Coordination
The Forum is led by Dr Eugenia Arvanitis (Professor of Interculturality & Diversity in Education at the University of Patras, Greece). Eugenia teaches in the Joint Master’s Program “Intercultural Education and Mediation” at the Universities of Nicosia & Patras where she also coordinates the Intercultural Practicum. She is the author of several research papers and books on intercultural schooling and mediation. The Intercultural Forum is her vision of creating a third space for intercultural dialogue and practice. (CV in Greek)
The Research Team
Dr Spyridoula Giaki is an Intercultural Practicum Advisor in the Joint Master’s Program “Intercultural Education and Mediation” at the University of Patras, Greece. Her research focus is on teachers’ intercultural competence and social capital. She has previous expertise with European projects, working as at project manager in NGO’s & vocational training centers. Finally, she manages the erasmus projects and acts as an admin & media associate of the Forum.
Vassiliki Efthimou, holds a MSc Special Education at the University of Nicosia and she is currently a doctoral student at the Department of Educational Studies and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, Greece.
Dr Annila Mammou, is a graduate of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the University of Rethymno and of the Department of Educational Science and Early Childhood Education of University of Patras. She holds a MSc Special Education at the University of Nicosia and she is a Ph.D. recipient from the Department of Educational Science and Early Childhood Education of University of Patras. She focus on Greek minority education in Albanian schools. She is also a member of Intercultural Forum, Laboratory of Sociology & Education, DESECE, University of Patras. Over the last ten years she has been working in public primary schools in Greece either as a general education teacher or as a special educator.
Dr Maria Vlachou is an Early Childhood educator and a Ph.D. recipient from the Department of Educational Studies and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, Greece. Her research Focus is on differentiated pedagogy and intercultural storytelling.
Angeliki Mikelatou holds a Masters degree in European Administration and has worked as a Project Manager of co-financed projects by European Social Fund in the EC Business and Innovation Centre of Attika and as a Project Officer of Lifelong Learning programmes in the Ministry of Employment in Greece. Currently she is working at the European Aviation Safety Agency in Cologne, Germany. She is a research associate to the Forum.
Angeliki Bouziou is an English language teacher, currently employed in Primary schools and Kindergartens in Corfu. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the University of Athens, and a Master’s degree in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language from the Hellenic Open University. She is a PhD student at the Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, Greece. Her research focuses on Culturally Responsive Assessment. She has attended several training sessions on Intercultural education and Immigrant/ Refugee integration where she worked on interlingualism. She is a certified B’ level I.C.T. teacher-trainer for foreign languages. She speaks Greek, English, French and Italian. She has coordinated several local, national and European school projects (Euroscola, Leonardo, Comenius) engaging primary and secondary level learners. Her teaching practices center on differentiated and inclusive approaches, cultivation of multiliteracies, enhancement of learners’ critical thinking, autonomy, creativity, collaborative spirit. Her work has been published in conference proceedings and journals.
Sofianna Paximadaki has been Head of Secretary General for Higher Education since September 2023. She has worked as a philologist in public secondary education for 20 years. From 2014 to 2019, she served on secondment at a Greek school for immigrants in Germany, and during the last year of her secondment, she served as Deputy Director. Until 2008, she worked in parallel as an Adult Educator in the Educational Program “Learning the Greek Language as a Second Language for Working Migrants II.” She studied “Philosophy, Pedagogy, and Psychology” at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens (University of Athens) and completed, receiving an excellence scholarship, the Master’s Program of the Department of Early Childhood Education Sciences and Educational Design of the University of the Aegean: “Gender and new educational and working environments in the Information Society.” She is the author of the academic textbook “Multiliteracies: Utilizing Cartoons in the Teaching of Modern Greek Language.” She has participated as a trainer in various seminars on Language Teaching through Art. She speaks English, German, and Italian. Sofianna is research associate to the Forum since 2016.
Sophia Lioulia, is an Education Coordinator for Refugees in the urban center of Athens, focusing on the integration of children from refugee and migrant backgrounds into the educational system. She holds Master’s degrees in Language Education for Refugees and Migrants and Political Science and Sociology, as well as a degree in Primary Education.
She worked for many years in primary education, including working in reception classes for refugee students. She also has directed and co-produced the documentary “Dreams on Wheels,” which explores the dynamics of a multicultural classroom in Athens and has been featured in various film festivals such as the Chania Film Festival and the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People. Through her work, Sofia combines educational expertise with creative storytelling to advocate for the inclusion and empowerment of marginalized communities.
The School Mediation Team
This team is responsible for coordinating the School Mediation Network in Achaia assisted by Mr. Alexandros Chroutas (14th Primary School, Patras).
Alexandros Chroutas is a graduate of the Department of Primary Education at the University of Ioannina. He holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Nicosia and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Patras. Additionally, he has obtained certification in a number of professional education seminars, including those in Information and Communication Technologies, inclusive educational practices and intercultural education. He contributes to the editing, drafting and publication of an interdisciplinary scientific journal with a national scope and has presented his work at national and international conferences. He has developed educational health programmes with a focus on enhancing students’ personal and social skills, as well as fostering a climate of trust and safety in the school environment. For the past fourteen years, he has been employed in public primary schools in Greece, either as a general education teacher or as a special needs educator.
The Intercultural Team
This team is led by Ariadni Kouzeli (Ph.D Student, University of Delaware). Its role is to engage in different educational activities (such as organizing students’ learning during the Children’s Festival and delivering educational programs to refugee students).
Graduate Students
- Ioanna Maria Belegrinou, University of Patras
- Nefeli Arvaniti, University of Ioannina
- Maria-Nefeli Kikira, University of Patras
