NTUA Delegation at EULiST Student Conference 2025 in Douai, France: A Week of Collaboration, Innovation and Cultural Connections

From June 30th to July 4th, 2025, the IMT Nord Europe in Douai, France, hosted the second edition of the EULiST Student Conference. Bringing together 200 students of all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD), with diverse fields of study, from across the 10 EULiST partner universities and countries, this marks the alliance’s largest student event.

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) delegation consisted of 26 members:

• 23 students, led by Georgia Tritsini, an undergraduate student from the School of Architecture and NTUA’s representative on the EULiST Student Board. The student group included:
  • 14 undergraduate students
  • 2 postgraduate students
  • 6 PhD students – three of whom were workshop speakers: Nikolaos Antoniadis and Doris Skenderas, from the school of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering and the student volunteer organization MiMEC, and Christos Kalantzis, from the school of Mechanical Engineering and the student volunteer organization Envinow. Together, these three students organised the joint workshop “Identifying the Gaps and Connecting Academia and Industry,” held on July 3rd. The thematic interactive workshops, a central part of the conference, encouraged students to explore key topics shaping the future of academia and society, aiming to develop solutions with real impact beyond the conference, and fostered group work, critical thinking, and creativity.

• 3 professors:
  • Andreas Boudouvis, former Rector of NTUA and Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, who was a keynote speaker and participated in an engaging panel discussion on July 1^st on the “Future of Higher Education in Europe through University Alliances”.
  • Nikolaos Mitrou, Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and active member of the EULiST Task Group 2.1, who, together with Gergely Rakoczi from TU Wien, led the 1 Digital Campus workshop on July 1^st, where students had the privilege to be the first testing the pilot version of the Digital Campus platform and share their feedback.
  • Konstantinos Braimakis, Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, who presented the EULiST Research and Innovation Academy (ERIA) – the flagship initiative of the WP4 “Research & Innovation” – during the EULiST Poster Session/Fair on July 3^rd.

The EULiST Pitch Sessions gave students the opportunity to present their academic projects and innovative solutions to some of tomorrow’s most pressing challenges. Organised into three 45-minute rounds, the sessions encouraged lively exchanges and inspired new ways of thinking. Four NTUA students presented their work:

• Alexandros Notas (Undergraduate student, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering) – ENEO: An Interactive Web App to Estimate Near-Earth Object Impact Effects on Earth
• Alexios Lalaounis (Undergraduate student, School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences) – Insects: A Sustainable Business Solution to Global Food Challenges
• Georgia – Aliki Trampa (Undergraduate student, School of Mechanical Engineering) – Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV)
• Ioannis Panagiotopoulos (Postgraduate student, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering) – Deep Learning for Breast Tumor Segmentation: How Data Augmentation Boosts Accuracy

The EULiST Fair/Poster Session also enabled participants to dive into exciting research, meet inspiring people, and spark new collaborations. Five NTUA students presented their research:

• Alexandros Notas – Urban Vulnerability to Tunguska-like Airbursts: A Global Simulation Approach with ENEO
• Alexios Lalaounis – Insects: A Sustainable Business Solution to Global Food Challenges
• Dimitrios Skaltsas (PhD Candidate, School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering) – Lubrication of Bearings with Stochastic Parameters
• Ersi – Natalia Papadaki (Postgraduate student, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering) – Creation of a Geometric Repository for special Monuments. Case Study: The 3D Model of the Sculpture “Runner” in Athens, Greece
• Georgia – Aliki Trampa – Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV)

Participants also had the chance to build cultural connections by tasting traditional snacks and drinks from each EULiST member country and exploring Douai’s historic landmarks and vibrant cultural heritage.

For more information and the full program of the Student Conference, please visit  the EULiST central website and the EULiST Student Conference website.

Overall, the 2nd EULiST Student Conference in Douai was an enriching experience for everyone involved, providing countless opportunities for personal growth, academic development, and intercultural exchange. It was a week that embodied the shared vision of all partner institutions — fostering collaboration, innovation, and meaningful connections while shaping the future of higher education and society in Europe together.