A project that was started in 2011 called 'Study In Greece' was 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 is to provide information, support and advice to incoming international students who wish to study in Greece for a higher education degree, as well as to existing international students. The project addresses the most important issues faced by international students while applying, registering, and settling in Greece.

The main focus of the 'Study In Greece' 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. 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.

'Study In Greece' offers a comprehensive list of 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. The platform also offers a section called ‘Education Institutes’ where visitors on the site can type a word related to their area of study and a full list in English of programmes, universities, departments, and cities corresponding to the search word will appear.

The 'Study In Greece' initiative contributes to the international spread of Greek culture, promotes Greece as a destination for higher studies among international students, and it includes support for refugees and people seeking international protection. It also offers 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.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda

For more information about 'Study In Greece,' please click HERE to visit their website.

‘People often think old Greek music is dead. It is not, it only needs a little bit of humidity in order to blossom again,’ says Greek vocalist Katerina Papadopoulou explaining why she initiated project Anastatica.

Anastatica project is a collaboration between musicians and a vocalist that remaster old traditional tunes and songs and turns them into ethnic music. Vocals and dance are equally incorporated into their music. They value music that is transferred from place to place and from one era to another, without losing its originality and drive.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek TV

Updates on the oil spill that affected the Athens riviera, Google funds Greek research on digital journalism, learn how to make Spetzofai, and information on free playgrounds for kids!

 

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Qatar Airways has recently announced it will begin flight service from Doha to Mykonos, starting May 30th, 2018. Because Mykonos is centrally located in the Cyclades and a very popular holiday destination for many travelers, Qatar has been seeking to add Mykonos to their repertoire of flights for quite some time.

Four weekly seasonal flights to Mykonos will be operated by an Airbus A320, featuring 12 seats in business class and 132 seats in economy class.

Qatar is also launching weekly non-stop flights to Thessaloniki in March 2018. They already offer three daily flights to Athens.

Source: Greek Reporter

Athens has been included on a list of "Europe's 20 Most Amazing Cities for Eating Out in 2019" that was published of the online edition of The Telegraph in December.

 

According to the newspaper, a European city break can be defined by those all important restaurant choices! Most cities in Europe offer a wide range of dining options; you'll be able to choose among buzzing trendy eateries, high-end Michelin-starred restaurants, and tiny joints where you'll eat just like a local.

 

Here is what The Telegraph says about eating in Athens:

"Athens has a fine range of places to eat, ranging from down-to-earth traditional tavernas to upmarket restaurants serving fusion cuisine. The area of Plaka is undeniably pretty, though some of its restaurants are aimed at tourists and can be a little disappointing. The city centre is where you will find some excellent so-called modern tavernas, serving classic Greek dishes with a contemporary twist."

 

Paris, London, Reykjavik, Seville, and Dubrovnik are also among the best cities in Europe for eating out.

 

To read the list in full, please visit: The Telegraph

The 6th OPEN HOUSE Athens is back on 6 & 7 April 2019.

A two-day event of free architectural guided tours addressed to the general public; an event based on volunteerism, which aims at promoting the architecture of our city; an opportunity to walk the city, look up while walking in the streets, see the buildings from a different angle… It is our established appointment in Spring, when everyone can continue their tour from where they left off last year!

With 40 new entries, this year’s renewed programme includes, as always, public and private buildings, contemporary and historical, monuments, museums, theatres, schools, residences, professional spaces, in the city centre and the suburbs. 550 volunteers will guide us at the 95 buildings which are included in the programme.

All guided tours are free of charge and no booking is required.

In order to attend a tour, visitors should arrive at the buildings of their interest during the opening hours of each, and wait in the queue. The tours are conducted on a first come, first served basis. Visitors are advised to arrive in time, as no tours are being held after the closing time.

Learn more about OHA 2019 parallel events HERE! 

ACS Athens High School students conducted their second S.T.E.A.M. experiment, investigating how ouzo and pure organic grape molasses (petimezi) behave at an altitude of 100 km. More specifically, the students of ACS Athens (‘’spACS 2’’ team) investigated how these Greek traditional products behave under microgravity conditions.

The students’ scientific experiments were carried by Blue Origin’s New Shepard groundbreaking reusable rocket into space beyond 100 km altitude, also known as the Karman Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.

New Shepard was successfully launched on Wednesday, December 11, from Blue Origin's West Texas Facility and landed vertically 10 minutes later, with the entire space flight been broadcasted live. Earlier in 2019, ACS Athens students (“spACS 1’’ team) sent Greek honey into space with New Shepard again, becoming one of the few non-US K-12 schools to have participated in such a space mission. 

The container of the experiment will be returned to ACS Athens a few days after its successful landing so that the students can process and analyze the collected data. 

Attracting major film producers to Greece has always been a goal that, until recently, remained only a dream. Although many film studios showed a keen interest in shooting in the Greek capital, they stumbled upon bureaucratic obstacles.

As a result, Athens wasn't able to take advantage of its incomparable traits, such as global recognition of its monuments, its building stock, and even its climate and host big productions. Thus, the city lost significant revenues as well as the opportunity to be promoted all around the world.

Today, through perseverance, planning, and consistency, and thanks to the decisive contribution of the Athens Film Office, Athens has dynamically entered the film industry, and there has been a flurry of interest from high-budget international audiovisual productions to film in the country.

 

This is the case with Disney+’s biopic of the teenage years of Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sepolia, Antetokounmpo's neighborhood, will be featured in the film, and recently, the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis, visited the Triton Stadium which has been turned into a film set. 

"Greek Freak" commenced shooting in May and is one of the biggest productions that have been shot in Greece so far. The production employs 200 Greek crew members and hundreds of supporting actors with the total cost exceeding 20 million euros.

This is just the first of a series of high-budget productions that will be shot in Athens. Other productions include the second season of "Tehran", David Cronenberg's new film, and two episodes of the "Jack Ryan" television series.

About The Athens Film Office 
The Athens Film Office was founded in March 2020 by the Municipality of Athens, under the "umbrella" of the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (EATA) with the aim of transforming Athens into a “Film Friendly City”. During its first year of operation, it has assisted in the shooting of more than 40 international and Greek audiovisual productions in the Greek capital.

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.

A public space, where everyone has free access and can participate in a multitude of cultural, educational, athletic, environmental and recreational activities and events. It includes the Greek National Opera, the National Library of Greece as well as the Stavros Niarchos Park, one of the largest green areas in Athens, covering 21 hectares.

The SNFCC was created thanks to an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which delivered it to the Greek State upon completion. SNFCC Single Member S.A. is a public-benefit nonprofit organization responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and the Stavros Niarchos Park while developing and organizing its own series of cultural, educational, environmental and sports activities. It is supervised by the Greek Ministry of Finance.

Redefinig Public Space
The SNFCC and the Stavros Niarchos Park design and construction have significantly contributed to the revitalization of Athens’ Kallithea neighborhood and the Faliro Delta waterfront area after years of neglect.

The high-quality events and activities organized, realized and hosted at the SNFCC, as well as the staff and collaborators’ professionalism, have made the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center a reference point in the greater Athens area, redefining the concept of public space.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is a public space open to all, without any barriers.

Architectural Landmark
Designed by the architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the SNFCC is a donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). In February 2017, upon the completion of its construction, the SNF delivered the SNFCC to the Greek State and society. SNFCC has earned significant architectural distinctions, including the 2018 Award for International Excellence of the Royal Institute of British Architects – RIBA.

Sustainability Hub
Sustainability has been an integral component and a priority of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center since its original inception. This sustainability mandate is reflected upon every aspect of the SNFCC, emerging as a new paradigm in terms of construction, operation, and maintenance of public places and infrastructures. 

Committed to being open to all, the SNFCC has been designed to be fully accessible to persons with disabilities. In addition, many educational programs are been organized to encourage collaboration among children with and without disabilities.

People aged over 65 with minor mobility impairments comprise another group for which the SNFCC has designed programs.

Learn more about the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center at SNFCC.org