The American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) in cooperation with the University of Jena (Germany) and the Foreign Affairs Institute (www.fainst.eu) is organizing for the third consecutive year its Kavala International Summer School in international relations, reconciliation studies, and diplomacy (Kavala, 25-31 August 2024).

The subject of the academic lectures, seminars and discussions during the Summer 2024 is the pivotal role of the Republic of Cyprus in international relations, energy issues and the geostrategic interests of the Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, especially in the MENA region and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Summer School combines academic theory and the praxis of diplomacy to analyze policies and behaviors at the local, national, and international levels under the guidance of well-known professors, scholars, diplomats, and businessmen. In addition, the participants/students will be able to improve their professional skills as they will work on real cases with academics, leaders, and diplomats. This year, the summer school organizers are happy to welcome doctoral students from Waseda University, Japan as participants and discussants.

For more information on the program and the proceedings, please contact one of the following:

Dr. Maria Kyriakidou. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dr. Christos Aliprantis, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dr. Theodoros Theodorou, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Foreign Affairs Institute, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kevin Basia, a Political Science and International Relations student at ACT, recently attended a two-day event organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation on May 21-22, 2024, in Brussels. The “Protecting Pluralism and Euro-Mediterranean Societies” event brought together youth, institutional representatives, civil society organizations, practitioners, academics, and community leaders. The discussions aimed to find solutions to enhance the protection and promotion of pluralism and diversity in Euro-Mediterranean societies. Kevin had the unique opportunity to represent religious minorities in Greece, promoting understanding and inclusivity.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Entrepreneurial and Corporate Marketing Strategy course (MKT 301) students, under the guidance of Dr. Eirini Tsichla, Assistant Professor of Marketing, had the opportunity to enhance their learning experience using a Market Simulation Game. The ACT students formed three teams that competed internationally.

The Game scenario required students to undertake the roles of Marketing Executives and lead the new marketing division of an international firm. Students were required to practice crucial business concepts, develop strategies, and practice problem-solving in a real-world business environment. Key strategic decisions included the selection of world markets, development of brands, design of advertising campaigns, and recruitment of salespeople. In addition, students were able to monitor and understand the impact of these decisions on the company’s financial performance.

Throughout this hands-on educational journey, this year’s students achieved a remarkable accomplishment: The three ACT teams were ranked among the top 15% of the student teams that ever played the game worldwide while two teams entered the top 10% Hall of Fame!

The students were rewarded for their performance by receiving their certificates and collecting their digital badges that showcase this achievement on their resumés and LinkedIn profiles.

Haris Lalatsis graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration in 2005 and upon completing his obligatory army service, returned to earn an MBA in Marketing in 2008. After finishing his studies, he started working in market research and then in 2019, he launched his own market research company, ierax analytix. Currently, the company has offices in Thessaloniki and Athens, and collaborates with some of the biggest FMCG brands in Greece such as Lidl, Masoutis, Misko, Beyond Meat, Instacar and many more.

Haris also serves as a mentor in various incubators around Greece, a board member of Marketing Club Greece, and a TEDx speaker.

The best memory I have of ACT …

My bachelor’s graduation. You don’t feel it so much then, but you understand why it was so important after it was over. Also, the whole ceremony was beautiful, and I felt like we had achieved something so important.

My favorite professor was...

Well, I can’t name one, so I’ll name four: Vlachos, who made me love statistics with his vast knowledge; Kessapidou, for our epic fights while I was a student but whose teachings were so important in the real world; Kourkoumelis, who believed in me as few people did at that time; and Mousiades, who made me love market research.

My favorite spot on campus was …

all the labs and classrooms in the lower level of the Bissel Library. They were always so serene and calm, and I could concentrate there. It felt more to me like a university than the other buildings. And, it was cool during the hot days!

ACT helped me…

to prepare for the business world. It got me into a schedule, and I learned how to work. I Came in ACT a bit raw and got out a person who knew how to handle responsibilities. I needed some discipline and to be inspired.

The elements that characterize the identity of ACT graduates…

Innovation and a sense of creativity. We rarely like to stay still and we want to change things. I feel that most of us want to become something more.

For me ACT is ….

the place where I learned about my craft. Where I got to love what I do now, here is where I got ready for the business world. And I feel proud about that.

The best part of my job is …

listening to consumers and trying to understand them, and then, actually seeing my effect on some of the biggest brands in Greece, it’s thrilling.

I consider this an important moment in my professional journey…

when I decided to start my own business. A huge risk that almost nobody believed in. But I believed in it so that was enough, I guess. A leap of faith.

In the future, I want …

to try and be happier. It sounds sad, but I think we forget about it as we grow up. We put all these responsibilities on our shoulders, and we don’t remember to be happy.

Click on the links below to see our featured stories across Political Science & International Relations faculty, students, and alumni:

Faculty Highlights

21 February 2023: Dr. Christos Aliprantis, ACT adj., gave a lecture at the Center of Hellenic Studies at Harvard University

27 June 2023: ACT faculty member, Dr. Christos Aliprantis, secures funding for his postdoctoral research

20 March 2024: ACT faculty member Christos Aliprantis wins visiting research fellowship at Princeton University and a Fulbright Grant at George Washington University

28 May 2024: ACT faculty member Christos Aliprantis mentors public high school students

Student Highlights

11 May 2018: ACT student is the recipient of the Newman Civic Fellowship

Alumni Highlights

23 October 2018: Meet Ermal, the International Relations Alumnus

21 November 2018: Meet Valentini, the International Relations Alumna

11 June 2019: Jana Arsovska ACT ’03. Spotlight on this year's Commencement speaker

12 November 2019: Nicole Morgret '07 reaches Capitol Hill!

11 February 2021: Interview with Ilda Zhulali, ACT ’01, Advisor for European Integration of the President of Albania

Four of our outstanding Computer Science students had the opportunity to showcase their research and scholarly work at the Medical Education Informatics 2024 (MEI 2024) International Conference, held in Thessaloniki on June 10-11. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Alexander Astaras, Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) and a distinguished Research Associate in the Lab of Medical Physics, Dept. of Medicine (AUTH), Greece, these students demonstrated exceptional academic prowess and innovation.  

Final year Computer Science student Ariton Veselinoski has been performing research and development in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Informatics to create an automated scoring Computer Vision system for the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). This test is an evaluation measure used to assess upper extremity performance (coordination, dexterity, and functioning) primarily in patients suffering from brain or spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, or recovering from stroke. The prototype system uses state-of-the-art Computer Vision algorithms customized with Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence running on an inexpensive personal computer and mobile phone. The automated scoring system enables doctors to follow their patients' rehabilitation or symptom-management progress daily, as opposed to being able to assess them whenever it is convenient for them to visit a healthcare professional. The impact of such a system would be more frequent, objective data available to doctors, who can more accurately optimize their patients' physical rehabilitation and pharmaceutical treatment.

Mr. Veselinoski's research has been performing this research towards his final year thesis at ACT Computer Science, under Dr. Alexander Astaras's supervision and in collaboration with the Medical School at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). The research is described in a scientific paper abstract titled "A prototype automated version of the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) for assessing upper extremity performance using the YOLO computer vision algorithm for real-time object detection," which has been accepted for oral presentation at the Medical Education Informatics 2024 (MEI 2024) international conference to take place in Thessaloniki on June 10-11th.

Third-year students Thomai Chatzidaniil, Tassos Nikiforidis, and Ina Ramo have been performing research in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Electronics to design, test, and calibrate a dermatological scanner prototype device (project DermaSense). This scanner is based on the acquisition of Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy data to help support Dermatological diagnosis and medical decisions, particularly in ambiguous cases of skin cancer. The device injects small amounts of electrical current across various frequencies through the skin. Then, an algorithm obtains the signal absorption spectrum and compares it to known patterns associated with particular types of skin disease.

Ms. Chatzidaniil, Mr. Nikiforidis, and Ms. Ramo have been performing their research under Dr. Alexander Astaras's supervision at ACT Computer Science, in collaboration with the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).  They are expected to extend and continue their research collaboration towards their capstone thesis next year. Their research and development work is described in a scientific paper abstract titled "Sensor data fusion based on Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Dermatological Diagnosis" which has been accepted for oral presentation at the Medical Education Informatics 2024 (MEI 2024) international conference to take place in Thessaloniki on June 10-11th.

• The conference was hosted at the KEDEA Building, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. It was a joint effort between the School of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) and the School of Health Sciences of the University of Nottingham (UK), two renowned institutions in the field. MEI 2024 brought together researchers and practitioners in the multi-disciplinary areas of Medical/Health Education, patient education and engagement, Open Education educational technology and technology enhanced learning, Medicine/Health 2.0/3.0/4.0, Artificial Intelligence in Health Education, Simulation and new pedagogical approaches in Health Education and to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of their research activities.

Σημείωση

Το παρόν πρόγραμμα διδάσκεται στα ελληνικά. Οι διαφάνειες των παρουσιάσεων και το μάθημα, παρ' όλ' αυτά, περιλαμβάνουν ορολογία στα αγγλικά, γι' αυτό και απαιτείται καλή γνώση της αγγλικής γλώσσας για την παρακολούθησή του.

Training Objectives 

By the end of the program participants will:
• Appreciate the underlying aspects of job interviews 
• Learn interview techniques and tips- best practice interview questions
• Understand what the key interviewing skills are

Who Should Attend

The training program is ideal for job seekers, career changers, and professionals aiming to enhance their interview skills and excel in the job application process. 

Program Details

Program Outline

Introducing Interview Skills

• The importance of the interview process
• Recruitment process 
• The selection and assessment stage

Key Interviewing Skills

• Types of questions
• Probing techniques
• Legal Issues 

Preparation & Structure

• Preparation  
• Gathering information
• Engaging & Closing 

Interview in action

• Roleplaying  
• Videos
• Common mistakes/ Biases

Candidate Assessment

• Reference checks 
• Common evaluation faults
•  Psychometric Tests

Wrap up

• Closing 
• Objectives review
• Q&A

Application Process

Register here

Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate from ACT.

After sending the application form, a representative of ACT's Lifelong Learning Center will contact you for your registration and payment process.

More Information

You can contact the ACT Lifelong Learning Center at +302310-398430 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. using "Unlocking Interview Success" as your subject.

Meet the Lecturer

This is an introduction to algorithmic thinking and structured programming using the C++ language. Students are introduced to the basic elements of computing hardware, information technology and computer programming fundamentals such as variables, operators, conditionals, loops, functions, arrays and record data structures. The course also covers the use of libraries, data streams and access to operating system resources (file I/O). All topics covered are presented, demonstrated and practiced using C++, inviting students to consider algorithmic solutions to a variety of computing problems. This course advances beyond basic computing skills towards Computer Science, instructing students to develop autonomy as sophisticated computer users, algorithmic thinkers and programmers.

Prereq: Basic computing, numerical and analytical skills.

This fast-paced course is taught in English over a period of one month (June 17 - July 17, 2024) and involves lectures, laboratory sessions and design challenges. It is instructed by a member of the ACT Computer Science faculty with a PhD in Electronics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

Who can sign up for this course?

The course is open to College students as well as to selected, top performing high school juniors and seniors who can gain valuable early experience with a US College curriculum taught in English (attendance certificate supplied). CS115 is a 1st year university level course. Strong performing Lyceum & IDBP students with a solid background in high school Physics and English may be accepted after a brief interview with the course instructor. No prior knowledge of programming is required.

Course Schedule

During the 2024 summer term, the CS115 course will be meeting from June 17^th to July 17^th 2024 every M-Tu-W-Th morning 11:30-14:00, with a 15’ break half-way.

Indicative Content Covered

• Analog and binary signals.
• Machine code and higher-level languages.
• Compilers
• Algorithms
• Problem decomposition, stepwise refinement, iterative code design
• Pseudocode, flowcharts
• Compiling and running a simple C++ program
• C++ primitive data types
• Storing and changing values in variables
• Control flow and structured programming in C++
• Arrays, structures, composite structures
• File I/O
• Records (structs), the precursors of objects
• Object-oriented features of C++
• Pointers and variable addresses
• Exception handling
• Debugging and solution verification

More about the professor:

Dr. Alexander Astaras is Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) and a Research Associate in the Lab of Medical Physics, Dept. of Medicine (AUTH), Greece. He obtained his BA in Physics from Oberlin College, Ohio, USA and his PhD in Electronics and Artificial Intelligence from the Electrical Engineering Dept. of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He is an Electronics and Biomedical Engineer, the author of more than 35 peer-reviewed publications in these fields. He has designed and tested several prototype electronic chips & supervised numerous undergraduate and MSc theses in biomedical engineering and electronics. He is an active member of the IEEE and the Hellenic Biomedical Engineering Society (ELEVIT). He works in analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits, system-on-chip and lab-on-chip integration as well as mapping artificial neural networks on silicon. His research interests include biomedical micro-electro-mechanical data acquisition sensors, low power mixed-signal VLSI electronics design, machine learning and medical robotics. He is also interested in using robotics to promote science and engineering in secondary and university level education.

Contact email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Enrollment for Summer 2024 has started.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office at +30 2310 398 398 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The ACT patio buzzed with laughter and warm reminiscences on Friday, May 31, 2024, as over 250 alumni from Greece, the Balkans, and Europe gathered for an unforgettable Homecoming celebration. This unique Centennial Homecoming was more than just a reunion—it was a heartfelt tribute to the enduring bonds between graduates, their beloved professors, and the ACT community that shaped their lives.

As old friends embraced and classmates swapped stories from their college days, the air was electric with emotion and joy.

The event was a poignant part of Anatolia College's Centennial Celebrations, commemorating its historic relocation to Thessaloniki in 1924 and the vital role ACT has played in its legacy.

Dr. Panos Vlachos, President of Anatolia College, warmly welcomed the alumni, highlighting the profound significance of this milestone year and the importance of ACT within the Anatolia College ecosystem. Evripidis Konstantinidis, President of the ACT Alumni Association, also extended a heartfelt welcome, underlining the association's role in fostering lifelong connections and encouraging alumni to nurture their ties with the institution and each other. In a touching moment, Mr. Konstantinidis, on behalf of the Alumni Board, presented Dr. Eleni Godi, Coordinator of the BA in English and a cherished professor, with a well-deserved distinction for her dedicated service to ACT.

Dr. Panos Vlachos, Evripidis Konstantinidis, Dr. Eleni Godi, Dr. Stamos Katramouzis, ACT Provost

We're deeply grateful to each and every one of you who attended and made this Homecoming so special. Your presence and participation truly made a difference. Here's to many more years of celebrating our vibrant and diverse alumni community!

ACT Alumni Association Board members 

See more pictures

On April 12, 2024, The American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) - Division of Humanities and Social Sciences hosted a one-day conference titled "Navigating Global Opportunities: Exploring Diverse Career Paths in the Social Sciences" at the Bissell Library from 12:00 to 15:00.

Dr. Stamos Karamouzis, ACT Provost

The well-attended conference comprised two panels. The first focused on career paths in diplomacy and the wider public sector. It featured speakers such as Mr. Isaac Hansen-Joseph, Economic Counselor and Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki, Ms. Jasmina Milačić, Consul General of the Republic of Serbia, Ms. Katerina Tsapikidou, Director of International Relations Service at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Thanos Papaioannou, President of the Greek Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (ASEP). A short Q&A session followed this panel. The diplomats discussed the skills necessary for their professional field, while the President of ASEP presented professional opportunities in the Greek public sector. 

Isaac Hansen-Joseph, Ms. Katerina Tsapikidou, Jasmina Milačić, Dr. Thanos Papaioannou

Dr. Thanos Papaioannou

The conference continued with the second panel, which explored the career paths of ACT alumni/ae and opportunities in the private sector. Speakers included Mr. Antonios Platias, Brigadier General (ret.) from the Foreign Affairs Institute, Dr. Maya Davidovic, a Lecturer at Cardiff University, Dr. Sotiris Themistokleous, Director of Institutional Development at the Center for Social Innovation in Cyprus, and Ms. Karina Iskandarova, Founder of Charisma Works. Mr. Platias spoke primarily about think tanks and civil society, while the ACT graduates focused on their paths to professional development.

Karina Iskandarova

Dr. Maya Davidovic, Dr. Sotiris Themistokleous 

Dr. Stamos Karamouzis, ACT Provost, Dr. Maria Kyriakidou, Chair, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Karina Iskandarova, Antonios Platias