Speakers

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  Kostas Axarloglou Dean, Alba Association, and Professor of International Business and Strategy Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece
  

  Kostas Axarloglou

  Dean, Alba Association, and Professor of International Business and Strategy Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece

  Dean, Alba Association, and Professor of International Business and Strategy (Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece; 2016-present), Visiting Professor (Shanghai University; 2015-present), Associate Professor of International Business (Democritus University of Thrace; 2002-2016), Michael Gerrits Term Chair Assistant Professor of Economics (Babson College; 1994-2002), Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University; 1993-1994), Instructor (University of Michigan; 1990-1993).

  B.A. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, M.A. University of Michigan, Ph.D. University of Michigan.

  Dr. Axarloglou is doing research and consulting work in the areas of International Business Strategy, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Agility and Adaptability and Blue Ocean Strategy. His research has been published in leading management and economics journals such as Management Science, the Journal of Business, the Journal of the European Economic Association, World Economy and Managerial and Decision Economics. He has received several research grants and also participated in numerous international conferences. Dr. Axarloglou serves in various company and NGO Boards in Greece and abroad, and has done extensive training and consulting work in numerous multinational corporations such as Eurobank, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Novo Nordisk, Sunlight, PepsiCo, Quest, Titan, Viohalco and Vodafone.

  Dr. Axarloglou, a recipient of the Fulbright scholarship, has extensive teaching experience in all levels of business education and has also received several teaching awards.

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  Athanasios Koutsoklenis Associate Professor of Inclusive Education at the School of Education, Democritus University of Thrace
  

  Athanasios Koutsoklenis

  Associate Professor of Inclusive Education at the School of Education, Democritus University of Thrace

  Athanasios Koutsoklenis is an Associate Professor of Inclusive Education at the
  School of Education, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. His research explores
  the cultural, political, and social dimensions of psychiatric diagnoses, the implications
  of cultural-historical theory in education, and educational and social policy for
  disabled individuals.

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  George Papaioannou Associate Professor of Mountain River Training and Forest Hydrology, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace
  

  George Papaioannou

  Associate Professor of Mountain River Training and Forest Hydrology, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace

  Dr. George Papaioannou is an Associate Professor of Forest Hydrology and Mountain River Training and Director of the Mountain River Training and Risk Management Laboratory at the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH). He teaches in undergraduate and postgraduate programs of his department, as well as in postgraduate programs of the Department of Civil Engineering, DUTH. Within the European University Alliance EMERGE, he serves as DUTH lead for Work Package 6 (WP6 – “Research: Co-creation of knowledge to address the challenges of our regions”), contributing to the coordination of research activities, research capacity building, and the strengthening of research–society links. He has participated in more than 19 national and European research projects, and numerous hydrological and hydraulic studies and water resources management projects. His research focuses on hydrological and hydraulic modeling, hydrometeorological disaster management, mountain river training, water resources management, soil erosion, and post-wildfire erosion and flood control measures. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 scientific publications (peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, books, technical reports). His published work has received over 1,636 citations on Google Scholar (h-index 19) and 1,062 citations on Scopus (h-index 16) (May 2026).

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  Efthymia Penderi Associate Professor of Social Pedagogy at the Democritus University of Thrace
  

  Efthymia Penderi

  Associate Professor of Social Pedagogy at the Democritus University of Thrace

  Efthymia Penderi is Associate Professor of Social Pedagogy at the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTh), in the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice, with a primary focus on early childhood education and care (ECEC). She has participated in national and European research projects addressing ECEC curricula and quality frameworks, inclusive interventions, and professional development initiatives that promote participatory and democratic practices in education. She has contributed significantly to recent reforms in Greek early childhood education, leading the scientific team that developed the new national preschool curriculum and serving as a core member of the interdisciplinary EAN project for the introduction of early English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in preschool education. At DUTh, she is a member of the EMERGE Alliance working group, where she plays a leading role in Work Package 2 on Community Engagement and Services. She has also contributed to projects led by the DUTh Centre for Teaching and Learning aimed at enhancing quality in university pedagogy. Her research interests include family–school–community partnerships, sociocultural approaches to learning, children’s participation rights and democratic citizenship, relational pedagogies, and the use of artificial intelligence in education.

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  Elena Raptopoulou PhD candidate at the Department of Medicine of the Democritus University of Thrace
  

  Elena Raptopoulou

  PhD candidate at the Department of Medicine of the Democritus University of Thrace

  Elena Raptopoulou is a PhD candidate at the Department of Medicine of the Democritus University of Thrace, with a research focus on health economics. She holds a degree in Economics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MSc in Accounting and Financial Management from Lancaster University (UK). Her research interests focus on the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare systems, with an emphasis on the use of analytical methods to support decision-making and health policy. In parallel, she has professional experience in the management of co-funded projects and in providing consultancy support in areas such as entrepreneurship, financial management, and skills development. She is currently involved in the European project EMERGE as a Work Package Leader, coordinating actions aimed at creating sustainable, inclusive, and resilient university environments, and contributing to collaboration and the development of shared practices across an international alliance.