Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (AUTH)

AUTH’s focus on education is primarily on training of educational and teaching staff as well as pedagogical research. Since 1926, AUTH has been actively participating to the creation of a catalogue of assessment methods that is offered for self, peer and external assessments. This catalogue serves as a repository for adult educators and trainers, facilitators and assessors. AUTH has also been actively participating in piloting and evaluating prospect teachers in primary and secondary education as well as adult educators’ internships/traineeships focusing on entrepreneurial skills and competences; corporate social responsibility; self-learning competences; interculturality. The School of Philosophy and Education operates for these purposes three pedagogical laboratories (experimental pedagogy, curriculum development, and ICT). It has also been involved in several projects the majority of which are funded mainly by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and other General Directorates of the European Commission. Additionally, a significant number of research projects are funded by European and international agencies, such as UNESCO, or major industries, which focus their business interests on technology and research applications. Relevant projects include the following: Validating Integration Competences of Refugees (2017-1-DE02-KA204-004196) ; Adult Education as a Means for Active Participatory Citizenship (GA No 693388); Supporting University Community pathways for REfugees-migrants (GA:2016-1-EL01-KA203-023651); I have rights- Towards the recognition of non discrimination principle at school (2016-1-FR01-KA201-024133); IT based Methodology for promoting, Assessing and validating Competence oriented learning and Training (2014-1-DE02 KA200-001611).

Key-Players

Dr. George K. Zarifis

Dr. George K. Zarifis is Associate Professor of Continuing Education at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research interests focus on adult educators’ training and professionalisation, university continuing education, and comparative examination of adult learning and vocational education and training (VET) policies and practices in Europe. He is co-convener of the ESREA Research Network on Professional Development of Adult Educators and Vocational Trainers (ReNAdET). He researches, publishes, edits and co-authors in the area of adult and continuing education and VET, and participates in a large number of European funded projects and studies in the same field. Website: https://www.edlit.auth.gr/en/scientific-personnel/zarifis-george/

Konstantinos Pagratis

Konstantinos Pagratis is a doctoral researcher in AUTH. He has gained extensive experience in multiple sectors (United Nations, private, public,) and in diverse geographies through programme management in education policy, capacity building, research, training and skills development. His research interests include the development of entrepreneurship education both as a concept and practice at local level, recognition, validation and accreditation of prior learning, VET policies and practices as well as the synergies between education and health/well-being.

Contribution to the Project

AUTH will assist the core team to set common guidelines for all participants to write relevant literature reviews, taking stock of the academic literature and grey literature, e.g. policy designs and operational plans, reports of commissioned research, public opinions of experts, and declarations of social partners and refine the overall research strategy to construct a paper with a comparative analysis strategy for the entire project.