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202627JanAll Day26MayMuhabbet: East Mediterranean Conversations(All Day)

Event Details

Muhabbet is an initiative aiming at bringing together scholars, students, and people interested in the shared social history and cultural heritage of the East Mediterranean. We wish to hold discussions about our common legacies in an informal and friendly environment, like that of the coffeehouses, which originated in the Ottoman East Mediterranean, where people used to come together to develop amicable conversations called muhabbet.

The study of Ottoman history, considerably enriched in recent years, has been read mostly as a prologue to Turkish history, thus leaving the diversity of ethnic and religious groups under its umbrella at the margins of the political, intellectual, and cultural history of the empire. They were much more than that. They not only participated in the everyday life of the imperial state, but contributed considerably to the making of the empire’s multicultural heritage. Our initiative aims especially in creating dialogues for the study of the Ottoman and post-Ottoman worlds, considering the contributions of both the Ottoman elite culture as well as the various ethnic and religious groups of the empire to the historical and contemporary societies of the East Mediterranean.

After a successful first season in 2025, we intend to continue in 2026 our informal conversations on a variety of topics that will bring together people with mutual interests into an open dialogue in the spirit of a friendly chat or Muhabbet. The conversations will facilitate a “safe space” for discussing aspects of the East Mediterranean peoples’ experiences and encourage the understanding of Ottoman history as part of the history of peoples of the region.

Organizers

Ilay Romain Ors (PhD in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University),
Catherine Boura (PhD in History, King’s College, University of London),
Elias Kolovos (Research Director, Institute of Historical Research, NHRF),
Anne McCabe (Research Associate, University of Oxford)

The Muhabbet initiative is co-organized by the Institute for Hellenic Culture and the Liberal Arts & The Demos Center of The American College of Greece, the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation.

Muhabbet ‘26 Program

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 18:30

Antoine the Fortunate (Nefin Dinç, 2020, Anemon Productions)
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Ayhan Aktar and Kalliopi Amygdalou
Moderator: Elias Kolovos
–in partnership with Cinedoc

Cotsen Hall, Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Anapiron Polemou 9, Kolonaki, Athens

Friday, February 13, 2026, 18:30

Centuries of Parenthesis and Wounds that Never Heal?
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Cengiz Aktar and Elias Kolovos
Moderator: İlay Romain Örs

ACG Plaka Building, Ipitou 17B, Plaka, Athens

Monday, March 2, 2026, 19:00

Archaeology, Museums, and Photography in the Late Ottoman Empire: Osman Hamdi Bey and Theodore Macridy Bey
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Bahattin Öztuncay and George Manginis
Moderator: Anne McCabe
–in cooperation with the Benaki Museum

Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, Koumbari 1 and Vas. Sofias Avenue, Athens

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 19:00

“I laugh so that I don’t cry”: Coexistence and Imperial Collapse in Ottoman Greek Satire
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Kutay Onayli and Antonis Nasis
Moderator: Catherine Boura

Cotsen Hall, Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Anapiron Polemou 9, Kolonaki, Athens

Saturday, April 25, 2006, 11:30

Poli/Istanbul in Athens
A Muhabbet conversation between:
A Walking Tour in Palaio Faliro and muhabbet by Ilay Romain Ors

Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 19:00

An Ottoman Pompei
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Christine Philliou and Melike Sümertaş
Moderator: Elias Kolovos

ACG Plaka Building, Ipitou 17B, Plaka, Athens

Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 19:00

Greeks in the Ottoman diplomatic service
A Muhabbet conversation between:
Sinan Kuneralp and Catherine Boura
Moderator: İlay Romain Örs

ACG Plaka Building, Ipitou 17B, Plaka, Athens

202624Feb(Feb 24)18:0025Apr(Apr 25)16:00Not Third but Infinite(February 24) 18:00 - (April 25) 16:00

Event Details

Opening: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 18:00-21:00

When: February 25-April 25, 2026

Opening hours: Wednesday-Friday: 15:00-19:00 & Saturday: 12:00-16:00

Closed between: April 4-19 for the Easter break

Where: ACG Plaka Building, 17 Ipitou St, Plaka, Athens

Curated by
ACG Art collection in collaboration with Díla

Co-organized by:
Díla
Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Deree – The American College of Greece
The Demos Center of The American College of Greece

About the exhibition

A new group exhibition brings together artists from diverse cross-cultural backgrounds to explore ideas of dislocation and possibility, alongside expressions of hybridity in relation to place, belonging, and selfhood.

Not Third but Infinite takes its title and conceptual framework from critical theorist Homi K. Bhabha’s notion of the “Third Space,” expanding his idea of a hybrid, imagined zone between cultures into a vision of infinite re-creation. This expansion evokes the psychological potency of utopia—a state defined by perpetual openness and possibility. Notably, the exhibition includes previously unexhibited notebooks and ephemera from the personal archive of the distinguished Greek-American artist Michael Lekakis (1907–1987). Lekakis’s work has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and the Guggenheim, and is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Greece.

Featuring both established and posthumous artists alongside those at earlier stages of their careers, the exhibition presents poetry, painting, embroidery, works on paper, archival ephemera, and immersive installations. It collectively reflects on what it means not only to leave one’s roots behind, but also to continuously renegotiate versions of the self. These recalibrated identities are often constructed from visual fragments, memories, and sensory impressions tied to specific landscapes and physical touchpoints, which reassemble in unfamiliar yet generative ways. Greek-Egyptian painter Farida El Gazzar, continuing her evolving series of miniature paintings depicting city life, architecture, and foliage, presents scenes drawn from the urban landscapes of Athens and Alexandria, framed within kitsch decorative borders. Greek-Cypriot artist Vassia Adamou Vanezi, who describes her practice as involving “poetic gestures” and “visual poetry or concrete poetry,” engages with the contested terrain of her Cypriot homeland. Through botanicals mounted on handmade paper and layers of typed text rendered illegible through repetition, she enacts processes of confusion, re-creation, and re-meaning.

Of Korean-American origin and raised between Switzerland and Greece, multidisciplinary artist Iliodora Margellos brings her meditative stitch-based practice to her series Securities, presenting embroidered aphorisms such as A Star Is Brighter in the Clear Sky and The Sun Will Always Rise as gestures of reassurance for the untethered self. She also presents two lesser-known installations: a floor-based crochet and mirror sculpture of droplets and puddles, titled Long Quiet River—named after Étienne Chatiliez’s French comedy film “La Vie est un Long Fleuve Tranquille”—and a delicate handwoven mobile, Comforts (Very Knotty) IV, anchored by a textile knot that gestures toward entanglement and the quiet inner harmony one learns to cultivate within the layered complexities of familial identity. Kleitia Kokalari, born in Albania and raised in Athens, contributes paintings of uncanny landscapes suggestive of the subconscious, featuring border waters and a cave-like portal that appears to lead elsewhere. Zigzagging, geometrically carved sculptures by Swedish-born, Athens-based artist Andreas Kargsten punctuate corners and transitional spaces, marking thresholds between the exhibition’s rooms and corridors

Two contributions come from artists associated with Díla, a community offering mentorship to young refugee women pursuing work in the arts, which co-produced Not Third but Infinite. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter a large-scale painting by Elen Demirian, a young Armenian artist currently studying Visual Arts at Deree. Her striking work 499, co-authored with her partner Aram Minassian—also of Armenian origin and now based in France—is densely layered with references to shared cultural memory, including excerpts from prayers, folk songs, and privately coded numerological symbols, together forming an intimate “third space” on the canvas. Further along the corridor, in a room of its own, visitors encounter Chink of Light, a poetry installation by Iran-born writer of Tajik origin Karima Qias, now based in Brussels. Previously installed at Pikionis’ pavilion on Philopappou Hill, the work features calligraphed pages from her handmade book lining the walls, accompanied by a video portrait and a Persian-language poetry audio track.

Text and lyrical language are among the exhibition’s defining elements. Lettering and literary forms appear across media—in collaborative painting, poetry installations, embroidery on paper and cloth, and most prominently in the poems, reflections, and jottings found in Lekakis’s notebooks. Spiritual references to the sky and the stars, with their inherently transnational and borderless qualities, recur throughout the exhibition. In one notebook poem, Lekakis writes:

“What happens to the stars at night?
They fly to Egypt
To crash at the feet of Ra
They pile so high
They slip over the ends of the earth.”

Many of the works seek either to zoom out from the earthly plane in search of broader perspective, or to capture fleeting moments as textures—through words, materials, and gestures—rendering experience tangible even as it slips away. In doing so, they register and commemorate earthly details as both anchors of belonging and points of departure. Despite their diversity of media and individual artistic languages, the works in Not Third but Infinite share an acute awareness of ephemerality and impermanence. Distributed across the ground-floor rooms of the beautifully preserved neoclassical villa of The American College of Greece (ACG) on Ipitou Street, the exhibition unfolds as a collective meditation on dislocation as both rupture and reconstitution. Particularly notable are the archival materials by Lekakis displayed in the main room: personal correspondence, photographs, and notebooks drawn from an archive held by the ACG Art Collection. Presented in traditional library display cases, these informal pages offer intimate insights into the New York–born artist’s life and imaginative world through his distinctive and evocative poetic voice.

Also of special note is a haunting basement installation by Sabri El Charif, a recent graduate of Deree’s Visual Arts Program and a young artist of Egyptian-Levantine origin. His floor-based work Under This Sky pays tribute to the tragedy of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, addressing in particular the mass graves in Gaza as a violent attempt to sever a people from their homeland.

Not Third but Infinite is co-organized by Díla, The Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Demos Center of The American College of Greece. As a collaborative endeavor, the exhibition reflects the School’s commitment to offer a wide range of artistic activities and promote its students and graduates, The Demos Center’s mission to foster a sense of active citizenship—particularly among younger generations—as well as Díla’s dedication to supporting young refugee women on creative career paths.

For further clarifications, please contact [email protected]

Participating artists: Elen Demirian & Aram Minassian, Sabri El Charif, Farida El Gazzar, Andreas Kargsten, Kleitia Kokalari, Michael Lekakis, Iliodora Margellos, Karima Qias, Vassia Adamou Vanezi

Curated by: Ioanna Papapavlou and Díla

Exhibition production: Ana S. González Rueda, Katerina Milesi

Graphic Design: Elen Demirian

Gallery texts: Eliana Klathis, Katerina Merkouri, Katerina Milesi, Eva Ntampanli

Special thanks to Dean Helena Maragou, Niki Kladakis, and Dr. Mary Cardaras.

Thanks to Niky Theodorou for logistical assistance, Virna Vrettou, George Papastogiannoudis and Nikolaos Fronimos for the Marketing and PR of the exhibition, Michalis Orontis and the security team, George Kyrodimos, John Fetalidis, Victor Zafeiropoulos, as well as Haris Gialelis, Christos Mantzios, Antonis Kontopoulos, Dimitris Fakinos, Stavros Theofilou, Vasilis Palaiogiannis, Manolis Sideris, Stelios Teloniatis, Giannis Gerakellis, John Poulakis, Stavros Karadimitriou, Alekos Potamianos, Giannis Kontopoulos and Takis Moschidis for the technical support.

202616Mar11:3013:00Understanding Language Teacher Psychology: Why It Matters and the Implications for PracticeEmpowering Teachers, Enhancing Learning11:30 - 13:00

Event Details

Understanding Language Teacher Psychology: Why It Matters and the Implications for Practice

When: Monday, March 16, 2026 | 11:30-13:00
Where: Faculty Lounge – The American College of Greece & Hybrid via Zoom (Meeting ID: 990 0508 0819 / Passcode: 409451)

Speaker:
Sarah Mercer, Professor of Foreign Language Teaching and Head of ELT Methodology, University of Graz

Organized by
MA TESOL Program, English department, Deree – The American College of Greece

About the event

In this upcoming TESOL Masterclass, the speaker will unpack the core concepts of language teacher psychology, advocating for its central importance in the classroom. The speaker will argue that supporting the psychological well-being of educators is a prerequisite not only for teacher retention but for the ultimate success of their learners.

The speaker will begin by evaluating the current landscape of the field, identifying what is known and—crucially—what remains unexplored regarding specific populations of language teachers and teacher educators. Participants will be invited to reflect critically on the historical disparity between the vast research dedicated to learner psychologies and the relatively sparse attention given to the educators themselves.

During this masterclass, the speaker will:

Report on Empirical Research: Share findings from a range of studies examining diverse aspects of teacher psychology.
Translate Theory into Practice: Lead a discussion on the practical implications of these findings for everyday teaching and institutional support.
Set a Future Agenda: Conclude by proposing a strategic roadmap for research and practice that aims to place language educators at the center of the pedagogical stage.

About the speaker

Sarah Mercer is Professor of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria, where she is Head of ELT methodology. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology surrounding the foreign language learning experience. She is the author, co-author and co-editor of several books in this area. She has served as Principal Investigator on several funded research projects, has worked on the editorial board of various journals, is co-editor of Multilingual Matters’ Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching book series, is currently president of IAPLL, and is an ambassador for IATEFL.

Join us to explore the vital role of teacher psychology and discover how placing educators at center stage can transform the future of language teaching and learning.

For further clarifications, please contact [email protected]

202616Mar12:0013:301st ACG Distinguished Speakers Series 2026 | AI at Work: Performance, Practice, and the Future12:00 - 13:30

Event Details

When: Monday, March 16, 2026 | 12:00-13:30
Where: ACG Events Hall

Organized by
ACG Office of Public Affairs, as a pre-event to the official launch of Deree Business Week 2026

In collaboration with
Kathimerini

Supported by
the Public Affairs Student Task Force

About the event:

The 1st ACG Distinguished Speakers Series 2026 “AI at Work: Performance, Practice, and the Future” meets the 2026 Deree Business Week as a pre-event, one day before BW’s official opening.

How do we know if AI is actually doing a good job? Join us for an eye-opening session that unpacks the topic of AI performance—the technical evaluations used to ensure these tools are accurate and reliable for specific tasks. We will explore how people currently use AI in their daily work and hear how it is changing day-to-day routines and professional habits. Looking ahead, we will also discuss how AI is restructuring teams and changing the skills that employers value most. As the workforce evolves, understanding how to work alongside AI will be just as important as the work itself.

To guide us through this discussion on the future of work and the specific skills you will need to thrive in a shifting talent landscape, the 1st ACG Distinguished Speakers Series 2026 proudly welcomes Rohit Patel, Director, Meta Superintelligence Labs in a discussion with Dr. Nick Antonopoulos, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Research and Innovation, The American College of Greece. Welcome remarks will be offered by Claudia Carydis, Vice President of Public Affairs, The American College of Greece.

Launched in January 2024, the ACG Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS) features top business experts, policy makers, academics, diplomats, and community leaders coming from the US. Speakers present and discuss topical issues and engage in an interactive discussion on the areas of their expertise, while sharing points & tips from their personal professional trajectory.

The event is free and open to the public.
Please register by March 11.

For further clarifications, please contact [email protected]

About the speakers

Rohit Patel is a Director in Meta Superintelligence Labs, where he works on building the company’s next generation of AI models. His primary research areas are Reinforcement Learning and AI Evaluations, in which he actively publishes. He is also a digital advisory board member at private equity firm Baypine, and founder of the AI research lab, QuickAI. Known for making complex AI concepts clear and actionable, Rohit speaks on generative AI, the future of LLMs and AI’s business impact. He holds a PhD in Game Theory from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, and is a statistician by training.

Professor Nick Antonopoulos is currently the Vice President Research & Innovation as well as the founding Dean of the School of Science & Technology at The American College of Greece. Nick is responsible for all research & commercialization activities of the College as well as its graduate studies provision. He is also leading the School of Science & Technology operations and forming its strategy for the future. Nick is a research Professor in the field of distributed systems and applied AI with over 200 peer reviewed papers published and a current h-index of 30.

From January 2019 to May 2025, Nick was Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation and Merchiston Campus Principal at Edinburgh Napier University. His key responsibilities included the line management of three Deans of School as well as leadership & responsibility for all the University’s research, innovation and commercial engagement activities including Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Prior to this role, Nick was Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation at the University of Derby since March 2017. Between April 2014 – March 2017, Nick was the founding Dean of the College of Engineering & Technology and since December 2015 the University of Derby Technical Coordinator of the framework collaboration with CERN.

Until April 2014, Nick was Head of School of Computing & Mathematics and Assistant Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Business, Computing & Law in the same University. Prior to joining the University of Derby in March 2009, Nick was a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Director of the MSc Degrees at the Department of Computing, University of Surrey, UK. Nick holds a BSc in Physics (1st class) from the University of Athens in 1993, an MSc in Information Technology from Aston University in 1994 and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Surrey in 2000.

Prior to joining the academia he worked as a networks consultant for ICL and Fujitsu Services and was the co-founder and director of a company developing Web-based management information systems. He has successfully acted as expert witness in high profile legal cases involving email synchronisation systems. Nick has altogether 30 years of academic experience across multiple academic and senior leadership roles in British Universities.

Nick is a Fellow of the Higher education Academy (FHEA), the British Computer Society (FBCS) and the International Academy, Research and Industry Association (FIARIA).

202616Mar16:00Spring 2027 | Libra Internship Program Virtual Information Sessions16:00

Event Details

Spring 2027 | Libra Internship Program Virtual Information Sessions

When:

Monday, March 16, 2026 | 16:00, Athens

Register in advance for this meeting using your acg email. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 17:00, Athens

Register in advance for this meeting using your acg email. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please note that slots are available on a first come, first served basis. If a session is full, please email the Libra Internship Program team to be added to the waitlist.

Where: Online

Organized by: ACG Career Services, in collaboration with the Libra Group

About the Libra Internship Program

Are you creative? Passionate? Goal-oriented? Self-motivated?

Libra is looking for candidates like you. Apply for the Libra Internship Program and explore your potential in one of the world’s most prestigious workplaces!

The Libra Internship Program offers a paid opportunity for students to intern with Libra Group, its global businesses and Lira’s Philanthropies’ philanthropic initiatives. Internship roles in business, finance, engineering, people and culture, marketing and communications, hotel operations, LP initiatives, and more are available. Click here for more detailed information on the application process.

The Spring 2027 application deadline is May 8th, at 17:00 EST

Libra Group will be recruiting on a rolling basis. This means applications will be reviewed as they are received, and positions may be filled before the final deadline. . To maximize your chances of being considered, we encourage you to apply as early as possible. It is anticipated that applications will be closed by Friday, May 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, but if positions remain available, Libra Group may extend this date. Please note that applications are carefully checked for AI usage. Make sure you show your authenticity throughout the application. This is essential for the candidate performance during the recruitment process.

For more information, reach ACG Career Services.

Deree Undergraduate and Graduate students at [email protected] or at 210 600 9800 ext. 1311
Alba Graduate Business School students at [email protected] or at 210 896 4531 ext. 2262

Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series

March 31, 2026 17:00

202617MarAll DayBusiness Week 2026From VUCA to Vision: Business in a Volatile Environment(All Day: Tuesday)

202617Mar18:00An Early End to Antiquity and the Dawn of a New Era: Ancient Messene in the 4th Century CEHellenic Studies Seminar Series 2025-202618:00

Event Details

Hellenic Studies Seminar Series 2025-2026

An Early End to Antiquity and the Dawn of a New Era: Ancient Messene in the 4th Century CE

Speaker:
Nikos Tsivikis
Associate Researcher, Institute of Historical Research
National Hellenic Research Foundation

When:
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | 18:00

Where:
Deree Faculty Lounge, The American College of Greece

Organized by:
The Institute for Hellenic Culture and the Liberal Arts – The American College of Greece

About the seminar:

The fourth century CE represents a pivotal moment in the history of Roman provincial Greece, marked by profound religious, social, and cultural transformations. This seminar explores the evolving landscape of ancient Messene in southeastern Peloponnese during this critical period, examining the lived realities of a community navigating the transition from classical antiquity to the early Byzantine world.

By drawing on recent archaeological evidence, the seminar investigates the complex dynamic between traditional cult practices, shifting imperial ideologies, and the emerging presence of early Christian communities. At the center of this inquiry lies the catastrophic earthquake of 365 CE, an event that fractured the urban fabric of Messene and accelerated its cultural transformation. Adopting a micro-historical perspective, the material record of Messene provides a valuable lens through which to examine local responses to empire-wide religious shifts and the challenges posed by natural disasters.

About the speaker:

Nikos Tsivikis is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation. An archaeologist specializing in Byzantine material culture, his research focuses on the evolution of Byzantine cities, urban–rural interactions, and the transition from paganism to Christianity. Dr. Tsivikis has directed and participated in major archaeological excavations and research initiatives, including the investigation of early Christian monuments at Messene in the southeastern Peloponnese, the international excavation project at Amorium in central Anatolia, and the recently completed project Byzantine Agricultural Landscapes across the Aegean (BALAA) at the Institute for Mediterranean Studies/FORTH (2021–2024). He has also held fellowships and research appointments at several leading institutions, including the Leibniz Institute for Archaeology in Mainz, Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His forthcoming publications include monographs on Byzantine Messene and on provincial capitals of the Middle Byzantine period.

Admission is free and open to all, with a reception to follow. You can join in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams. The meeting link will be shared on the day of the event and sent directly to those who register for online attendance.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

202618MarAll DayBusiness Week 2026From VUCA to Vision: Business in a Volatile Environment(All Day: Wednesday)

202618Mar14:3015:30Finding your Place: Connecting and Growing Abroad14:30 - 15:30

202618Mar19:0020:00Wellbeing: Mind, Body & Beyond19:00 - 20:00

Event Details

When: Wednesday, March 18 @ 19:00
Where: Alba Auditorium – Downtown Campus or Online via livestreaming

Organized by
ACG Greek Alumni Chapter & ACG Office of Advancement-Alumni

About the event:

The ACG Office of Advancement – Alumni and the ACG Greek Alumni Chapter invite you to
“Wellbeing: Mind, Body & Beyond” An evening dedicated to wellbeing, connection, and personal growth.

Join us for a wellbeing-focused event designed to explore holistic health through practical insights and meaningful discussion. Bringing together experts and members of the ACG community, the event will address the interconnected dimensions of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, offering tools that participants can apply in everyday life.

Through four thematic sessions — Nutrition, Exercise, Psychology, and Mindfulness/Meditation — attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how small, sustainable changes can support energy, resilience, balance, and overall wellbeing.

“Wellbeing: Mind, Body & Beyond” creates a space for learning, reflection, and engagement, encouraging alumni to reconnect with themselves and with the wider ACG community while fostering healthy and balanced lifestyles.

The event will be delivered in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or remotely via live streaming.

The discussion will be in Greek, and at the in-person event, a networking reception will follow.

ACG Alumni:

Students, Staff & Faculty can watch the event via livestreaming:

Moderator

Violeta, Deree ’03, is a business & marketing expert and sustainability enthusiast who’s all about connecting with people and making a positive impact. After 20 years in various marketing positions in multinational companies such as Microsoft and Xerox, she co-founded Brave Owl, a consulting company that combines her marketing expertise with her partner’s HR experience. When she’s not busy strategizing, you can find her spending time with her family, shooting hoops on the basketball court, exploring the depths while scuba diving, or playing fetch with her furry friends.

Speakers

Nutrition:

Fiona Dede is a Clinical Dietitian – Nutritionist (BSc, RD) specializing in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine (MSc). Her scientific interests focus on clinical nutrition and precision nutrition, with particular emphasis on fertility, hormonal disorders, menopause, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and nutritional support during the early stages of life.

Her academic journey began at Harokopio University of Athens, while her clinical training took place in hospital institutions across Greece, where she witnessed firsthand the pivotal role of nutrition in disease prevention and progression. She subsequently pursued postgraduate programs in Melbourne, collaborating with specialized centers in reproductive nutrition and deepening her expertise in the connection between nutrition, epigenetics, and early-life development.

She completed her Master’s degree at the Medical School of Athens in the field of Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, further strengthening her interdisciplinary approach.

Today, she collaborates with Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics and runs a private practice, providing personalized nutritional care grounded in the latest scientific evidence.

She believes that nutrition is not merely a means of improving everyday well being, but a fundamental determinant of human health from the very earliest stages of life.

Exercise:

Kelly Papakostopoulou, Alba ’08, is a Senior HR Manager with 15 years of experience in the field of Human Resources Management and BoD member of the Greek People Management Association (GPMA). She is occupied as HR executive at NBG, with expertise in Performance Management and wide experience of past role as HR Business Partner for the Group’s Subsidiaries in Serbia, Skopje and Albania.

She is an ALBA alumna holding MSc in Strategic HRM (honors) and Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD). Additionally, she is a graduate of Harokopio University (Department of Nutritional Science/Dietetics), as well as Certified Health, Wellness & Corporate Wellbeing Coach. In 2024, she was recognized as one of the 50 more influential HR professionals in workplace wellbeing (HR Wellbeing 50 Powerlist). She also participates in panel discussions, articles and special reports related to wellbeing.

Finally, she is founder of the holistic wellbeing program “Wellness for all!”, which she designs & implements -since 2018- under the auspices of the non-profit association “Enosi Filathlon NBG”. The program has received remarkable distinctions at Fitness Awards, Health & Safety Awards and Voluntary Action Awards.

Stress Management:

Sophie Themelis, Deree ’83, Executive Coordinator, Wellness, Pilates Instructor, ACG Health and Wellness Center.

Born and raised in Amman, Jordan. With a BA in Dance and a strong background in exercise, meditation and wellness, she has been working since 1990 at Deree as a group fitness instructor, faculty member, Recreational Sports Coordinator and finally Executive Coordinator, Wellness.

Her expertise in group fitness and personal training enabled her to work in spas and sports clubs in Greece and Jordan and had a daily fitness program on Jordanian National Television.

She has participated in congresses and seminars in Greece and abroad with the latest being: The Pilates Coach-Germany, The Physical mind Institute/The Method Pilates -U.S.A, Grounding, Reiki, Biosynthesis, Pranic Healing Light- Greece.

She has been a member of IDEA (The Health and Fitness Source) since 1998. Sophie speaks Arabic, English, French and Greek.

Mindfulness:

Ainola Terzopoulou, Deree ’90, was born and lives in Athens. She is a graduate of Deree College with a degree in Marketing and began her journalistic career at Terzopoulos Publications.

She comes from a family with a long history in publishing. Her grandfather, Evangelos Terzopoulos, published Gynaika in 1952, the first women’s magazine in Greece. She served as editor-in-chief of the children’s Walt Disney magazines in Greece, contributed to the organization of the Children’s Conference in Greece, and participated in the founding of Cosmos Books.

She has many years of experience as a journalist and beauty editor for the magazines Gynaika, Praktiki, and Vita, writing on fashion, art, music, wellness, and beauty. She has collaborated with both print and digital media, as well as in the fields of communication and public relations.

She is the creator of Beyond50.gr and livelifewell.gr, platforms focused on contemporary wellbeing and a holistic approach to living well. She is also the author of the book I Zoi Mas Kala (Lebee Publications).

In parallel, she is a certified teacher in the Pilates method, Yoga, and Breathwork, an NLP Master & New Code Practitioner (NLP Greece), and works as a wellbeing coach.

During the period 2019–2023, she served as an elected councilor in the 1st Municipal District of the Municipality of Athens.

Supporters

202619MarAll DayBusiness Week 2026From VUCA to Vision: Business in a Volatile Environment(All Day: Thursday)

202620MarAll DayBusiness Week 2026From VUCA to Vision: Business in a Volatile Environment(All Day: Friday)