On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) held a successful ceremony to confer an honorary doctorate upon Professor Mihalis Yannakakis, a graduate of NTUA and a faculty member of the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University, USA. The honorary doctorate was awarded by the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of NTUA.

During the ceremony, greetings were delivered by the Rector of NTUA, Professor Ioannis K. Chatjigeorgiou, and the Dean of the School, Professor Panagiotis Tsanakas. The honoree’s scientific and research work was presented by Professor Aristidis Pagourtzis.

This was followed by the official conferral ceremony and the awarding of the NTUA Medal to Professor Yannakakis, who then delivered a lecture titled: “Explorations in the Land of Algorithms.”

A Few Words About Professor Michalis Yannakakis

Professor Michalis Yannakakis is one of the leading scientists in the field of Theoretical Computer Science, with international influence and contributions. He is renowned for his work in computational complexity, databases, software verification and testing, and graph algorithm theory.

He graduated from NTUA in 1975 with a degree in electrical engineering and received his Ph.D. in computer science from Princeton University in 1979. He joined Bell Laboratories and served as Director of the Computing Principles Research Department from 1991 to 2001. He then worked at Avaya Laboratories until 2002. In 2002, he joined Stanford University, and since 2004 he has been a professor at Columbia University, holding the Percy K. and Vida L. W. Hudson Chair.

He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences. He has received the Knuth Prize, the Distinguished Technical Staff Award, and the Bell Labs President's Gold Award. He is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and of Bell Laboratories. In 2020, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

NTUA is proud to welcome Professor Mihalis Yannakakis back in his new capacity as a member of the distinguished circle of its Honorary Doctors.

The Administrative Council of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), in its session held on June 25, 2025, approved the establishment of a spin-off company of NTUA under the name "Ethics and Integrity Check: Ethics and Integrity for Sustainability P.C.", with the trade name "EIChecked", as well as the university’s participation in the company's share capital.

EIChecked is a spin-off founded by Prof. K. Charitidis, Dr. Eleni Spyrakou, and Ms. Vaia Stavridi.

The aim of the spin-off is to develop specialized tools and methodologies that promote transparency, integrity, and social acceptance in the research process and the development of technological solutions.

According to the approved business plan, EIChecked will operate in the following areas:

• SSH Impact Assessment Tool:
  The core product of EIChecked will be the SSH Impact Assessment Tool—an innovative tool offering a comprehensive approach that integrates humanities and social science dimensions into technological research and development.
• Strategic Development Support Services:
  EIChecked will provide services that support the implementation of its tools, assisting businesses, organizations, research institutions, and governmental bodies in strategic development, social and ethical impact assessment, and the application of social responsibility policies.
• Collaboration & Networking Platform:
  EIChecked will develop an online collaboration platform that enables networking among researchers, institutions, businesses, and social scientists. The goal is to facilitate knowledge exchange and best practices, strengthen links between research and business sectors, and foster partnerships that promote innovation with social impact.
• Certification Services:
  EIChecked's long-term goal is to establish a reliable certification framework that will recognize the quality of technological solutions that meet ethical standards, research integrity, and social responsibility.

As a spin-off of the National Technical University of Athens, EIChecked enhances NTUA’s role as a hub of responsible technological innovation, bringing ethical evaluation, sustainability, and transparency to the forefront of research and development. Through its services, the company will provide organizations and institutions with the necessary tools to understand, anticipate, and manage the social consequences of innovation—linking technological advancement with the common good.

With great success, the lecture by Dimitris Bertsimas, Professor and Vice Provost for Open Learning at MIT, took place on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at the Zografou Campus of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The lecture was titled: "Universal AI and the Future of Education."

The event attracted significant interest not only from the NTUA community—gathering numerous students, academics, and researchers—but also from representatives of the political and business sectors, NTUA sponsors and donors, professors from other Greek universities, and alumni associations of U.S. higher education institutions. In addition to the packed auditorium, the lecture was broadcast live via streaming and drew a large online audience.

In his opening remarks, NTUA Rector Professor Ioannis Chatzigeorgiou introduced Dimitris Bertsimas, a graduate of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NTUA. Bertsimas became an Assistant Professor at MIT at the age of just 26 and was promoted to Full Professor by the age of 32, making him one of the youngest professors in MIT’s history. In 2005, he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to optimization theory and stochastic systems, and their applications in economics and transportation. This past May, MIT awarded him its highest faculty honor, the James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award for 2025–2026, recognizing his deep scientific expertise, innovation, and societal contributions. His recent project, Universal AI, aspires to gradually educate over 1 billion people in artificial intelligence and make AI transparent, interpretable, and directly applicable in everyday decision-making.

Rector Chatzigeorgiou concluded his remarks by recalling a phrase Bertsimas often uses:

"Science without application is incomplete. Our mission is to turn knowledge into impact and focus on solving problems that bring meaningful change — not in fifty years, but now."

This phrase encapsulates an entire philosophy about the role of scientists, researchers, and academics—one that aligns perfectly with NTUA's mission to produce high-quality scientific knowledge and transform it into tangible, positive impact for society, the economy, and the environment.

Professor Bertsimas then reflected on his journey from Greece and the NTUA School of Electrical and Computer Engineering to international academic acclaim, emphasizing the pivotal role that NTUA and its professors played in his development. In his lecture, he highlighted the impact of Artificial Intelligence in critical areas such as education, teaching, healthcare, and weather forecasting, sparking great interest and meaningful discussion.

The Universal AI program, which aims to gradually educate over 1 billion people in artificial intelligence, combines horizontal technologies (such as optimization, machine learning, and language models) with vertical applications (such as health, energy, and education), with the goal of immediately transforming knowledge into action.

It was an honor for NTUA to host one of its most distinguished alumni, Dimitris Bertsimas, who today holds a leading global position in the fields of operations research and artificial intelligence. His presence at NTUA—not only as a pioneering scientist but also as the visionary behind Universal AI—symbolizes the fruitful connection between the university and the forefront of global science and technology, as well as the administration’s commitment to further collaboration in this domain.

The School of Rural and Surveying Engineering – Geoinformatics  of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) co-organized and hosted the international conference titled:
“Build Back Better the Self-Made Cities: Actions for Formalizing Informal Constructions & Improving the Geospatial Ecosystems, Land Tools & Land Policies.”

The conference took place from June 18 to 20, 2025, in collaboration with:

• UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), via WPLA (Working Party on Land Administration) and REM (Real Estate Market Advisory Group)
• The Ministry of Environment and Energy
• The Ministry of Digital Governance
• The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
• The European Group of Surveyors (EGoS)
• The World Bank

More than 250 participants from 35 countries, including high-ranking government officials, representatives of local authorities, land registry organizations from UNECE member states (such as Greece, Germany, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Bosnia, Malta, Cyprus, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Israel, Spain, and Italy), as well as academics, private sector representatives, students, and researchers, participated in a three-day event of fruitful dialogue and experience exchange. Topics addressed included:

• Progress in formalizing informal constructions and remaining challenges in UNECE countries
• Urban regeneration in the digital age and sustainable development
• Disaster management and monitoring through geospatial technologies
• Upgrading informal urban settlements
• The housing problem and real estate markets
• Land conflict resolution and strengthening urban resilience
• The complexity of permitting procedures and illegal construction
• The contribution of land registries to land management
• Research and educational issues in land administration
• The role of geospatial ecosystems in proper land use
• Enhancing transparency and sustainability in the real estate market
• The use of Artificial Intelligence in geoinformatics
• Protection of cultural heritage from climate change and the role of land registries
• Government policies on the economy, digital governance, spatial and urban planning, cultural heritage protection, and city resilience in the face of climate change and pandemics

The opening ceremony featured greetings from:

• The Rector of NTUA, Professor Ioannis Chatzigeorgiou
• The Dean of the School, Professor Maria Tsakiri
• The President of FIG, Dr Diane Dumashie (United Kingdom)
• Professor Chryssi A. Potsiou, Honorary President of FIG and elected Vice-Chair of the WPLA committee for the upcoming term, along with representatives from institutional partners

A session of particular interest took place on Thursday, June 19, at the Ministry of Digital Governance, with the participation of:

• The Ministers of Environment and Energy, Mr. Papastavrou, and Digital Governance, Mr. Papastergiou
• Deputy Ministers, Mr. Tagaras and Ms. Tsafou
• The President of the Green Fund, Mr. Androulakis
• The President of the Technical Chamber of Greece, Mr. Stasinos,
• And general secretaries from seven Greek ministries, as well as the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania

The conference was honored by the presence of distinguished representatives from international organizations, government agencies, universities, research centers, and professional chambers. Central themes of the conference included:

• Collaboration among all involved stakeholders (politicians, local authorities, professionals, academics, students, researchers) aiming for convergence on common goals and the enhancement of social cohesion
• Linking scientific research with policy-making
• The contribution of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineers to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda

The event concluded with a technical visit and seminar in Santorini, focusing on local challenges related to land management and spatial planning in small island environments under pressure (overtourism, international real estate market and housing, informal construction, rapid development and agricultural activity, natural disaster risk management, climate crisis, etc.)

The visit was followed by a roundtable discussion, aiming to develop a scientific study, and concluded with a tour of the island and a visit to the volcano.

Πρόσκληση Εκδήλωση Ενδιαφέροντος  στο πλαίσιο της Πράξης με τίτλο «Απόκτηση Ακαδημαϊκής Διδακτικής Εμπειρίας στο Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο για το ακαδημαϊκό έτος 2025-2026», ΥΠ1 Απόκτηση Ακαδημαϊκής Διδακτικής Εμπειρίας σε νέους/νέες επιστήμονες κατόχους διδακτορικού, Ακαδημαϊκού Έτους 2025-2026, ΕΜΠ MIS 6034628» Σχολής Ναυπηγών Μηχανολόγων Μηχανικών , με επιστημονικό Υπεύθυνο τον Αντιπρύτανη Ακαδημαϊκών Υποθέσεων και Διά Βίου Εκπαίδευσης, Καθ. Α. Ζήση.

ΚΑΤΑΛΗΚΤΙΚΗ ΗΜΕΡΟΜΗΝΙΑ ΥΠΟΒΟΛΗΣ: 01-08-2025

Η αίθουσα διδασκαλίας Ζ204 (χωρητικότητας 119 θέσεων) και το αμφιθέατρο Ζ (χωρητικότητας 132 θέσεων) στο κτίριο Ζ της Σχολής  Μηχανολόγων Μηχανικών ανακαινίστηκαν πρόσφατα με πόρους του ΕΛΚΕ/ΕΜΠ για να προσφέρουν ένα πλήρως λειτουργικό περιβάλλον διδασκαλίας.

Στην αίθουσα Ζ204 πραγματοποιήθηκαν εργασίες επισκευής και αντικατάστασης των εδράνων, επισκευής πινάκων, βαφής των τοίχων, επισκευής παραθύρων, ενώ ταυτόχρονα η αίθουσα αναβαθμίστηκε με την εγκατάσταση νέου οπτικοακουστικού εξοπλισμού για τη διευκόλυνση της παρακολούθησης μαθημάτων δια ζώσης και εξ αποστάσεως. Ο νέος εξοπλισμός διαθέτει: προβολικό σύστημα, 2 οθόνες 65”, κάμερα για την προβολή του πίνακα, κονσόλα μίξης ήχου, μικροφωνικό σύστημα οροφής με 3 διαφορετικά μικρόφωνα και σύστημα διπλού ενισχυτή εξόδου ήχου για καλύτερη ακρόαση.

Στο αμφιθέατρο Ζ πραγματοποιήθηκαν εργασίες επισκευής και αντικατάστασης των εδράνων, επισκευής πινάκων, βαφής του χώρου, επισκευής εξωτερικών και εσωτερικών θυρών, επισκευής παραθύρων, τοποθέτησης λαμπτήρων LED και συντήρησης μονάδων καθαρισμού αέρα.

Distinguished professors from both universities participated in the event, many of whom are NTUA alumni. The symposium took place at the Zografou Campus of NTUA, attracting students, researchers, and faculty members, and was also available via live online streaming, which was viewed in real-time by more than 700 attendees.

The presentations and discussions focused on key challenges in the energy and environmental transition, covering topics such as:

• Decarbonizing the building stock through advanced analytical tools
• Leveraging reliable artificial intelligence to tackle climate change
• The challenges and limitations of smart cities
• The application of artificial intelligence in autonomous mobility

Among the topics presented were:

• Sustainable electrification of Europe’s first “Renewable Energy Valley”
• Strategies to reduce the carbon footprint
• Technological solutions for wildfire prevention and suppression
• Innovative approaches to infrastructure monitoring using IoT and non-destructive testing methods
• Measures to enhance infrastructure resilience and adapt to climate change

This symposium is the first in a series of events that will follow as part of the ongoing collaboration between NTUA and Columbia University.

Watch the recorded event

Joint Workshop on Infrastructure and Energy Sustainability in a Changing Climate - Day 1 - June 24

Joint Workshop on Infrastructure and Energy Sustainability in a Changing Climate - Day 2 - June 25

Επισκεφτείτε τον ιστότοπο του Κέντρου Καινοτομίας και Επιχειρηματικότητας ΕΜΠ για να ενημερωθείτε για τις δράσεις του, στη διεύθυνση https://iec.ntua.gr/

Σκοπός του Κέντρου Καινοτομίας και Επιχειρηματικότητας ΕΜΠ είναι η υλοποίηση δράσεων υποστήριξης της επιχειρηματικότητας και της καινοτομίας, με έμφαση στην καλλιέργεια κουλτούρας επιχειρηματικότητας στους φοιτητές και στους ερευνητές του ΕΜΠ.

Ειδικότερα, στις δράσεις του Κέντρου περιλαμβάνονται:

• Η υλοποίηση προγραμμάτων επιχειρηματικής ωρίμανσης όπως: εκπαίδευση σε θεματολογία σχετική με την επιχειρηματικότητα μέσα από σειρά εργαστηρίων (workshops), συμβουλευτική καθοδήγηση (coaching), υποστήριξη από εξειδικευμένους μέντορες (mentoring), δικτύωση με επιχειρήσεις, οργανισμούς και επενδυτικούς φορείς (VCs, Business Angels).
• Η διοργάνωση διαγωνισμών καινοτομίας.
• Η παρουσίαση και προβολή των αποτελεσμάτων του Ιδρύματος σε έρευνα και τεχνολογική ανάπτυξη.

Σύμφωνα με την απόφαση της 8ης/2025 Συνεδρίασης της Συγκλήτου (18.07.2025), δεν θα χορηγηθεί η «Παπασταυρίδειος Υποτροφία» έτους 2024, δεδομένου ότι στη διαδικασία ανάδειξης δικαιούχου, η αίτηση συμμετοχής που υποβλήθηκε δεν πληροί τις προϋποθέσεις της.
Τυχόν ενστάσεις μπορούν να υποβληθούν (ηλεκτρονικά) εντός δέκα ημερών από την ανάρτηση της σχετικής απόφασης στην ιστοσελίδα του Ε.Μ.Π. και της Διεύθυνσης Μέριμνας, καθώς και στην προθήκη του Τμήματος Φοιτητικής Μέριμνας, ήτοι μέχρι και τις 04.08.2025.
Περισσότερες πληροφορίες θα βρείτε στο επισυναπτόμενο έγγραφο: AnakoinMiEpidPapastavr2024-fin.pdf

Σύμφωνα με την απόφαση της 8ης/2025 Συνεδρίασης της Συγκλήτου (18.07.2025), δεν θα χορηγηθεί το βραβείο «Ιωάννη Χατσόπουλου», ακαδημαϊκού έτους 2023-2024, δεδομένου ότι κατά το εν λόγω ακαδημαϊκό έτος δεν υπάρχει δικαιούχος.
Τυχόν ενστάσεις μπορούν να υποβληθούν (ηλεκτρονικά) εντός δέκα ημερών από την ανάρτηση της σχετικής απόφασης στην ιστοσελίδα του Ε.Μ.Π. και της Διεύθυνσης Μέριμνας, καθώς και στην προθήκη του Τμήματος Φοιτητικής Μέριμνας, ήτοι μέχρι και τις 04.08.2025.
Περισσότερες πληροφορίες θα βρείτε στο επισυναπτόμενο έγγραφο: AnakoinMiEpidHatsop2023-24.pdf