Day One

14:45 | Opening Remarks

- Vassilis Kafatos, Vice President of the BoD and Chair, Northern Greece Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

- Nikolaos Bakatselos, President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

- Elizabeth K. Lee, Consul General, US Consulate General Thessaloniki

15:00 | Changing Education in a Practical Way

- Evangelos Syrigos, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs

In conversation with:

Litsa Panayotopoulos, Chair, Education-Innovation-Entrepreneurship Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

15:30 | Zooming out to the Future of Learning and Work

- Lieven De Groodt, Global Learning and Deloitte University Leader, Deloitte 

- Wassili Bertoen, Managing Partner, Deloitte Center for the Edge

In conversation with:

Dimitris Koutsopoulos, CEO, Deloitte Greece 

16:00 | Education Fast Forward: Building a Future that Works for All

- Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

In conversation with:

Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

16:30 | Innovation and Technological Shifts in Education and Labor Markets

- Allyson Parco, Research Analyst, Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution

In conversation with:

Panayiotis Ketikidis, Vice President for Research and Innovation, City College

17:00 | Provide a Transformative Educational Experience for All Students

- Michael J. Schoenfeld, Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations, Duke University

In conversation with:

Leonidas Tzonis, Executive Vice President and CFO, Hellenic American College

17:30 | Preparing Today’s Business Knowledge for Tomorrow’s Demand on Digital Competence and Soft Skills

- Luca Lepore, Business Development Manager Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel and Malta, Cisco

In conversation with:

Panayiotis Ketikidis, Vice President for Research and Innovation, City College

17:50 | Broader Changes in Higher Education and the Blockchain Factor

- Louis Soares, Chief Learning and Innovation Officer, American Council on Education (ACE)

In conversation with:

Artemis Zenetou, Executive Director, Fulbright Foundation in Greece

18:10 | European Skills Agenda Strengthening Sustainable Competitiveness

- Eva Kaili, Vice-President, European Parliament

In conversation with:

Vassilis Kafatos, Vice President of the BoD and Chair, Northern Greece Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

18:30 | Talking Europe: Inclusion, Mobility and Digital Learning in Exceptional Times 

- Themis Christophidou, Directorate-General for Education and Culture, European Commission

18:40 | EU Stem Observatory Report 

- Christos Theocharopoulos, Principal at Consulting, Deloitte Greece

In conversation with:

Iro Koliakou, STEM Coordinator, Anatolia College

19:00 | Entrepreneurship at University as a Catalyst for Innovation 

- Steve Stevens, Coordinator, DO! Ghent University 

In conversation with:

Leonidas Tzonis, Executive Vice President and CFO, Hellenic American College

19:20 | Changing Longstanding Mindsets in Education 

- Pericles A. Mitkas, President, Hellenic Authority for Higher Education

In conversation with:

Leonidas Tzonis, Executive Vice President and CFO, Hellenic American College

19:40 | Tourism Education Aligning Market Requirements 

- Sofia Zacharaki, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism 

In conversation with:

Litsa Panayotopoulos, Chair, Education-Innovation-Entrepreneurship Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

20:10 | Workforce Development in Agriculture 

- Brian J. Schilling, Director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

In conversation with:

Effie Lazaridou, Chief Executive Officer, New Agriculture New Generation 

20:30 | Closing Remarks

- Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

Day Two

14:30 | Opening Remarks

- Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce 

- Nikolaos Bakatselos, President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

14:45 | Opening Keynote Address and Discussion

- Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO, Institute of International Education

In conversation with:

- Nikolaos Bakatselos, President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

15:10 | Education and Training of Adults in Greece: Future Needs and Necessary Changes

- Alexis Kokkos, Emeritus Professor, Hellenic Open University - Head of diaNEOsis Research on Adult Education in Greece

In conversation with:

Venetia Koussia, Chair, Employment Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

15:40 | Meeting Future Skills Needs: Revolution or Evolution?

- Konstantinos Koukountzos, Managing Director, Kleemann 

- George Milonas, President & CEO, Alumil

- Costas Malamas, Managing Partner, Veltio Greece

Moderated by:

Alexandros Costopoulos, Secretary General, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

16:10 | Bringing Closer Theoretical Education to Practice - Market Needs

- Triantafyllos Albanis, Rector, University of Ioannina

- Nikos Papaioannou, Rector, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 

Moderated by:

- Babis Bakolias, Director and General Manager, ANSYS Hellas

16:40 | Ignite the Future through Education

- Scott Ralls, President, Wake Technical Community College 

In conversation with:

Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce 

17:10 | The Key Factor of Apprenticeship in Expanding Opportunities for Knowledge and Skills

- Robert I. Lerman, Fellow, Center on Labor, Human Services and Population, Urban Institute

In conversation with:

Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

17:40 | How Technology Transfer Ecosystem Bridges Research Activity with Innovation and the Real Economy

- Christos Dimas, Deputy Minister for Research and Technology, Ministry of Development and Investments

- Nico Gariboldi, Site Lead, Global Center for Digital Innovation - Senior Director, Pfizer

Moderated by:

Alexandros Costopoulos, Secretary General, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

18:10 | Skills Development and Lifelong Learning Governance

- Siria Taurelli, Senior Human Capital Development Expert and Coordinator for Governance and Quality Assurance, European Training Foundation 

In conversation with:

Venetia Koussia, Chair, Employment Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

18:40 | Skills Supply and Demand in the Labor Market

- Spiros Protopsaltis, Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors, DYPA

In conversation with:

Venetia Koussia, Chair, Employment Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

19:10 | Networking Coffee Break

19:40 | The Way Forward: Strengthening Local Skills Partnerships

- Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Interior (Sector of Macedonia-Thrace)

- Konstantinos Zervas, Mayor, Municipality of Thessaloniki

- Vassilis Kafatos, Partner - Competence Center President, Deloitte Greece

Moderated by:

Athanasios Kouimtzis, BoD Member and Chair, Agrotechnology Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

20:20 |Closing Remarks

- Vassilis Kafatos, Vice President of the BoD and Chair, Northern Greece Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

20:30 |Networking Cocktail