Speakers

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  Alexandros Triantafyllidis Professor of Animal Population Genetics, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  

  Alexandros Triantafyllidis

  Professor of Animal Population Genetics, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

  Biologist with PhD studies on “Population genetics of animal organisms”. Academic member of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece since 2003 and vice deputy chair of the School of Biology since 2025. He has published >100 scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals (H-index =26). He has followed sabbatical studies on bioinformatics in Katholieke Universitet Leuven (2010) and University of Oxford (2019-2020). He has collaborated with Greek and European researchers in National and EU projects on food traceability and biodiversity conservation of Greek animal species using genetic and genomic tools. He has been a member of School of Biology and Aristotle University Committees on Programmes of Studies, Evaluation, Accreditation, Erasmus, ECTS and international mobility and affairs. Since 2019, he represents an interdisciplinary team of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the program (H2020-MSCA) INSPIREUROPE-“Initiative To Support, Promote, And Integrate Researchers@Risk In Europe” and since 2020, he is the Chair of the network of Greek Universities supporting threatened Academics and Researchers. Also, by the decision of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Senate 3158/19-3-2025, he is Institutionally Responsible for the acquisition of the “Human Resources Strategy for Researchers” (HRS4R) logo by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

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  Valeria Costantino Rector’s Delegate for ERASMUS, Universita Federico II di Napoli
  

  Valeria Costantino

  Rector’s Delegate for ERASMUS, Universita Federico II di Napoli

  Valeria Costantino is a full professor in organic chemistry and leads the BlueChemistryLab group, which focuses on natural products, drug discovery from microorganisms, and the impact of climate change on cyanobacterial blooms. She has published 119 papers, written numerous reviews, and oversees the Summer School on Natural Products, a key program of the Italian Chemical Society. As Vice-rector for Erasmus Programs and Vice-president of the European University Foundation, she enhances mobility experiences. She is the principal investigator of a MUR-funded transnational program, coordinating a consortium of 34 universities focused on supporting internationalization and strengthening links among the partners through a program of innovative mixed classes (digital and in-person), workshops, mobility of students, teaching, and non-teaching staff.
  Research activity and interest: Dr. Costantino’s research group (TheBlueChemistryLab) focuses on exploring the unique biodiversity of natural products from marine sponges and cyanobacteria as lead compounds for pharmacological applications. More recently, the group has applied the chemical knowledge to explore the great biodiversity of cyanobacteria using the OSMAC approach to culture them. Moreover, the group is involved in monitoring cyanoblooms along the Italian coasts and in inland waters within the framework of the PNRR_National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC–The Italian approach: The National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC).

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  João Bacelar Executive Manager of the European University Foundation (EUF)
  

  João Bacelar

  Executive Manager of the European University Foundation (EUF)

  João Bacelar is the Executive Manager of the European University Foundation (EUF), which is the largest and most influential network of universities looking to modernize the European Higher Education Area in general and student mobility in particular. The EUF works with universities, governments, European institutions and student organisations on a daily basis to improve EU policy, cooperation and innovation.

  João has been involved in higher education policy since the onset of the Bologna Process and joined the EUF in 2004. His experience in digital HE encompasses the design and coordination of several flagship projects, including the Erasmus without Paper, Online Learning Agreement, Erasmus+ App and MyAcademicID initiatives.

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  Marián Morón Vice-Rector of Internationalization, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville
  

  Marián Morón

  Vice-Rector of Internationalization, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville

  Marián Morón is Associate Professor at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide. She holds a PhD in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Granada. Her teaching and research career has consistently focused on the social dimension of the contemporary university, where mobility and international experience are key factors both in learning processes and in students’ professional development.

  She has participated in or coordinated up to four European projects aimed at fostering interaction among university students from diverse cultural and academic traditions, addressing the intercultural dimension of higher education from multiple perspectives. Her doctoral dissertation (UGR, 2009) was an innovative sociological study examining the educational and professional experiences of participants in a multiple-degree programme—pioneering in the European context—for the training of translators and experts in languages and intercultural communication.

  Her extensive publication record has led to her recognition and invitation as a keynote speaker in courses, conferences, and workshops for students at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, both nationally and internationally. Notable are her contributions as a trainer of trainers on mobility and the intercultural dimension of higher education in countries such as Belgium, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, and Italy. Her research interests include various forms of mobility, including virtual mobility and “internationalization at home” programmes.

  She has been involved in more than fifteen teaching innovation projects and has received two Excellence Distinctions in the Docencia-UPO programme, the most recent with public recognition. She also holds a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing and has worked on interdisciplinary training initiatives, particularly those linking communication and translation with other fields such as marketing, advertising, and the fashion industry. In this context, she served as co-Principal Investigator of the project “Closer-Int: Coupling Language Services for Internationalization”, funded through FEDER-UPO-Junta de Andalucía, which focused on transferring advances in Translation Studies to the productive sector. She has been a member of the Interglosia research group (HUM 996) since its establishment in 2017.

  She has held several academic leadership roles, including Vice-Dean for External Relations and Communication and Internship Coordinator at the Faculty of Humanities, as well as Vice-Rector for Students at UPO (2020–2024). In these roles, she has promoted co-governance, student participation in academic and university life, inclusion and equality, and attention to student mental health as key priorities. In April 2024, she was appointed Vice-President of the Andalusian Student Council and is a member of the working group on Student Affairs—Mobility, Organization, and Student Participation of CRUE.

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  Ioanna Georgiadou Head of the Department of European Educational Programs at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
  

  Ioanna Georgiadou

  Head of the Department of European Educational Programs at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)

  Ms. Ioanna Georgiadou has been Head of the Department of European Educational Programs at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) for the past 15 years and serves as the Institutional Coordinator of the Erasmus Programme. She has been working in the Department since 1989, during which time she has participated in numerous conferences, seminars, and information events both in Greece and abroad, aiming at the effective implementation of the Erasmus Programme at AUTH.

  She has also contributed to working groups for the implementation of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) across AUTH departments, and her contribution was particularly significant in the working group responsible for the awarding of the Diploma Supplement (DS) Label (2012–2015).

  Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in the preparation and submission of proposals for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education at AUTH and has participated in several European programmes, including TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, SUCRE, INSPIRE, NORM e.t.

  During her tenure as Head of the Department, which consists of 19 staff members, the unit has been recognized for its outstanding work. In 2021, it received the Award of Excellence from the AUTH Rectorate for its valuable contribution. Additionally, the Department has been acknowledged as an Institution of Good Practice by the Greek Erasmus+ National Agency, and its best practices have been adopted by other Greek Higher Education Institutions.

  She is also a member of the European University Alliance EPICUR Working Team and served as a member of the Executive Secretariat of the Utrecht Network from 2024 until April 2026. She has been actively involved in the Network as an administrative representative since 1990.

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  Eleni Griva Vice-Rector for International Affairs-Life Long Learning- Student Affairs, University of Western Macedonia
  

  Eleni Griva

  Vice-Rector for International Affairs-Life Long Learning- Student Affairs, University of Western Macedonia

  Eleni Griva is a Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (Department of Primary Education) at the University of Western Macedonia (UOWM) – Greece. She is the Director of the Interdepartmental Master Program “Teaching Greek in Intercultural Environments”.

  She has been the Chair of the Center for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning since October 2023 and the Director of the Institute of Greek Language of the Research Center “TEMENUS” (UOWM), for the last five years. She is a Member of the Regional Council (of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports) for the Selection of Primary Education School Advisors in Northern Greece, and the Chair of the Supervisory Council of Florina Experimental School. She has also served for three years as a member of the Scientific Committee at the General Secretariat for Citizenship of the Ministry of the Interior.

  She has coordinated research, educational and training programs for teachers of Greek as a Second/Foreign Language or as a Heritage Language in cooperation with Departments/institutes of Greek Language Abroad and Education Coordinators of Greek Consulates Abroad. She has also organised or co-organised many scientific conferences on topics related to Language Education.

  She has published 10 books and more than 280 publications, which appear in various international and national refereed journals, collected editions and conference proceedings, in the fields: Teaching Greek as a Second/foreign language , Intercultural Communication, bilingualism/multilingualism, Digital Literacy, Alternative Assessment in language learning. She has participated in many conferences in Greece and abroad and she is a member of national and international scientific committees.

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  Dimitrios Papantonis Professor Emeritus, National Technical University of Athens
  

  Dimitrios Papantonis

  Professor Emeritus, National Technical University of Athens

  Dimitrios Papantonis, Professor Emeritus, born in Pireaus (Greece) in 1951, Mechanical Engineer of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), 1974, degree of Hydraulic Engineer and Docteur-Ingenieur degree from Ecole Nationale d’ Hydraulique de Toulouse (ENSEEIHT), 1977.
  Since 1981 until his retirement in 2018 he was a Faculty Member of the Mechanical Engineering School of NTUA and from 1997 up to 2018 Professor on Hydraulic Turbomachines and Director of the Laboratory of Hydraulic Turbomachines of NTUA. He has been performing and directing research in the area of numerical flow prediction on hydraulic turbomachines, test modelling, transient phenomena and optimal sizing of small hydroelectric power plants, pumped storage, hybrid energy plants.
  He has been scientific director of numerous projects, in most of them acting as co-ordinator. He is the author of 4 books and the editor of one international book.
  In the period 2009-2013 he was the Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering. From 2014 until 2018 he was the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Administration of the National Technical University of Athens.
  Member of committees of the Ministry of Energy and of GGET for the financing of renewable energy plants and member of the Board of Directors of PPC Renewable Energy, Hellenic Energy Exchange and Clearing of Energy Exchange S.A. From 2021 member of the Board of Directors of RAEWW (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Water and Waste) and for a five-years term.