Schools throughout Greece were forced to close early on when the country went into lockdown mode to prevent the spread of COVID-19, forcing many to quickly change to online platforms almost overnight so students could stay connected with professors and instruction.
The Hellenic American University, with a campus in Nashua, New Hampshire in the United States and another in central Athens, not only adapted to the new normal, but was able to pivot to a 100% online model, even adding new programming that ultimately enhanced and benefited the student body.
The Athens campus, which offers U.S.-accredited instruction and degrees to more than 700 students in various fields, transitioned to an online platform almost immediately. The university did not miss a day of coursework and enabled its students to continue their studies uninterrupted.
The board of directors also acted quickly to expand their membership with three new individuals, each of whom bring important expertise and knowledge to the school. The board additions come at a time when the school, similar to all institutions, has been forced to modify its operations.
Hellenic American University added Libra executive Jimmy Athanasopoulos, with years of expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship activities in Greece and the United States, as well as Vasilis Andrikopoulos, a businessman and recently appointed special advisor to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The school’s most recent addition to the board of directors, which includes prominent Greek and American political, business and community leaders, is Symeon Tsomokos, the Founder and President of the Delphi Economic Forum. The forum is a non-profit organization which promotes sustainable and socially responsible growth policies for Greece, Europe and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
Tsomokos brings decades of international expertise to the Hellenic American University board. In the past he has served as Commercial Specialist at the US Embassy in Athens and CEO at the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as Secretary General and Treasurer of the Council of the American Chambers of Commerce based in Europe and as Secretary General of the Business Council Greece-Turkey.
Throughout April and May, the university organized a series of free webinars, open to the public, as part of its community outreach program. Topics aimed to help citizens deal with the pandemic from a practical and professional standpoint and increase their skills. The webinars attracted hundreds of people from throughout the world.
Hellenic American University also hosted a series of innovative master classes for students, covering topics ranging from the basics of American football to a Mexican food celebration on Cinco de Mayo, as well as a class on dying red eggs and making traditional tsoureki.
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