Author: Athanasios Koutoupas

An innovative platform brings international students closer to Greece

A new project called “Study in Greece” has been launched by a group of faculty members from the Department of Informatics and Telematics, of Harokopio University, with the help of students (international and Greek) who worked on a volunteer basis, in order to bring the project to life. Their aim was to provide information, support and advice to both international students who wish to study in Greece for a higher education degree, as well as to existing international students, addressing in this way, the most important issues faced by international students while applying, registering and settling in Greece.

So the main focus of the “studyingreece” group was to gather all necessary information that would allow prospective students to not only navigate their way through existing academic programmes on offer but to also understand the conditions for foreign students living in a friendly and safe destination such as Greece. This way, students who are interested in pursuing post-graduate studies in Greece can search the catalogue of specialized study programmes taught in English or directly contact the international relations offices of the Higher Education Institutes listed in the relevant section. A very comprehensive list for beginners wanting to embark on their new life in Greece comprises many interesting sections, such as the main characteristics of the country, interesting destinations, archaeological sites, monuments and museums to visit, as well as data about Greek gastronomy, the cost of living, facts concerning international students living in Greece , health and safety issues, contacts for embassies and visa details . But the most useful tool this platform offers is without a doubt the section Education Institutes, where one can simply type a word reflecting the area of studies he/she wishes to explore and a full list in English of programmes/ universities/ departments and cities corresponding to the search word appears.

Whilst this is truly a remarkable project, its importance does not lie only in the support it provides to prospective international students wishing to explore their academic horizons in Greece. It mainly contributes to the international spread of Greek culture, it promotes Greece as a destination for higher studies among international students, and it even includes support to refugees and people seeking international protection by offering suggestions regarding ongoing educational programmes, updates on plans by the Greek State to provide support to the educational needs of refugees, including special courses, e-learning platforms and summer schools.

Harokopio University has been long known for its contribution to research development aiming to promote the results on scientific knowledge and public health, as well as to improve the economic and social development of the country. It is the 18th state University established in Greece, named after the national benefactor Panagis Harokopos, who envisioned an educational institution with excellent building facilities and equipment, in harmony with the natural environment, which could offer contemporary science. Today, the University comprises three Schools (School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics/ School of Health Science and Education/ School of Digital Technology), and four Undergraduate Departments (Department of Home Economics and Ecology / Department of Geography / Department of Nutrition and Dietetics / Department of Informatics and Telematics) as well as four postgraduate programs on Sustainable Development / Applied Nutrition and Dietetics / Applied Geography and Spatial Management and Education and Culture.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

September 7, 2016
Cyprus-Egypt pipe deal opens door for East Med gas

Cyprus has signed a deal to build a pipeline to supply Egypt with natural gas once production starts from the Aphrodite field located offshore the Mediterranean island.

The agreement sets the political framework for additional commercial agreements, Cyprus’ Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis and Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla said.

Asked if this gas will also be exported to Europe and other markets, Constantinos Filis, director of research at Institute of International Relations, told New Europe this depends on the agreements that will be made by the Consortium that will take over.

Italian energy major ENI is developing Egypt’s massive offshore Zohr field where exploration activities yielded positive results. “If Zhor field proves efficient to cover Egypt’s growing internal consumption, then any further quantities concentrated in Egypt will probably going to be exported,” Filis said, adding that in that case, the natural gas will be transported in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which makes the European market, in contrast to the Asian one, of the most attractive options.

Filis said the agreement to build a pipeline between Cyprus and Egypt would probably affect the East Med pipeline. He added, however, that the East Med project anyway was a low priority.

“However, East Med can be materialised with Israeli gas alone. But the Cypriot side, as it realised that the Vassilikos LNG plan [in Cyprus] could not been realised, logically turned to the most ‘obvious’ option, given that Egypt hosts two LNG facilities that do not need lots of money and time in re-operating. Of course, the political risk is high, given Cairo’s authoritarian regime struggle to stabilise internally and the danger of extremist elements, which are emerging in the country and the concomitant terrorist resurgence. So, Nicosia should develop more alternatives for exporting its gas,” Fillis said, adding that he encouraging news is that new energy finds in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are underway.

According to Lakkotrypis, the first gas through the Cyprus-Egypt gas pipeline should be completed sometime between 2020 and 2022.

Cyprus, Egypt and Greece are already planning to expand energy cooperation. Nicosia and Athens are in separate talks on strengthening energy ties with Tel Aviv.

Asked if the Cyprus-Egypt deal means that a pipeline across Turkey for Med gas seems even more distant, Filis told New Europe that in his view there is no pipeline across Turkey but rather to Turkey. Using Turkish soil for transporting gas from the Mediterranean is a very problematic scenario, not least in terms of cost – due to the need for building new infrastructure connecting the southern with the north-western part of the country – but also with regard to the dangers stemming from the fragile internal environment and its gradual alienation from the West, Filis said.

“In any case, since we are not talking about huge quantities – based on nowadays discoveries – in the wider region, the latter cannot feed many projects/markets at the same time. But again, the defining factor is Israel, as the more mature producer, and Egypt because of Zhor field and to a lesser extent Cyprus,” Filis said.

(www.neweurope.eu)

September 7, 2016
Crete becomes the Silicon-Island of high technology R&D

On the 30th of June 2016, KALEAO Ltd, a high-tech start-up company based in Cambridge, UK, inaugurated their new development centre within the FORTH – Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas research centre in Crete.

FORTH (in Greek: ITE) is one of the largest research centers in Greece with modern facilities, highly qualified personnel, and a reputation as a top-level research foundation worldwide. KALEAO helps FORTH to grow as a key European research centre and attraction pole for high-tech corporate development. KALEAO designs and manufactures advanced computer systems and delivers solutions based on its innovative approach to web-scale computing. Last week, KALEAO unveiled KMAX, their new commercial product, offering a true converged rack mountable hardware platform and software computing appliance.

The inauguration officially sealed the FORTH – KALEAO collaboration towards a joint research lab on low power computing and shows a clear indication of the growing international high-tech involvement in Crete, Greece. FORTH started collaborating with the founders of KALEAO in EuroServer, a research project part of the EU’s FP7 programme. FORTH, as a partner of the project, designed various hardware prototypes of key importance for the project, including significant operating system software components.

Professor Constantine Stephanidis, Director of FORTH’s Institute of Computer Science (ICS-FORTH), stated: “At ICS-FORTH, we strongly believe that one of the key factors for the future growth of the Greek economy is innovation in the high technology sectors and we have been working diligently for more than three decades for the advancement of science and technology in the ICT field, placing equal emphasis in basic and applied research, and aiming to bring the research results into the real economy of Greece – and Europe. FORTH plays a central role in the science and technology ecosystem of Crete. The island is the home of several academic and research institutions of the highest international standing, and is the host of high-tech developments that are based on three pillars: outstanding academic performance, capacity for excellent research, and propensity for industrial innovation. ICS-FORTH has always been working within the boundaries of this triangle, and I am personally very proud, as its Director, for the outcome of our unwithering contributions and active support in establishing, at international level, licensing agreements with industry, the transfer to industry of the intellectual property rights – thus monetizing research results, and the startup of a number of high tech companies that have their research and engineering basis operating in Crete – with this latest and most prominent addition of KALEAO. Our systematic approach in this direction has created several visible positive effects on the local Research and Technological Development ecosystem and is also contributing towards preventing, and ultimately reversing, the ‘brain drain’ trend in our field”.

To the declaration of FORTH, Professor John Goodacre, co-founder and CSO of KALEAO, added: “We are very happy with our development centre in Crete and with our collaboration with FORTH, since these yielded the design of key components of our flagship solution KMAX. With the increasing research agenda of the Computer Architecture and VLSI Systems (CARV) Laboratory at FORTH and the new KALEAO development centre in the Science and Technology Park of Crete (STEP-C), we expect to see an increasing collaboration between FORTH and industry, collaboration that creates new exciting academic and job opportunities in silicon high-technology in this beautiful Greek island – The new “Silicon-Island’’.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

September 7, 2016
Winners announced in the Science City Competition in Egypt
Weston Williamson + Partners, a design firm from the United Kingdom under the direction of Philip Turner, has been awarded First Place in the recently concluded single phase, open, international competition for a “Master Plan and Conceptual Design of the Science City,” to be located in 6th of October City near Cairo.

The competition was launched on 15 April 2016 to find the comprehensive plan and design for a complex dedicated to science and to research. The configuration of spaces is intended to be both a landmark for the 6th of October City and a symbol of the rebirth of the study of science in Egypt.

The Jury unanimously selected the winning project out of 145 entries from 45 countries on the basis of its “subtle but rich design,” using “a multitude of umbrella-like, circular canopies of various sizes, supported by single columns, providing a symbolic, ‘column-scape’ and an upper terrace elegantly shadowed by artificial clouds,” which also provide “opportunities for water harvesting and solar energy collection.” The project can be completed in three stages, starting from the central section and growing as wings, thus furnishing a “rational and workable” design solution.

The Jury attributed three prizes and four Honourable Mentions:
- Second Prize to Dr. Lim Teng Ngiom of Ngiom Partnership (Malaysia)
- Third Prize to Marcella Fedele of Zaha Hadid Architects(United Kingdom)
- Fourth Prize to Taijip Kim of Gansam Architects & Partners Co., Ltd. (Republic of Korea)
Honourable Mentions were awarded to
- Petras Architecture, XCON Housos (Greece)
- Joaquim Caetano de Lima Filho, Daniel Henrique Ribeiro, Giliarde Silva and Guilherme Oliveira (Brazil)
- whitespace architects (United Arab Emirates)
- Francisco Jorquera (Spain).
The UIA endorsed this competition and was represented on the jury by Greek architect and UIA Council Member Nikos Fintikakis.

(www.uia.archi)
September 7, 2016