A highly productive discussion focusing on the evolution of Higher Education took place on Thursday, May 21st, as part of the Aristotle Innovation Forum. The Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) successfully organized the Satellite Event titled “Empowering the Margins of Europe: Synergies in Education, Research and Community Engagement by Democritus University of Thrace.”

As a partner in the EMERGE European University Alliance, DUTH centered the discussion on how education, research, and community engagement can work synergistically to bring substantial benefits to both the local community and the broader European region.

Key Pillars of the Discussion

• Strengthening Ties: Participants analyzed current challenges in connecting universities with society and research, alongside strategies for a more dynamic approach.
• From Theory to Practice: Emphasis was placed on the importance of evolving individual successful initiatives into a unified, organized strategy that consistently bridges all components.
• The EMERGE Alliance as a Catalyst: The role of the Alliance was presented as a modern mechanism that brings together local society, diverse stakeholders, initiatives, and the academic community.

Panel Speakers

Members of the DUTH EMERGE alliance team participated in the panel and shared their insights:

• Konstantinos Axarloglou (Dean & Professor at Alba Graduate Business School, ACG – Member of the EMERGE External Advisory Board)
• Athanasios Koutsoklenis (Associate Professor at DUTH – WP3 Education, EMERGE)
• Georgios Papaioannou (Associate Professor at DUTH – WP6 Research, EMERGE)
• Efthymia Penteri (Associate Professor at DUTH – WP2 Community Engagement, EMERGE)
• Elena Raptopoulou (PhD Candidate, DUTH School of Medicine – WP8 Sustainable Campus, EMERGE)

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who attended, actively contributing to a dialogue that highlights the new perspectives and modern identity of European Universities.