Christine Irvine-Niakaris and Jenny Zimianitou, faculty in the Applied Linguistics TESOL program Hellenic American University, presented at a peer-reviewed conference in Brighton (UK), organized by the International Association for Teaching English as a Foreign Language April 10 – 13.

Christine Irvine-Niakaris, coordinator of the MAAL TESOL program at Hellenic American University explained that the presentation, entitled Professional Development for English Language Teachers: A competency-based approach, was based on a long-term project which examined national and international teaching standards and input from teachers to develop an organic classroom observation checklist.

Dr. Irvine-Niakaris points out that assessing teaching competencies is more than a matter of just "ticking boxes". For this reason, she proposes an organic checklist to measure and develop best practices throughout teachers’ careers. The checklist presented at the conference was developed over the last two years with contributions from teachers and observers and used for both formative and summative assessments in a variety of professional development contexts. Dr. Irvine-Niakaris notes that the checklist serves as an important tool in pre-observation and post-observation conversations as a means of fostering self-reflective practices. These reflections have an impact on changes and additions and therefore contributes to the organic nature of the checklist.

The classroom observation checklist is available for download for those wishing to use it for professional development or classroom research.

Hellenic American University Visiting Professor photographer Gary Samson, who has played an important role in advancing the University’s Study Abroad program in the area of photography, has been named New Hampshire’s seventh Artist Laureate. This honorary position was established in 1997 by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts “to ensure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the welfare and educational experience of our citizens.”

Samson’s career in photography began at the University of New Hampshire in 1971. In the decades that followed, he received several awards, grants and fellowships for his work as a fine art photographer and photo educator. Having taught courses and led workshops on traditional and digital photography both in the US and abroad, he currently serves as the Chair of the Photography department at the New Hampshire Institute of Art.

"I am extremely honored and delighted to serve as the next Artist Laureate of New Hampshire,” said Samson in statement for New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources. “As a native of Manchester, and a lifelong resident of the state, I look forward to working with the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts promoting the importance and value of art in the lives of our citizens."

Photo: Prof. Gary Samson with Study Abroad students at the Temple of Delphi

The 2017 summer session of the Hellenic American University’s Aviation and Flight Academy, which is offered to high-school students in Greece through Hellenic American College, has come to a successful close. Through the program, the Academy’s ‘young aviators’ had the chance to learn about the science and operations of aviation and flight and to experience first-hand what it’s like to work in various aviation professions. The courses were taught by a team of experts that included aviation executives and managers, consultants, researchers and flight instructors.

This year’s program, which was held in Athens June 26-July 14, 2017, saw an increase in the number of both students and instructors over the previous year, as well as the introduction of separate courses at the beginners’ and more advanced levels. The introduction course, Aviation Fundamentals, provided students with a solid foundation in the history and scientific principles of aviation and flight, as well as an overview of the industry and the infrastructure for air transportation. The advanced course focused on global aviation management and operations, covering topics such air traffic management, airport operations and safety, environmental management and air accident investigation.

Both courses were designed so that each topic included a day of in-class theoretical work and another day with practical, on-site learning. The Aviation Fundamentals course, for example, included field trips to the Airforce Museum and the Hellenic Air Force Academy at Tatoi Airport, and on-site sessions at Athens International Airport for topics such as airport ground operations and air traffic management, and at Megara General Aviation. The course ended with students’ taking a free discovery flight courtesy of Global Aviation. Students in the advanced course did their practicums at the two airports as well.

This year’s courses were made possible by a grant from Athens International Airport and organized with the support of Aegean Airlines, and Global Aviation, as well as the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, the Hellenic Air Force, the Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board, and the AIA Fire Service.

The Academy will run in 2018 from June 25 - July 13, 2018.

Registrations will commence on April 2, 2018.

Five students from Hellenic American University's MBA Program recently completed a week-long module on Cross-Cultural Management at the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (US). The credit-bearing course, which was held from May 21 to 27, 2017, brings together students from different parts of the world.

The MBA students who took part in the course—Athanasios Varvouzos, Geogria Lagari, Christos Livas, Virginia Patea and Izaoura Mantsai—had much to say about their experience in New Orleans, both in and out of the classroom, which they described in a joint statement as a "respectful, challenging and multi-cultural learning laboratory."

"We consider knowledge as an uphill 'path' ", they noted, "like climbing a mountain, which increases in difficulty the further you get from your starting point, but whose view only increases in beauty with each passing path. Our team, at this point in our "path", passed through Tulane University where multicultural teams of students participated in an intensive, week-long course on Cross Cultural Management. Mixed teams from three different locations- Greece, Guatemala and the US (Houston) – each produced a high-level final presentation with the guidance of two excellent professors."

This year marks the 8th consecutive summer that Hellenic American University students have attended the module. The University anticipates that the program will be repeated in 2018.

The Hellenic American University Aviation & Flight Academy is geared to high school and college students with an interest in science and aviation. The program will be held June 25 - July 13, 2018 and is offered in Greece through Hellenic American College and in cooperation with Athens International Airport, Global Aviation SA, American Community Schools-Athens and Emmanuel Gyzis and Associates Law Offices.

• Download the Aviation and Flight Academy brochure in pdf format

SUMMER SESSION FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

Courses available this session:

• Fundamentals of Aviation & Flight
• Global Aviation Management & Operations
• Flight Operations

Each course provides 45 hours of instruction, 3 college credits, 6 ECTS credits

Fundamentals of Aviation & Flight (Introductory)

Designed for high school students aged 14 – 17, the Aviation and Flight Academy uses in-class instruction and hands-on learning to teach students the principles of aviation and flight.

The material covered in the in-class sessions is reinforced through the University's Learning Management System and is followed up with first-hand observation and experiential learning at a number of sites. These include:

• Aviation History at the Air Force Museum
• Air Transport Operations & Aircraft Maintenance at Aegean Airlines & Athens International Airport
• Ground Operations & Air Traffic Management at Athens International Airport
• Flight Operations at Megara General Aviation Airport

The program leads up to a day-long session where students fly on a discovery flight.

Global Aviation Management & Operations (Advanced)

For high-school and college students

Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Aviation and Flight or Equivalent

Designed for students interested in a career in the global aviation industry, this course provides an overview of the diverse aspects of aviation management and operations. It covers key aspects of the international aviation system, including regulation and international conventions and explores topics such as safety, environmental and security management.

On-Site Practicums:

• Airport Operations at Athens International Airport
• Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation at Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB)

Flight Operations (Advanced)

For high-school and college students

Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Aviation and Flight or Equivalent

Flight Operations is designed for students who are interested in a career as a pilot. Using classroom instruction and experiential learning, the course covers the first half of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Private Pilot License Syllabus and prepares students to begin formal flight training.

On-Site Practicums:

• Airport Operations & Air Traffic Management at Athens International Airport
• Flight Operations & Aircraft Maintenance at Megara General Aviation Airport

CONTACT

For more information contact us at:

Hellenic American University Aviation and Flight Academy
Massalias 22, Athens
+30 2103680919

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hellenic American University has relocated its US campus to the city of Nashua in southern New Hampshire. The move to Nashua is the first step in a broader strategic plan to strengthen our academic programs in New Hampshire and grow student enrollment.

A vibrant city in the economically robust southern tier of the state and in close proximity to the student market of northeastern Massachusetts, Nashua is an ideal location in which to base our development initiatives.

The Hellenic American University Office for Language Assessment (OLA) has announced the publication of two new tests for English-language learners. Called the School Tests for Young Learners of English (STYLE), the new assessment tools are designed for young learners aged 7 – 11 and are available at two levels of language competency, namely, A1 and low A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The STYLE suite of tests join the other two University-produced and internationally administered English-language tests, the Basic Communication Certificate in English (BCCE) at the B1 level, and the Advanced Level Certificate in English (ALCE), which is geared for learners at the C1 level.

Nigel Downey, the Director of the Office for Language Assessment, explains the rationale behind the development of the new tests. “There is a growing interest among teachers and school administrators for tests for young learners. But when we looked at what else was available, we found that many of the tests intended for these levels were, in fact, inappropriate for very young learners, since they lacked color and pictures, or involved tasks that children have not yet developed the cognitive skills to do—whatever their degree of language competency. There were also young-learner tests that did not effectively test writing or speaking. So we decided to design a test that would be appealing and motivating for young learners and that would assess all four skills.”

As Downey points out, having an objective measurement of each skill separately is important for teachers, since it helps them see whether they’re devoting enough attention to each area. “Teachers,” he notes, “tend to test what they’ve taught and they may not realize there’s a gap in what they’re covering in their tests.”

The STYLE tests use pictures and graphics as an integral part of age-appropriate tasks that are enjoyable in themselves. As Downey reports, feedback from the young learners who took part in the piloting of the test was enthusiastic. “When we did the speaking test with them, they enjoyed it so much, they asked to take it again!” he says.

Levels 1 and 2 of the STYLE series have already been piloted and pre-tested and are available for the May/June 2017 examination period. The OLA test development team are now at work on Level 3 of the series. For more information, consult the OLA pages of the University website.

Hellenic American University is organizing an open house event at the Penthouse in the Sky (555 Canal St., Manchester) on September 14th. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the University’s Executive MBA program and its professional development programs in Teaching English as Second Language. The event will be hosted by Hellenic American University President Leonidas Koskos and Provost Dr. Triant Flouris.

The event will also feature an overview of the NH economy and new Americans by Steve Norton, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies.

WHEN

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (EDT)

WHERE

The Penthouse in the Sky - 555 Canal St., Manchester, NH 03103

Hellenic American University Provost Dr. Triant Flouris has been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), the world’s leading accreditor for aviation programs in higher education. Whereas regional accreditation agencies, such as NEASC and its Commission on Higher Education, accredit colleges and institutions as a whole, specialized accreditors such as AABI accredit programs in a particular discipline.

Dr. Flouris, elected as an International Trustee, brings to AABI extensive experience as a senior officer in university administration as well as his academic and professional expertise in the field of aviation.

A paper co-authored by Dr. Evangelia Siachou, Assistant Professor of Management and Director of the General Education Program, has been selected as a Highly Commended Paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

The paper, entitled “Individual variables with an impact on knowledge sharing: The critical role of employees' ignorance,” was published in the Journal of Knowledge Management and is co-authored by John Israilidis, Louise Cooke and Russell Lock.

Now in their 23rd year, the prestigious Emerald Literati Awards were established by Emerald, a global publisher with a portfolio of more than 290 journals, to commend outstanding contributions to scholarly research. The Editorial Board of each participating journal is invited to choose a winning paper from the previous year’s volume and three others that deserve a highly commended award. The winning authors thus enjoy the prestige of their work being recognized as one of the most impressive articles that the judges have seen in the previous year.

Dr. Siachou’s study investigated the role of employee ignorance in managing an organization’s knowledge. She and her fellow researchers discovered that employees’ ignorance can negatively affect their intention to share knowledge, thus leading to poor decision-making and communication in organizations. Additionally, their findings suggested that ignorant employees could limit the organization’s ability to repel external threats, implement innovation and manage future risks.

To find out more about Emerald and the Emerald Literati Awards, and view this year’s winners visit http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/authors/literati/awards.htm?year=2016.