offered their expert insight at the lectures, workshops and debates that followed. The intensive three-day Academy concluded with the awarding of the certificates to all participants.

The ThessISMUN 2019 conference took place from May 1 to May 5, 2019 at the University of Macedonia. Six ACT students (namely, Maja Matkovic, Vasiliki Kakari, Nikolas Zafiriadis, Lazaros Siantsis, Nikita Triandafillidis and Jacob Coffelt) represented three countries this year (Hungary, Equatorial Guinea, and Panama) while a seventh, Karina Iskandarova, was the Vice-President for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For these five days, intense debating and research took place and all of them were able to provide valuable positions for their topics as well as respect their countries’ policies. This was a first-time experience for many but a few others had been MUN delegates in the past.

Here are comments from some of our delegates, ambassadors, and the Vice-President:

Lazaros Siantsis (Ambassador of Hungary)
“I feel so grateful and honored for being part of an enthusiastic team, which proudly represented ACT, our college, in this year's ThessISMUN. From learning how to structure and deliver a speech, sharpening our diplomatic skills, debating while collaborating and familiarizing ourselves with the United Nations workings and balances, ThessISMUN 2019 was a truly valuable and unforgettable experience!”

Vasiliki Kakari (Delegate of Equatorial Guinea)
“Representing the Republic of Equatorial Guinea at the committee of UNESCO at ThessISMUN 2019 was a very interesting, challenging and fun experience! This kind of conference is definitely one of a kind and one of the things that really attracted me was that the fact that each one of the topics of every committee is current and very interesting to debate upon. Looking forward to participating again!”

Nikita Triandafillidis (Ambassador of Panama)
“This year’s ThessISMUN was definitely a worthy experience. I loved the intense debates in my committee and I am grateful I choose something like the International Maritime Organization which made me view my International Relations studies from a technical perspective. I met many interesting people and I hope I will have the chance to have the same experience in Thessaloniki and any other place hosting MUN conferences. I recommend it to everyone!”

Karina Iskandarova (Vice-President for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)
“Having participated in several MUNs both in Greece and in France as a delegate, this time I had the honor to serve as a member of the board of the CRPD. Being a board member is both a challenging and an interesting experience. All six months during my preparation for the conference, I had immense obligations towards the organizers and my supervisor. During the actual event, the President and I had to moderate the debates all nine hours, be fair to all, be strict with the rules and at the same time have fun with my amazing experts. Overall, this experience sharpened my critical thinking, multi-tasking and organizational skills and of course formed beautiful memories and new friendships. It was an honor to serve as the Vice - President of this committee as I learned more about myself and about the issues that trouble millions of people with disabilities around the globe. That is why such simulations are worth-living as they offer you in-depth knowledge about matters that can have a global impact and enhance their expertise in the field.

Φέτος για 5η συνεχή χρονιά θα πραγματοποιηθεί το Καλοκαιρινό Μουσικό Πρόγραμμα στο ACT - American College of Thessaloniki/ Summer Music Performance Program at ACT που διοργανώνεται σε συνεργασία με το Georgia State University των ΗΠΑ και τη Μουσική Εταιρία Μακεδονίας και έχει τεθεί υπό την αιγίδα της Περιφέρειας Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας. Το πρόγραμμα περιλαμβάνει ανοιχτά μαθήματα (master classes) φωνητικής/όπερας/μονωδίας, φλάουτου, βιολιού, βιολοντσέλου, πιάνου, μουσικής σύνθεσης, μουσικής δωματίου καθώς και διαλέξεις πάνω σε ειδικά μουσικολογικά θέματα όπως: μουσική παιδαγωγία, μέθοδοι χαλάρωσης, ορθοσωματική κ.α. 

Το πρόγραμμα είναι ανοιχτό για σπουδαστές όλων των ηλικιών και όλων των επιπέδων, οι οποίοι θα έχουν την ευκαιρία να έρθουν σε επαφή με καλλιτέχνες και προσωπικότητες διεθνούς κύρους και να αποκτήσουν πολύτιμες εμπειρίες και γνώσεις εμπλουτίζοντας την έκφραση και την ποιοτική δημιουργία. Στη διάρκεια του δεκαημέρου οι σπουδαστές θα κάνουν ατομικά μαθήματα με τους καθηγητές, θα μπορούν να παρακολουθήσουν όλα τα ανοιχτά μαθήματα (master classes), τις διαλέξεις, τις συναυλίες των καθηγητών και συμμετέχουν σε συναυλίες. 

Το πρόγραμμα που ξεκίνησε το 2015 με μεγάλη επιτυχία, έχει αποκτήσει διεθνή αναγνώριση και προσελκύει σπουδαστές από όλο τον κόσμο (Αυστραλία, Αρμενία, Βέλγιο, Γαλλία, Γκάνα, Ελλάδα, Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, Καναδά, Κύπρο, Λιθουανία, Μπαχάμες). 

Τη διεύθυνση διοργάνωσης έχει ο Χρίστος Γαλιλαίας, την καλλιτεχνική διεύθυνση η Νεβάρτ-Βερόν Γαλιλαία και τον συντονισμό του προγράμματος ο Δρ Γρηγόρης Μπακλαβάς, αναπληρωτής Κοσμήτορας Διοικητικών Υποθέσεων του ACT.

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες επισκεφθείτε την ιστοσελίδα

Family businesses operate essentially in every field globally. It is the most common form of business worldwide. The management succession in family businesses was the topic of the event held at the fully packed Bissell Library of the American College of Thessaloniki on Tuesday, April 9th.

The event was organized by the ENTREPRENEURSHIP HUB OF ACT – A DIVISION OF ANATOLIA, the SECTOR OF WOMEN MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS (TOGME) and the HELLENIC INSTITUTE FOR MARKETING (EIM) of the HELLENIC MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.

Dr. Christos Georgiou, Director of Documentation and Research of the Association of Industries of Northern Greece was the main speaker of the event. He referred to the composition of ownership, management and family which creates a complexity that requires specific knowledge and skills to be successfully understood and lead to effective management. He stressed that when entrepreneurs neglect the management succession issues, then succession can become a very sad story causing pain in the business as well as in the family.

Under the co-ordination of Mrs Silia Christofilopou, Partner, HRAdvisor – HRPartners some well-known businesspeople like Mr. Kostantinos Papadopoulos Chatzakos, Deputy Chief Officer at MEVGAL ,  Ms. Maria Choutou, CEO, CHOUTOS Catering SA and Ms. Maria Spanou, President and CEO, SPANOS S.A., and Mr. Dimitrios Samaras, Presiden and CEO, SAMARAS & ASSOCIATES SA, shared their knowledge and professional experience about the subject.

On the second part of the event Mrs. Katerina Polyzoi, Director, KPMG Consultants, referred to the strategic combination between family and business life cycles. A panel was formulated among businesspeople who constitute 1 st  and 2 nd  generation within their companies. Ms. Stella Doca, DOCA SA, Mr. Manos Vosmandros, Marketing Director SMILE Cosmetics SA, Mr. Dimitrios Adamidis, ADAMIDIS SA, Mr. Savvas Tsironis, ANEMI SA and Mr. Thanou Tsironi, President ANEMI SA shared their experience on that matter with the moderation of Ms. Virginia Dimaresi, journalist FOCUS FM and ATLAS TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWCeoUGcK-U

The 6th of March, international anti-bullying day, is a day that calls to action; an action that unites. Our community and our society at large must not tolerate marginalization. We must act against bullying in all of its manifestations.

ACT - The American College of Thessaloniki, standing by its mission to cultivate individual and civic responsibility as well as respect towards others, organized on that day an event aiming to do exactly that: to awaken understanding and empathy. The Anti-bullying Fashion Show, organized by students of the undergraduate and graduate programs was ACT's innovative and original way to raise awareness. Joining forces with the 2nd gymnasium of Giannitsa and other anti-bullying parties, supported by volunteers and ACT alumni who offered from clothing to make up services to music, the wonderful models, both young men, and women, delivered a strong and passionate message. The invited speaker Father Christos Mitsios summed it up beautifully: "We need to do some soul searching. We need to reconnect with our civilization, our humanity. How did we get to torture other human beings? Each is entitled to their difference."

The photograph where all models hold hands on the runway at the end says exactly that: united we are doing something about it.

This is a summary of a long article in Greek written by the ACT English major Katerina Dimitriadou.

Read the full article in Greek here

ACT professors Eleni Godi, Coordinator of the BA in English and Emmanuel Maou, Chair of the Division of Technology and Sciences, visited Skopje and Pristina on April 11 and 12. During their two day visit they met with ACT alumni who updated them on their successful career paths since their graduation in governmental, NGO, managerial and English language-related posts. Faculty and alumni discussed future collaborations with ACT involving academic, professional and social initiatives, and renewed their next meeting during the upcoming Fall ACT Alumni Homecoming.

Edona Toplica (2014), Liaison Manager at Care for Kosovo Kids Foundation, Pristina, Eleni Godi Coordinator of the BA in English, Emmanuel Maou, Chair of the Division of Technology and Sciences, Ibrahim Murati (2015), Project Manager at 3CIS J.S.C., Pristina

Julijana Nicha (2013), Co-Founder at Embaixada Cultural (Cultural Embassy), Brazil, Jovan Stojanovski (2015), Financial Advisor at Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of North Macedonia., Emmanuel Maou, Chair of the Division of Technology and Sciences, Eleni Godi Coordinator of the BA in English, Nikola Manaskov (2017), ESL Instructor, “Cheers English”, Shanghai, China

Aleksandra Rizova (2003), Junior Inspector at the Public Revenue Office, Skopje, Eleni Godi Coordinator of the BA in English, Emmanuel Maou, Chair of the Division of Technology and Sciences

The Greek Lacrosse Association (GLA), in conjunction with ACT (The American College of Thessaloniki) announces their participation in the 4th Annual International Sports Exhibition “Sportexpo 2019”.  The GLA’s booth, located in Pavilion 10, will feature introduction videos to the sport and have pamphlets and flyers for future learning opportunities.

“Sportexpo 2019” is organized by TIF-Helexpo and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair from April 10th to 13th (Wed. Thurs. Fri. 09:00-20:00, Sat. 10:00-20:00). The exhibition focuses on athletics, with a general moto “Athletics for everyone” and is a specialized and unique event in Northern Greece. The main objectives of the Exhibition are to familiarize the public with all sports, to strengthen the athletic spirit through creating athletic consciousness.

This years exhibition is of particular significance, as the joint bid between Greece, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria for the 2030 World Cup will be announced.

On Friday March 22 nd , Dr. Aimiliza Stefanidou, Coordinator of the BSc Psychology program accompanied 16 ACT psychology students on a field visit to KETHEA-Ithaki at Sindos. KETHEA, the largest rehabilitation network in Greece, helps people suffering from various forms of addiction (e.g. psychotropic substances, gambling, Internet) to remain abstinent and successfully reintegrate into society. KETHEA also runs school and community-based prevention and early intervention programs, and is active in training and research in the field of addiction. Its therapeutic programs and activities seek to raise awareness of the phenomenon, to promote scientific knowledge, and to continually improve the services offered to addicts and their families.

The goal of this visit was to explore volunteering and experiential learning opportunities along with career options at the substance abuse area as a follow-up to the Career Day where the invited speaker Ms. Dora Zisopoulou, psychologist at KETHEA, provided ACT students with valuable information on addiction, treatment and recovery with reference to the particular therapeutic center.

Mr. Vasilis Kalabalikis, psychologist/Head of KETHEA-Ithaki, Mr. Christos Matziounis, Director of Education Training, interns and a recovering member of the community welcomed the ACT students. After a short presentation of the center activities, a great interactive discussion was led by the welcoming team highlighting the complex nature of addiction and the psychology behind it.

It was an intense learning experience which provided students with a basic substance abuse education and the opportunity to reflect on choosing an internship and/or a future career in addiction counseling.