Keynote Speakers (8th ATSMUN)

~ Greeting at the 8th ATSMUN’s Opening Ceremony ~
Topic: Sustainable management from local to regional and European scale: The successful example of the MAES framework

~ Speaker at the UNEP Committee on Friday 4/11 at 12:30 ~

Panayotis Dimopoulos is the sitting Vice Rector of the University of Patras, and an active Professor at the Department of Biology of the same campus. You can find his full CV by clicking here.

~ Speaker at the IEA Committee on Friday 4/11 at 12:00 ~
Topic: Planning of the Societal Necessities in Energy versus Production and Distribution

Mourtzis Dimitrios is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics of the University of Patras, Greece. You can find his full CV by clicking here.

~ Speaker at the 8th ATSMUN’s Opening Ceremony ~
Topic: The Search Engine and its Significance as a Game Changer

Gelly Aroni is the Head of the Unit for Integration and Support of Unaccompanied Minors in the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors in the Ministry of Migration & Asylum in Greece. She was actively involved in the establishment and has been the Head of the Department for the Coordination and Monitoring of the Refugee Education of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (2016-2020). She has extensive experience as a Physical Education teacher in Intercultural Schools where she used cooperative games to promote, through active participation and collaborative learning, the principles, content, and values of Democracy education. She has been working as an expert and a trainer in the Council of Europe and European Wergeland Center’s programmes on Human Rights Education and Education for Democratic Citizenship. Since March 2013 she is the Coordinator for Greece and expert on the projects “Living Democracy” and “CORE” (Children of Refugees in Education). In the framework of these projects the teaching and learning materials for Democracy and Human Rights as well as life skills are translated, tested, and published for the member countries of the Council of Europe. She has facilitated workshops for Arigatou International on Intercultural and Interfaith Programmes for Ethics Education in Europe, Asia and Africa. She has authored texts in the areas of her expertise. Gelly Aroni holds a PhD in Social Psychology (Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences) and a master’s degree on “Psycho-social aspects of Physical Activity” (City University of New York, USA).

~ Speaker at the 8th ATSMUN’s Opening Ceremony ~
Topic: The Search Engine and its Significance as a Game Changer

~ Speaker at the SOCHUM Committee on Friday 4/11 at 12:00 ~

Stephen John Taylor is an Educational Consultant, Presenter (Global Team) for Cambridge University Press and Assessment. A graduate of Lancaster University (UK), he holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. In addition to his longstanding professional relationship with the University of Cambridge, including over a decade as Business & Development Consultant, his career path has encompassed the British Civil Service, the National Literacy Programme, the UK Department of Education, the University of Patras (KORAIS dictionary), and TES, where he currently holds the post of Senior Translator. His particular interest is in empowering language learners and teachers to achieve their full potential.

~ Speaker at the Legal Committee on Friday 4/11 at 13:00 ~

Prof. Dr Michael Parousis, Greek, born in Athens 1958, Assoc. Professor for Philosophy, Theory and Epistemology of Law at the Dpt of Philosophy of the University of Patras since 2004 and Head of Department 2010-2012, 2014-2020. Ass. Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Freiburg 1992-1999. Postgraduate Scholar of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 2000-2003. PhD in Law at the University of Freiburg 1992, awarded with the Carl-von-Rotteck Preis 1992. European Award for Legal Theory 1994 and teaching at the European Academy of Legal Theory in Brussels 1994-1996. Study of Law at the University of Athens 1976-1981 and postgraduate studies in History and Theory of Institutions at the University of Sorbonne Paris II-Panthéon 1981-1983 with a scholarship of the Greek National Scholarships Foundation. Attorney-at-Law at the Athens Bar since 1983. Speak fluent Greek, German, French and English. Currently teaching Practical Philosophy, Theory of Democracy, Bioethics and Philosophy of Law. His ATSMUN 2020 speech will focus on “Citizens´ Obligations in Civil Society”.

~ Speaker at the 8th ATSMUN’s Opening Ceremony ~
~ Coordinator at the International Court of Justice ~

Mr Robert Stern attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA, majoring in History. Then, he attended California School of Law in San Diego, California, followed by a specialist certificate from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Finally, he attended Cambridge University in England, studying History and Philosophy. From 1974 through the summer of 1990, Mr Stern practiced law in northern California, first as a private practitioner in San Francisco, then as the Chief Assistant Public Defender of Placer County, where he supervised up to twenty-two employees. Also, he was a Judge Pro Tempore of the Superior Court, and he sat on several county and state committees. In addition, he taught law and law-related subjects at various colleges and universities throughout northern California on an adjunct basis. In 1990, he began a new career at TASIS, The American School in England, U.K. from 1990-1996, as a dormitory resident and teacher of History. He directed the Model United Nations program and advised the Student Council, among other duties. In 1996, he accepted the position of Manager of the Leicester Law Centre, a legal services provider for the disadvantaged population of the City of Leicester. In July 1999, he returned to TASIS in the position of Head of the Boarding Program. Eventually, he went back to full time teaching, including courses in History, Politics, Humanities, and Law. He retired in 2013, running ICJ programs worldwide and volunteering with the local Citizens Advice Bureau. He resides with his wife, stepson, and two cats, in England, in the village of Saxthorpe, county of Norfolk.

~ Speaker at the Security Council Committee on Friday 4/11 at 13:30 ~

Dr. Constantinos Koliopoulos is Associate Professor of International Politics and Strategic Studies at the Department of International, European and Area Studies, Panteion University, Athens, Greece.  He teaches Strategic Studies in a number of Greek military academies, including the Hellenic National Defense College, where he has been Professor of Strategic Studies since 2007. He has authored, co-authored or co-edited the following books: Strategic Surprise: Intelligence and Surprise Attacks (2000) [in Greek], The Grand Strategy of Ancient Sparta, 750-192 B.C. (2001) [in Greek], Strategic Thought from Antiquity to the Present (2008) [in Greek], Thucydides on Strategy: Athenian and Spartan Grand Strategies in the Peloponnesian War, and their Relevance Today [co-authored with A. Platias] (2010), The Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1950: Strategic or Ideological Causes? [in Greek, co-edited with P. Ifestos and E. Hatzivasiliou] (2012) and Sun Tzu’s Art of War: Translation-Commentary-Interpretation-Analysis [in Greek, co-authored with A. Platias] (2015).

~ Speaker at the Special Political Committee on Friday 4/11 at 13:00 ~

Sotiris Petropoulos was elected Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese in June 2017. He received his PhD from the Department of Geography, Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) while he holds an MA in International Political Economy from Warwick University (UK). He has taught at the University of the Aegean, of Central Greece and of Piraeus while he has participated in numerous research programs. In addition he has acted as Senior Consultant on International Donors Programs at Ernst & Young. His research interests focus on regionalism, global governance, NGOs, the East Asian Region and emerging powers, with a focus on the BRICS.

~ Speaker at the YDF Committee on Friday 4/11 at 13:00 ~

Dr. Dimitrios Skiadas is Professor of Fiscal Governance and European Union Law and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair, at the Department of International & European Studies – University of Macedonia. You can find his full CV by clicking here.