Date: 13/11/2026

Abstract: Thin-film materials offer unique and tunable properties that can differ fundamentally from those of their bulk counterparts. Combining ultra-thin two-dimensional (2D) materials with conventional semiconductors opens new opportunities for innovative device concepts, particularly in sensing and information technologies.

This talk explores how established semiconductor processing technologies can be combined with 2D-material platforms to engineer novel material properties and device functionalities. The integration of different material classes provides versatile building blocks for highly nonlinear photonic sensors and systems that exploit the respective advantages of each across a broad range of applications. At the same time, these hybrid technologies enable the investigation and quantification of material properties using established measurement and characterization techniques.

Examples include heterostructure photodetectors for enhanced sensing, nonlinear amorphous-silicon and graphene photodetectors for optical ranging and 3D imaging, and thin-film memristors for advanced readout circuitry and neuromorphic computing. The talk highlights the underlying physical principles, technological approaches, and potential applications of these devices and discusses their performance relative to the state of the art.

About the Speaker:  Dr. Andreas Bablich studied Electrical Engineering with a focus on Microelectronic Systems at the University of Siegen and completed his diploma thesis in industry at Boehringer Ingelheim microParts in Dortmund. He received his PhD for the development of microspectral sensors and completed his habilitation in 2025 on novel nonlinear photonic sensors based on amorphous semiconductors and two-dimensional materials. His research focuses on advanced semiconductor and thin-film technologies, photonic sensing, and the development of application-specific sensor architectures. He has led research and infrastructure projects with more than €3.8 million in funding secured, authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters, and is a co-inventor of five patent families. In addition, he has been involved in establishing and managing semiconductor research infrastructures and technology lines at the University of Siegen and is actively engaged in teaching and mentoring. 

Recorded session: 

Date: 20/11/2026

Abstract: This lecture explores technological innovation and digital transformation in public administration, focusing on the opportunities and challenges involved in building more efficient, inclusive, and responsive public institutions. It examines how emerging technologies can improve public services while addressing structural barriers, unequal access, institutional capacity, and resistance to change. Particular attention is given to the strategic role of public universities in generating research, training public sector professionals, and connecting technological development with societal needs. The lecture invites reflection on how collaboration between universities and public institutions can support modernization processes that strengthen inclusion, accountability, and public value, ensuring that innovation advances collective well-being.

About the Speaker: Lucas Roberto Fenoglietto holds an Accounting degree from the National University of La Matanza (UNLaM), a postgraduate qualification in Public Sector Financial Administration from the University of Buenos Aires, and a master’s in Tax Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. He serves at ARCA’s General Tax Directorate, teaches and conducts research at UNLaM, and lectures in postgraduate programs. His research covers public finance, taxation, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and public sector digital transformation. An international conference speaker, he received a UNLaM scholarship for MOAS-OAS in Washington, D.C. (2017) and a Visiting Researcher invitation from the University of Bari Aldo Moro (2026). His publications include a coauthored book on public administration and finance. 

Date: 29/01/2027

Abstract: As automated systems increasingly decide who may access our data, which diagnosis a doctor should investigate, or what content we see, people need more than a decision: they need to understand it, question it, and act on it. In this talk, we explore what makes an explanation useful by distinguishing among attributive (why this decision?), contrastive (why this and not the alternative?), and actionable (what would change the outcome?) explanations. Starting from an everyday exchange with a generative AI assistant, we discuss when explanations are needed and what they should contain. We then present Gorgias, a preference-based argumentation framework whose dialectical reasoning returns, besides a supported decision, the arguments behind it, which applications turn into human-readable explanations. We illustrate this with the Gorgias Cloud environment and real-world applications: Medica, which supports health administrators in deciding access to medical records, and GAID, a gynecological diagnostic assistant. Such explanations also help developers validate the knowledge an application captures. Finally, we demonstrate rAIson, a no-code platform that lets non-experts model decision policies for everyday scenarios and obtain explainable decisions, thereby making explainable AI accessible to all.

About the Speaker: Nikolaos Spanoudakis is Assistant Professor at the Department of Electronic Engineering of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. His main research interests are in Engineering Intelligent Systems, Multi-agent Systems, Explainable AI and Applications of Computational Argumentation. He brings 25+ years of industry and EU-project digitalization experience. He has been awarded for teaching by the rectorate of the Technical University of Crete. Nikolaos is also co-founder of the Argument Theory start-up company in Paris/France. Argument Theory offers rAIson, a no-code symbolic AI platform that democratizes the design and deployment of explainable and trustable AI decision-making applications. He is a senior member of both IEEE and ACM and a member of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) prestigious network of excellence.

Date: 05/03/2027

Abstract: In an age when artificial intelligence is changing how knowledge is generated, institutional challenges in doctoral education threaten retention. The analysis outlines major barriers, including mental health and well-being, academic supervision, individual issues (work-life balance, finances, and motivation), academic competencies, and institutional issues (work organization). It has been found that AI offers help with personalized learning, intelligent support, and task automation. The talk will discuss the transformative role of AI in doctoral education for educational administrators, supervisors, and researchers.

About the Speaker: A Fulbright researcher at MIT working on post-conflict and post-disaster city recovery - bridging urban design, architecture, and economics to translate recovery challenges into actionable frameworks for policy, governance, and design practice. In parallel, I serve as Head of the Doctoral School at VILNIUS TECH, leading PhD education across 12 fields of science and strengthening the quality of supervision, research integrity, and internationalization at an institutional scale. I am an Associate Professor of Urban Design with academic experience including Aalto University, the University of New South Wales, and Kobe University, and as an Expert for the European Commission. Across these roles, I bring strengths in research strategy, partnership building, and evaluation of medium-to-large EU-funded projects—especially in impact pathways, consortium readiness, and implementation feasibility.

Date: 26/02/2027

Abstract: Satellite observations offer remarkable opportunities to monitor our land, soils, and agricultural systems. Yet, despite advances in technology, technical complexity, fragmented data, and concerns about the reliability of AI-generated information continue to limit their practical use. So, how can we make Earth observation accessible to everyone, while ensuring that the information we produce is reliable and trustworthy? This talk introduces GAIA, an AI tool that aims to bridge these gaps by enabling researchers, farmers, and decision-makers to explore satellite observations and perform geospatial analyses through simple, natural-language interactions. We will discuss how emerging Earth observation foundation models can support diverse land applications, while federated learning can improve trust and collaboration without requiring users to share their underlying data.

Practical examples will demonstrate how these technologies can support crop damage assessment following hurricanes and precision agriculture by translating multimodal satellite observations into information that informs real-world decisions. Ultimately, GAIA explores a simple but important question: Can we make advanced Earth observation tools as easy to use as asking a question, without compromising scientific reliability?

About the Speaker: Dr. Nikos Tziolas is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, specializing in artificial intelligence, Earth observation, and digital soil science. His research focuses on making geospatial intelligence more accessible, trustworthy, and scalable through foundation models, explainable AI, and federated learning. He leads interdisciplinary research integrating satellite observations, environmental sensing, and advanced AI to support sustainable agriculture and environmental monitoring. His work explores how intelligent systems can democratize access to Earth observation data while enabling decentralized, privacy-preserving collaboration across institutions and regions.

Date: 06/11/2026

Abstract: Exothermic reaction-based materials processing is well established via combustion synthesis. Although explosive oxidation of silicon (Si) is a highly exothermic, well-characterized reaction, its use as a standalone constructive processing method has remained unexplored. Here, it is reported for the first time the explosive oxidation-driven sintering of silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) into functional porous polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), achieved entirely through the material’s intrinsic energetic reaction, without external heating or a special oxidizing atmosphere. Si-NPs with 3 nm initial diameter are synthesized by nonthermal plasma decomposition of silane, deposited onto metallic meshes and substrates, and triggered by a single laser pulse to initiate a self-propagating explosive oxidation wave. The localized heat fuses neighboring Si-NPs into larger interconnected crystalline grains, forming a mixed-phase porous network of Si nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous Si-SiO₂ matrix. Two morphologies are obtained: branch-like macroporous networks (26 nm grains, 80 nm pores) and sponge-like macroporous networks (45 nm grains, 190 nm pores), corresponding to 9-fold and 15-fold increases in grain size, respectively. Crystallite size increases from 3 to 9 nm, while local crystallinity rises from ~70% to ~95%. This one-step, self-sustained, near-instantaneous bottom-up process is reproducible, scalable to cm² areas, morphologically controllable, and promising for Li-ion battery anodes.

About the Speaker: Hugo Manuel Brito Águas is Associate Professor and Head of the Materials Science Department at NOVA University Lisbon, and Co-leads the Photovoltaics Group at I3N-CENIMAT. His research advances nanomaterials, thin films, photonic structures, and silicon and perovskite-based optoelectronics for photovoltaics and biosensing.

He has been institutionally responsible for major European projects and coordinated several national research projects for flexible, tandem, and space-oriented photovoltaic technologies. He has authored 210 peer-reviewed papers, received over 7,100 citations (h-index 44), and supervised 7 PhD students and more than 32 Master’s students.

Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/H-shwJ-4wwE

Date: 05/02/2027

Abstract: Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly captured the interest of the scientific community due to their remarkable optical properties, which enable high power conversion efficiencies surpassing 28% for single-junction cells. Unlike crystalline Si solar cells, PSCs are more effective at absorbing light and can be “engineered” to use regions of the solar spectrum inaccessible to Si photovoltaics, while exhibiting much better tolerance for defects. Besides, the synthesis of PSCs is cost-effective, contrary to Si cells fabricated at high temperatures. Because of their solution-based fabrication, PSCs can be rollable and printable, unlike their rigid Si analogs. However, due to their layered structure, instabilities arise at the heterointerfaces between layers with different thermal and mechanical behavior. This challenge is addressed using high-performance multiscale computing, which entails classical and ab initio Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, together with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, focusing on the structural, thermal, optical, and mechanical response of these composite materials. Fusion of realistic, representative simulations with experimentation helps to guide the design of next-generation flexible PSCs. 

About the Speaker: Dr. Lempesis is a member of the Physical Chemistry Sector of the Department of Chemistry. His area of expertise is "Theoretical Physical Chemistry". His research lies at the intersection of Chemical Engineering, Computational Chemistry, and Materials Science, and focuses on using multiscale simulations to understand the structure-property relationships of matter. 

Dr. Lempesis holds two bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Technical Universities of Athens and Munich. After receiving his PhD in 2013, he worked as a postdoc at MIT. Immediately thereafter, he was employed for one year at ETH Zurich before engaging in a three-year research employment at the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, followed by a four-year employment at EPFL in Lausanne. Since 2025, he has held an Assistant Professor position (on the tenure track) in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ioannina. 

Date: 23/10/2026

Abstract: His presentation will explore how adaptation to salinity extends beyond technological solutions and water infrastructure, requiring broader transformations in farming systems at the landscape level, coordinated water and land management, value-chain development, and continuous learning.

About the Speaker: Dr. Dang Kieu Nhan is a Principal Researcher at the Mekong Institute, Can Tho University, Viet Nam. His research focuses on agricultural systems and rural transformation, emphasizing sustainable livelihoods and climate-resilient development in the Mekong region.

Recorded session: https://youtu.be/ljMrSdT6qJk 

Date: 12/03/2027

Abstract: Tourism demand does not necessarily generate domestic development because value leaks through global supply chains and dependence on concentrated origin markets amplifies vulnerability. My colleague, Prof. Maria S. Markkai, and I examine how economies capture tourism-induced value added using OECD Inter-Country Input–Output data, multi-regional input–output modeling, and network analysis. We measure reception, domestic retention, structural roles, and origin-market concentration. The system remains highly concentrated across crises, although crises reduce the intensity of diffusion and alter leadership. Reception and retention diverge. Vulnerability is distinct from tourism scale and retention. These findings qualify tourism-led growth arguments by conceptualizing development as structurally conditional. Policy should prioritize domestic supply-chain embeddedness and diversified origin markets rather than tourism volume alone.

About the Speaker: Dr. Angeliki Menegaki is a Professor of Applied Economics at the Hellenic Mediterranean University, with a specialization in tourism. She has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed international journals and academic books. Her academic service includes significant editorial experience as an Associate Editor for several Elsevier journals and as Editor of numerous collective academic volumes. Since 2020, she has been consistently listed in the Stanford University–Ioannidis database among the world's top 2% most influential scientists, reflecting the global impact of her research.

Date: 30/10/2026

Abstract:  Endophytic bacteria offer a promising strategy for sustainable crop production in salt-affected soils. We investigated the genomic features of Labedella endophytica FR-P-L-64 and Stutzerimonas stutzeri ISE-12 and their effects on four Poaceae varieties under salt stress. Genome analysis identified genes associated with indole-3-acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization, siderophore synthesis, and gamma-aminobutyric acid production. S. stutzeri ISE-12 harbored genes related to nitrogen metabolism and spermidine biosynthesis, whereas L. endophytica FR-P-L-64 possessed genes associated with ACC deaminase activity and glycine betaine production. Bacterial inoculation increased root length in two Lolium perenne varieties at 150 and 300 mM NaCl, whereas shoot length improved only at 150 mM NaCl. In two Triticum aestivum varieties, bacterial inoculation enhanced shoot and root length at 300 mM NaCl. These findings highlight that bacterial genomic features do not directly translate into plant growth promotion, and the response to bacterial inoculation depends on plant genotype and salinity level. 

About the Speaker: Jagoda Szydło is a PhD student specializing in microbiology and plant–microbe interactions at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. Her research focuses on the application of bacterial endophytes to mitigate salt stress in crop plants. 

The recorded session: https://youtu.be/-lANdodDhBQ 

Date: 30/10/2026

Abstract: Soil salinity and climate shape plant-associated microbiomes, yet pan-European data for halophytes are scarce. We analyzed bacterial communities (16S rRNA gene, Illumina MiSeq, ASVs) of the edible halophyte Salicornia europaea at ten saline sites in five European countries differing in climate, across four compartments: bulk soil, rhizosphere, root and shoot. Relative abundance of bacterial phyla and genera followed a soil-to-plant gradient, with effects specific to compartment and, in some cases, to site. Alpha diversity (observed ASVs, Shannon evenness E and Shannon diversity H′) differed most among sites in the rhizosphere and root, whereas bulk soil and shoot were more stable. Bacterial communities of S. europaea are thus shaped by plant compartment and site, with the rhizosphere and root responding most to climate and salinity.

About the Speaker: Debosmita Chakraborty is a final-year PhD candidate in plant microbiology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, studying how salinity and climatic factors shape the bacterial and fungal communities of the halophyte Salicornia europaea across Europe. Two first-author manuscripts submitted or in preparation; results presented at SUSTAIN Cairo (Best Poster Award, 2026), PTM Katowice (2026), and OBSIDIAN Toruń (2025), with an upcoming poster at DMS Copenhagen (2026).

The recorded session: https://youtu.be/-lANdodDhBQ 

Date:  27/11/2026

Abstract: Medicines protect human health, but their journey does not end with the patient. Pharmaceutical residues enter wastewater, rivers, soil, and food chains, where they can harm ecosystems and even fuel antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Climate change intensifies this challenge by altering temperature, rainfall, and water availability, and, with them, the ways people and wildlife are exposed to these substances. This talk introduces a new research interest for my team, Ecopharmacovigilance (EPV), an emerging field that extends traditional drug safety monitoring to the environment. We will briefly review the foundations of pharmacovigilance (EMA, WHO, ICH), then explore how pharmaceuticals behave in the environment, what ecotoxicological risks they pose, and talk about Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA), which helps us evaluate them. Drawing on pharmacology, environmental science, microbiology, and regulatory frameworks, we will argue for an integrated "human and environmental safety" approach. It also shows how such thinking supports ESG and sustainability goals in the pharmaceutical sector.

About the Speaker: Dr. Dimitrios Skliros serves as an Assistant Professor at the School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens, with expertise in Environmental Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He is teaching courses such as Plant–Microbe Interactions, Environmental and Marine Biotechnology, and Microbial Biotechnology. In addition, he teaches in the joint postgraduate program of the Department of Biotechnology, “Systems Biology,” offering courses such as “Environmental Molecular Biology” and “Model Organisms”. Dr. Skliros is a young ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) in Greece. His research interests include molecular microbiology, environmental biotechnology, bioprospecting, and microbial biotechnology, focusing on microbial interactions with abiotic, biotic, and xenobiotic factors across diverse habitats. 

Date: 28/05/2027

Abstract: Memristors offer a promising platform for neuromorphic computing by mimicking key features of biological synapses and integrating memory and computation into a single device. In this talk, I will discuss my work on biocompatible memristive devices, with a focus on low-voltage operation, gradual conductance modulation, and biologically inspired plasticity. I will also highlight how material choice and switching mechanisms shape device behavior, and how these properties can be used to reproduce synaptic functions such as short-term and long-term plasticity. More broadly, the work explores how biocompatible memristors could help bridge neuromorphic electronics and bioelectronics, enabling future adaptive devices that can operate more naturally alongside biological systems.

About the Speaker: George Psaltakis is a PhD candidate in Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where he works on biocompatible neuromorphic devices, focusing on memristive technologies. He is an alumnus of the Hellenic Mediterranean University and has also held a visiting research assistant position at Johns Hopkins University. His PhD is supported by the Cambridge Trust George and Marie Vergottis Scholarship and the Jesus College Embiricos Scholarship. He also serves as President of the postgraduate community at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Date: 22/01/2027

Abstract: Wearable biosensing technologies are advancing personalized healthcare through increasingly accessible, real-time, and intelligent monitoring. This talk presents two complementary contributions addressing sensing performance and the fabrication of materials relevant to future wearable healthcare systems. First, a low-cost electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based titanium suboxide (TiOx) pH sensor with silver electrodes is demonstrated for smart-bandage applications. The sensor achieves a sensitivity of −27.8 Ω/pH over the pH 4–8 range and exhibits only a 2.25% loss of sensitivity after one month, demonstrating enhanced stability compared with polyaniline. Thermal annealing further recovers 95.7% of the sensitivity, supporting recalibration and extended sensor lifetime. Second, I will present a rapid in situ characterization method for three-dimensional electrospun foams using grounding-voltage signal features. The L9 Taguchi method has been utilized for experimental design. Validated against conventional post-fabrication analysis (including SEM and freeze-drying), the method enables repeatable identification of optimal fabrication conditions (adjR2 = 0.84) while reducing characterization time. Such electrospun structures have potential relevance as (on-demand) therapeutic substrates. Together, these advances contribute to stable sensing, efficient material manufacturing and potentially closed-loop systems for future personalized healthcare technologies.

About the Speaker: Kyriakos Almpanidis is a PhD candidate at the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), University of Surrey, under the supervision of Dr. Vlad Stolojan and Prof. S. Ravi P. Silva. He received his Integrated Master (M.Eng.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece, where he completed his master's thesis on surgical robotics under the supervision of Prof. Zoe Doulgeri. He also received Turing Scheme funding for a research placement at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan. His research interests include smart wearables, electrochemistry, biosensors, microfabrication and electrospinning.

Date: 18/12/2026

Abstract: Every thought, movement, and sensation is carried by tiny electrical signals in our nerves. Medicine has learned to speak this language: pacemakers keep hearts in rhythm, cochlear implants restore hearing, and electrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord treats Parkinson's disease and chronic pain. Yet most of today's implants are made of stiff metal and rigid plastic and are placed inside some of the softest tissues in the body. The body responds by surrounding them with scar tissue, which degrades their performance over time and limits their ability to function.

This talk introduces a new generation of neural implants built from soft, ultra-thin electronics, thinner than a hair and flexible enough to follow the contours of the nervous system. I will explain how these devices work and why their materials matter. I will then present our work at Cambridge on a flexible implant that wraps around the spinal cord, and show how, combined with deep neural networks, it can read signals linked to movement and sensation from the cord. I will close with the open challenges, from long-term reliability to wireless power and the ethics of neural data, on the path from laboratory to patient.

About the Speaker: Salim El Hadwe is a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, developing soft, thin-film implants that record from and stimulate the brain and spinal cord. After qualifying in medicine and doing his neurosurgical training at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Salim is completing a PhD in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at Cambridge. 

His work is at the intersection of neurosurgery, electrical engineering, and machine learning: designing flexible devices that wrap around the spinal cord, testing them in preclinical models, and using deep neural networks to decode movement and sensation from the signals they capture. The long-term goal is to bring these technologies to people living with spinal cord injury, chronic pain and other neurological conditions.

Date: 12/02/2027

Abstract: Students increasingly turn to AI not only for answers but for comfort. Recent studies show that one in six US college students uses chatbots for companionship, and that short-term relief can turn into dependence linked to anxiety, burnout, and loneliness (Liu et al., 2026). At the same time, online learning can quietly erode a sense of belonging, while grades remain stable and real learning declines. This talk examines these risks through an extreme test case, Ukrainian higher education during the full-scale war. Drawing on international evidence and our research at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, including reflective writing in international virtual exchanges, the talk shows what protected students' well-being and what quietly broke. The key message is that the danger lies not in AI or digital tools themselves, but in using them to replace human connection. Participants will leave with a practical, evidence-based toolkit for designing predictable, disruption-ready courses; setting clear AI rules with AI-free mastery tasks; applying trauma-informed teaching and compassionate flexibility; and organizing virtual exchanges that build belonging rather than only intercultural skills. Lessons learned during crisis times apply to every university navigating the age of AI. 

About the Speakers: Yuliana Lavrysh is a Doctor of Science (Education) and Professor, currently serving as the HoD of English Language for Engineering at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Her research focuses on higher education in times of crisis, virtual exchange, trauma-informed teaching, and the integration of digital technologies into teaching. She developed the RAFT framework, which helps educators run virtual exchange projects during crises. Her recent work explores how education can provide emotional support for students in wartime and how AI is reshaping learning, assessment, and student well-being.   

Iryna Simkova is a Doctor of Science (Education), Professor, and is currently serving as the HoD of English Language for Humanities at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Her research and publications are closely connected with the integration of digital technologies, virtual exchange methodology, diversity, and inclusion in the learning environment. As an expert, she has good experience in organizing and coordinating virtual exchange projects in cooperation with colleagues from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA, Yokohama National University, Japan, and the University of Leon, Spain.

Date:  11/12/2026

Abstract: The aim of this session is to provide a comprehensive overview of Greek higher education’s internationalization strategy, including the policy reforms, various promotion activities, strategic international partnership programs, and various international projects implemented in the framework of the evolving relationship between the Greek state, higher education institutions, and SiG to promote enhanced collaboration between Greek and international higher education institutions, recruit international students and globalize Greek campuses, and attract foreign university branch campuses to Greece. 

About the Speaker: Dr. Theodoros Papaioannou is the CEO of Study in Greece (SiG). In this capacity, he designs and oversees SiG’s various projects, programs, and activities aimed at promoting Greek universities globally and fostering collaboration between Greek and international universities. Dr. Papaioannou maintains a broad view of the internationalization of Greek higher education, connects themes, activities, and initiatives related to Greek universities’ outreach, and provides strategic input and consulting to Greek universities on their internationalization. He holds a PhD in Digital Humanities and an M.A. in Intercultural Relations and Communication from Université Paul Valéry Montpellier – France, and a B.A. in International and European Studies from the University of Piraeus – Greece.