Continuing its tradition of fostering a global mindset among its students, the Office of Public Affairs and the Institute of Global Affairs (IGA) of The American College of Greece (ACG) organized its third consecutive educational trip to Brussels, Belgium. This year, 19 students from diverse academic majors embarked on a four-day journey to deepen their understanding of European Union institutions and global affairs. The delegation was led by Ms. Claudia Carydis, Vice President of Public Affairs; Dr. Constantinos Filis, Director of IGA and Professor of International Relations; and Dr. Manos Skoulas, Professor of Communication and member of the IGA Board. This provided students with a unique opportunity to engage with high-level officials and experience the inner workings of key European and international organizations.
The trip began with a visit to the Permanent Representation of Greece to the EU, where Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas, Vice Admiral Loukas Tsarmaklis H.N., and Maria Alerta, First Counselor, welcomed the students and offered presentations on EU-US relations, providing valuable insights into Greece’s role within the European Union, both at the political and the military level.
The next day, the group met Ms. Themis Christophidou, Director General of the EU Commission’s Regional and Urban Policy, who explained the role and impact of her DG while providing insights from her rich professional trajectory and Angelos Delivorias (Deree ’02), Policy Analyst at the European Parliament, who spoke about the policy-making and legislative processes of the European Parliament.
A highlight of the trip was the visit to NATO Headquarters, where students attended briefings by Gaspar Vlahakis, Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece to NATO, and Andreas Kintis, Expert Minister Counsellor. These senior officials provided valuable insights into NATO’s evolving role and Greece’s contribution to the alliance. The students had the chance to tour part of NATO’s facilities and learn about the history of the alliance by Alexandra Ntakou, Program Officer at the Public Diplomacy Division. The day concluded with an engaging session on NATO-EU relations led by Michel Soula, Head of the Multilateral Organisations Section in NATO’s Political Affairs and Security Policy Division who shared perspectives on NATO’s mission and global priorities.
On the final day, the students attended an overview presentation of the European Commission by Roy Tzivra (Deree ’17) and explored European migration policies and regional cooperation during presentations by Orestis Vougias, Eirini Samara and Nacira Boulehouat, Head of Unit in the Migration and Home Affairs Division. They also had the chance to meet with Ms. Anna Panagopoulou, Head of the team of the new Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who described his responsibilities for the portfolio of Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
Reflecting on the experience, Maria Daktylidi, Deree student noted: “Our educational trip to Brussels was an incredible and once-in-a-lifetime experience that deepened our understanding of European Institutions and international affairs. I will definitely encourage more students to join such unique opportunities in the future, as they offer unparalleled value in both academic and personal growth.”
Deree – The American College of Greece remains committed to providing transformative educational experiences beyond the classroom. Building on the success of this trip, the Office of Public Affairs continues to explore opportunities for similar initiatives, fostering an environment where students can learn and thrive as global citizens.
