It is with deep sadness that we learned of Jan Blommaert’s passing on January 7th, 2021 at the age of 59.

Jan was an tireless educator, researcher and advisor and throughout his life gave numerous plenary talks, organized conferences and taught as visiting faculty in Universities all over the world. He published hundreds of academic papers in academic journals and gave our scholarly community books that fundamentally impacted the field of sociolinguistics: Discourse (2005), Grassroots Literacy (2008) and The Sociolinguistics of Globalization (2010). Jan was committed in uncovering the complexities of globalization and superdiversity and weaved in his analyses the critical role of language and discourse. His theoretical explorations were not without practical foundations and applications. Jan literally unearthed and analyzed data that he retrieved from various contexts and used it to explore issues like margins, immigration, diversity, minorities and above all inequality and power. Jan was an educator with immense enthusiasm for new ideas and projects, he was an social activist putting his knowledge into good use for society and an invaluable source of knowledge for anyone interacting with him.

Jan was an exceptionally brilliant mind and wonderful educator, who made significant contributions to his field and to Hellenic American University. Jan’s role in the PhD program in Language and Communication was outstanding, and his legacy will continue to live through his academic work, personality and educational achievements. Jan also played a leading role in our Europe in Discourse conferences. His memory will be kept alive by all his HAU students and colleagues. Months before his passing, Jan wrote on what is important in his scholarly life and reminded his students, colleagues and friends of the endless possibilities that learning with passion gives us. We share Jan’s account here (https://alternative-democracy-research.org/2020/04/20/what-was-important/). It is, we think, a wonderful tribute to Jan as a scholar and a human being.

Image: Professor Jan Blommaert at Europe in Discourse Conference

The Office for Language Assessment (OLA) of Hellenic American University is pleased to announce that its test centers in Europe and the US will soon be able to offer online test administrations, in addition to their administrations onsite.

The University prides itself on its close collaborations with leading international companies specializing in technology in education, as well as with its local test centers. Through these collaborations, online versions of its examinations are currently being piloted.

Online sample tests, as well as details concerning the format and technological requirements, will be made available to local test centers in 2021. The online versions of the examinations are designed to be the exact equivalent of the paper-based tests in terms of content and level, so that candidates can freely choose between the two formats.

Once the online tests become available, potential candidates should contact their local test center for more information.

A Message from the President of Hellenic American University on Fall 2020 Reopening

Update November 13, 2020

Dear Members of the Hellenic American University Community,

I am writing to update you on the University’s operations during this Fall semester and guide you through how we deliver classes and offer our academic and student support services. I also want to share updated information on our new services and resources that will help support and enhance your studies at Hellenic American University and aid in your personal and professional development.

Delivery of classes

In September 2020 the University welcomed new and continuing students with a main focus on safely delivering the best educational experience to our student body. We proceeded carefully to schedule classes in a way that de-densified our campus; while some classes took place online, others started on-site. As of November, however, the evolving pandemic forced our Athens campus to switch to a fully online modality. All classes are now being delivered online through live synchronous video session, supplemented with asynchronous sessions to support research and writing-intensive assignments. In delivering our courses and services, we comply fully with government directives and policy recommendations, as we have done since the outbreak of the health crisis. For the Nashua instructional location our Fall 2020 semester ended on November 8th and we are gradually preparing for the winter and spring sessions of our small-sized MBA classes.

Delivery of student services

Even before the outbreak of the health crisis, many of the services offered by units such as the Writing Center, Career Development Office and Registrar could be delivered online, and we encourage you to continue taking advantage of this opportunity.

Library

The Library’s digital collections of e-books and subscriptions to periodicals databases are accessible online for both locations. The Library at Hellenic American College (Athens) reopened at the beginning of the fall semester yet had to close for onsite visits in early November in accordance with regulations of the Hellenic National Public Health Organization. Our academic support system and library staff are working to make available textbooks for the winter and spring 2021 semesters.

Registrar’s Office and Financial Services

All student documents, except for official transcripts, can be requested and provided via email. For the Athens site, fees can be paid via e-banking or through direct deposits at the bank.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center will continue to offer online tutoring sessions (both synchronous and asynchronous via Blackboard and Teams) to all stakeholders on both sites. Onsite tutoring sessions are provided for the Athens and Nashua sites upon request. Students will need to inform the Writing Center beforehand when they plan to come to the Center’s premises to avoid crowding.

Office of Student Affairs & International Programs

The Office of Student Affairs in Athens continue organizing team building events in association with our 10 clubs. We are still investigating how these will be delivered, and decisions will be made in light of instructions from the public health authorities. Last semester, however, demonstrated that many student activities can be offered virtually, as witnessed by the success of the online workout sessions, master classes, seminars, and club meetings/events that were held in Spring 2020.

Career Development Office

All CDO services, including career counseling, CV feedback, and workshops, can be delivered remotely via emails, Teams and phone calls. You will need to book your appointment in advance. The CDO is now implementing? a new 4-year employability plan for all undergraduate students.

Counseling Center

The Center continues to offer members of the Athens community its services, including individual and group counseling, as well as monthly psychoeducational presentations and workshops, online.

Enhanced academic support

The University completed a major upgrade to the latest version of the Blackboard eLearning platform. As part of this upgrade, we have subscribed to Blackboard Collaborate, a web conferencing/webinar platform designed for use in online teaching. This allows us to set up and deliver synchronous video sessions, much as in Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and together with the resources in Blackboard, offer students a single-platform, integrated learning environment with all the tools and resources in one place.

In another development, the ACES peer tutoring program is now up and running. Following the selection and training process in February, we now have 6 peer-tutors, ready to offer their services to the student community. ACES tutoring will be available online for Nashua students.

Undergraduate Employability Plan

A new program of interactive workshops, presentations, career development projects is being launched for undergraduate students. Each of the four years of undergraduate study is devoted to a stage in the career development process, bringing students from self-assessment and career discovery to skills development and the practicalities of resumes, jobs searches and hiring interviews.

New Student Internships

Recent changes in the portal of the Hellenic Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (ERGANI) now allows firms and organizations to announce internships for students of private colleges as well. This is excellent news, as it allows us to leverage our network of business and professional partners to develop more internship opportunities for students—a long-standing student request that surfaced again during the recent Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS). Work is already underway to create the initial slate of internships for the B.S. in Business Administration and the B.S. in Informatics degree programs. We will also be expanding the range of clinical internships for M.S. in Psychology students.

Inquires for graduate internship opportunities in the US should be made to Nashua Student Services.

The Fall Town Hall Meeting

Apropos the results of the Student Satisfaction Survey, we have identified a set of high-priority issues that we will focus on addressing in the coming academic year. As you may recall, we intended to discuss the results of the survey and the action items for the academic year with you at a Town Hall. However, under the current circumstances we cannot hold the Town Hall on-site and are looking into alternative ways of sharing and discussing this information with you.

In the meantime, we remain vigilant to developments and draw strength from faculty and students who continue delivering high-quality teaching and learning while upholding our core institutional values.

Sincerely,

Leonidas Phoebus Koskos
President

Image: Leonidas Phoebus Koskos, Hellenic American University’s President

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the faculty and staff of Hellenic American University, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the graduating class of 2020.

The health crisis has prevented us from holding Commencement this year as we ordinarily do in June. However, the absence of an official public ceremony does not in any way diminish the accomplishments of our graduating class. On the contrary, their achievement is even more noteworthy in light of the challenges that they faced this past semester as we moved from in-person instruction to what was, for many, a new way of learning. These students, like the great majority of their classmates, demonstrated an ability to quickly adapt to the abrupt changes in their learning environment and to benefit from the opportunities these new modalities of learning offered.

This flexibility and resourcefulness is one of the hallmarks of an educated person. I am gratified that our students have shown they possess these qualities. I would like to believe that their education at Hellenic American University has been at least partly responsible for fostering them.

We hope to be able to honor our new graduates publicly at a ceremony later this year if conditions permit. In the meantime, we share the pride that their families and friends rightly take in this milestone in their lives and wish our new alumni all the best in their future endeavors.

Leonidas Phoebus Koskos, Esq.
President

Image: Congratulations to the Class of 2020

Digital technology is transforming the ways we work, communicate and connect, often in ways that are both innovative and disruptive. In the coming weeks, a series of four mini-conferences organized under the auspices of Hellenic American University will investigate trends and challenges presented by such digital transformation in areas of critical importance. The conferences have been organized by netweek magazine, Marketing Week magazine and Banker’s Review Conferences.

"Digital transformation must be a priority for any organization that respects its customers—something which has become more evident today with the COVID-19 crisis. As a University, we responded to this crisis in under forty-eight hours by shifting classes online and thus ensuring we could provide our educational programs without interruption. Given its fields of specialization, the University’s Department of Informatics and Engineering in particular has been an ardent advocate of digital transformation in education but in other sectors as well—which is why we are pleased to participate in quality conferences such as these", states Dr. Filippopoulos, Director of Informatics and Engineering Programs at Hellenic American University.

The University’s support of such initiatives is underscored by the participation of several University faculty members from the Informatics Department who will be presenting at these conferences, sharing their expertise in areas of increasing strategic importance such as cybersecurity, data privacy and protection, AI and blockchain technology. Among the presenters are Dr. Ioannis Filippopoulos, Director of Informatics and Engineering Programs at Hellenic American University, Dr. Dimitris Tolias, Director of e-learning and adjunct faculty members Spiros Christopoulos and Isidoros Monogioudis.

More information on the agenda, speakers and registration procedures for these events can be found on the conference websites:

June 17 & 18, 2020:

5th Data Privacy & Protection Conference 2020: Regulations, Transparency, Protection, Growth

Issues on data privacy and protection will be highlighted by experts and practitioners from around the world. Methods, policies, practices and innovative solutions that ensure the protection of data and its utilization for business viability and growth will be explored.

June 25 & 26, 2020:

Digital Business Transformation Conference 2020: Disrupt or Get Disrupted

Key areas of discussion include the importance of leadership in supporting and strengthening the digital transformation, cybersecurity and risk management, and choosing appropriate business drivers (CX, platform-based value) and cutting-edge technologies (AI, big data, IoT, robots, blockchain).

July 7 & 8, 2020:

Payments 360° 2020: The Changing Face of Payments in Normal & Extreme Conditions

Topics of discussion include how markets respond to changes, how new payments are conducted in view of PSD2, and the emergence of Fintechs, especially when faced with critical challenges and conditions such as the coronavirus pandemic, and how these changes can help us prepare for “smart payment services” in similar situations in the future.

Image: 5th Data Privacy & Protection Conference 2020

Student Council president Alzahraa Muneer Sabri Al-Haddad (BSE ’20) was honored recently with the Campus Compact Presidents’ Leadership Award. Zahra joined another 20 student leaders from New Hampshire colleges and universities whose awards were announced online this year in light of ongoing school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ermioni Karachaliou, Hellenic American University’s Director of Student Affairs and International Programs, was awarded the Good Steward Award during the same ceremony, while the Community Partner Award was given to Shedia-Diogenis, an Athens-based NGO which supports homeless and socially excluded individuals and with which Hellenic American College has worked closely since 2016, largely in the context of the Politis undergraduate civic education program.

Campus Compact for New Hampshire (CCNH) is a consortium of New Hampshire college and university presidents dedicated to civic education and engagement. The annual Presidents’ Awards are just one of a diverse range of initiatives that CCNH and its member institutions, Hellenic American University included, pursue in promoting civic engagement and community service on campus. CCNH’s activities include student leadership training to advocacy and legislative outreach.

A polyglot student (and soon to be alumna) of the B.S. in Engineering program, Zahra was nominated by University President Leonidas Koskos in recognition of her contributions to campus service and her volunteer work for NGOs supporting refugees and internally displaced persons. As President of the Student Council (May 2019-2020), Zahra helped initiate the Rainbow Alliance Club and the College’s Academic Center for the Enrichment of Students (ACES).

The Good Steward honors a member of the faculty, administration or staff who, as CCNH notes, “has contributed his or her professional expertise in service to the wider community and who has significantly advanced public service on their campus.” Dr. Karachaliou, the University’s recipient of the Good Steward award this year, has served as Director of Student Affairs and International Programs at Hellenic American University since 2018. As President Koskos noted in his nomination, “Dr. Karachaliou has made a lasting impression through her contributions to campus life and study abroad programs. Because of her leadership and selflessness, Hellenic American University has continued to develop into a welcoming community with a positive student culture.” She has also earned praise for her work in forging partnerships with other colleges and universities for study abroad programs.

Image 1 (on the left): Alzahraa Muneer Sabri-Al Haddad (BSE ’20), Student Council President

Image 2 (on the right): NGO Diogenis (Shedia)

Image 3 (on the bottom): Dr. Ermioni Karachaliou, Director of Student Affairs and International Programs

In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak and in full compliance with national and international laws and guidelines, the Office for Language Assessment of the Hellenic American University has taken measures to safeguard the health and safety of its candidates, examiners and staff throughout the world.

To this end, all Hellenic American University examinations that were scheduled to take place from now until June have been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date this summer. We expect that most examinations, such as the STYLE, BCCE, and ALCE tests, will be rescheduled for late June and July, with the ABLE B2 date postponed to July 11. These dates are subject to change depending on the ongoing situation. We will update this page as more information becomes available.

Please contact the test administrator in your country if you have any questions about your or your child’s upcoming examination.

We hope that candidates will use this additional time fruitfully to further develop their language competence and improve their performance in our examinations.

Last summer, Hellenic American University had the pleasure of hosting the Middlesex Community College International Fellowship Program. For two weeks, 16 students and four advisors from Middlesex Community College in Athens (MCC) attended lectures and visited landmarks and archeological sites to learn more about Greek culture and civilization. Topics included “Ancient Greek Athletics and Sanctuaries,” “A Panorama of Greek Music,” and “Industrial Past and Graffiti Explosion.” In addition, the group was fortunate enough to take part in a variety of extra-curricular activities on Greek customs. Events ranged from cooking classic Greek meals to a traditional Greek dance class and performance at the Dora Stratou Dance Theater. They walked in the footsteps of the ancient and contemporary Greeks through the cities of Delphi, Nemea, Mycenae, Naflion, and Spetses. Finally, in an effort to give back to the local Greek community, the group spent a day volunteering at Shedia, an NGO that works with the homeless. It was a wonderful two-week experience for both the MCC and HAU communities, but the fun did not stop there…!

After such a memorable experience in Greece, the MCC group was compelled to organize their own traditional Greek Festival at their Lowell, Massachusetts campus. The event took place on November 6th and was incredibly well received by the MCC community. Dr. Karachaliou was invited to attend the event and had the opportunity to kick off the festivities with opening remarks, a short “documentary” about their days in Greece, as well as some great stories from the trip. In addition, she was able to answer questions from attendees and spread the word about the MCC International Fellowship program for summer 2020. MCC advisors and students also shared their experiences and their lasting take-aways from their two weeks in Greece. Once the speeches had concluded, it was time to dance! Led by a group of eight-year-olds from the Hellenic American Academy in Lowell, MA, the guests participated in traditional Greek dancing and finished with a hearty Greek meal.

Hellenic American University looks forward to welcoming the Middlesex Community College International Fellowship Program for the second straight year come summer 2020.

Image: Students from Middlesex Community College International Fellowship Program

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The eminent nutrition researcher and Hellenic American University Trustee Dr. Artemis Simopoulos gave a public lecture in the Hunter College Great Thinkers series.

In her presentation at the Lewis Burke Frumkes Center for Writing and Culture at Hunter College on October 15, 2019, the endocrinologist, physician and public health policy advisor spoke of the evolutionary aspects of diet, pointing out similarities between the traditional Cretan diet and the diets with which human beings evolved. In contrast to contemporary Western and particularly American diets, with their dependence on ultra-processed food high in omega-6 fatty acids, the traditional Cretan diet, Dr. Simopoulos noted, resembled that of early humans in its balance of omega-6 and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr. Simopoulos’s talk drew in part from her own decades-long investigation into Omega-3 fatty acids and the traditional diet of Crete prior to 1960, the findings of which she had brought to broader public awareness in her 2008 Aristeon Award-winning best-seller The Omega Diet and her book The Omega Plan.

These publications complement a much larger body of research publications, including over 360 scientific papers and the editing of dozens of books and journal supplements. The books also reflect her record of public health advocacy, including her tenure as Chair of the Nutrition Coordinating Committee at the National Institutes of Health and her service as consultant to the Office of Consumer Affairs at the White House. Prior to that, she was the Executive Secretary of the Division of Medical Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Simopoulos was the first recipient of the Presidential Award for Studies in the Field of Obesity and Weight Control.

In 1990 she founded the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, a nonprofit educational organization in Washington, DC, of which she continues to serve as president. The Center is now co-organizing, together with Hellenic American University, the upcoming “International Conference on Food Classification Systems and the Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio”. Dr. Simopoulos notes, “as a member of the Board of Trustees I am very pleased that such an important international conference is being held in the auditorium of Hellenic American University. I cannot imagine a better place for such an important international gathering.”

The Hellenic American University Board of Trustees is saddened to announce the passing on October 18, 2019 of fellow University Trustee and President of the American Community Schools of Athens, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas. A gifted researcher and innovative thinker, Dr. Gialamas shared generously with his fellow Trustees the insights and wisdom he gained from his life-long record of achievement in educational leadership. In addition to his duties as a Trustee, Dr. Gialamas had also been working closely with University President Leonidas Phoebus Koskos on developing several joint projects between their two institutions.

In President Koskos’ words, Dr. Gialamas was a visionary educator who embodied Hellenic and American virtues of inventiveness, moderation and the pursuit of excellence. “He was not only a good friend of the University,” President Koskos noted, “but a close and dear friend of mine as well, and I will miss him.”

On behalf of the entire University community, the Board of Trustees expresses its heartfelt condolences to Dr. Gialamas’ family, friends and colleagues at ACS.