Honorary Graduands

Distinguished individuals who have excelled in their field and contributed to the region receive Honorary degrees at each graduation ceremony of CITY College as recognition of their outstanding achievements. Below you may find some of the people who have been honoured with an Honorary Degree.

Marianna V. Vardinoyannis

Marianna V. Vardinoyannis was a Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, founder and president of the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation”, the “ELPIDA Friends’ Association of Children with cancer” and the “Orama ELPIDAS” Association. She built up an extensive record of humanitarian work for the benefit of children and disadvantaged social groups in Greece and abroad. Her work aimed to contribute to the building of a better world for the children, fighting human trafficking, illiteracy and many other issues of today’s concern. Through the Foundation, she supported children and families of disadvantaged social groups, refugees and schools. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis has established the first pediatric bone marrow transplant unit in Greece. She received an honorary degree in 1997.

Goran Bregovic

Goran Bregovic is lauded the world over for his creative talents in composition and performance. At the heart of his work lie the rich cultural traditions of the Balkans, centred upon Sarajevo. The band that he formed in 1974, Bijelo Dugme (White Button), broke all box office records in Yugoslavia. In 1989 he wrote music for Emir Kusturica’s latest film, Time of the Gypsies. The partnership with Kusturica, saw Goran Bregovic compose memorable soundtracks for Arizona Dream, starring Johnny Depp, and Underground. He has provided the soundtracks for over a dozen films, including the Patrice Chereau movie, La Reine Margot, which shared with Underground the distinction of winning a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He received and honorary degree in 2004.

HRH Crown Princess Katherine

HRH Crown Princess Katherine is a distinguished humanitarian who has devoted much of her life to providing humanitarian aid in the Balkan region. Through her charitable organisations she has enhanced the infrastructure of health and social care institutions in Serbia. The widespread suffering caused by conflict in the former Yugoslavia led Princess Katherine to establish the Lifeline Humanitarian Organisation in 1993. In 2001 their Royal Highnesses set up the HRH Crown Princess Katherine Foundation in Belgrade to expand humanitarian activities in the region. Their Royal Highnesses received the prestigious Ambassadors for Children Peace Award in the United States. Princess Katherine received an honorary degree in 2007.

Theo Angelopoulos

Theo Angelopoulos was one of cinema’s most distinguished and innovative directors. In a career spanning forty years, he created lasting and transforming works of cinematic art that defy the conventions of mainstream cinema. The Travelling Players is regarded as one of the best films in the history of cinema, while Eternity and a Day, received the coveted Palme d’Or at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Theo Angelopoulos was artist of great distinction who produced some of the most inspirational moments in the history of cinema, and whose work has provided audiences with a deeper understanding of the Balkan region. He received an honorary degree in 2007.

Yiannis Boutaris

Yiannis Boutaris is former Mayor of Thessaloniki. Trained as a chemist and in oenology he led the family wine business for many years before entering politics. He has been widely honoured for his contributions to community and international relations and his commitment to Greek culture and the environment. These awards include his appointment as a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur by the President of France and receiving the Order of the Star of Italy from the President of Italy.

Victoria Hislop

A multi-award-winning and bestselling author, Victoria Hislop is known worldwide for writing about Greece, its history and its culture. Her debut novel, The Island, was filmed as a 26-part series which achieved record ratings for Greek television. Her third novel, The Thread, focuses on the city of Thessaloniki and its people. Her most recent book, Cartes Postales from Greece, has been described as her love letter to the country. She is an ambassador for the international charity Lepra and for the UK’s National Literacy Trust

Athanasios S. Tsaftaris

Athanasios S. Tsaftaris is a Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Director of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology, which is part of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas. He was honoured by the President of the Republic as a Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in 2004.
He took his undergraduate degree in Agronomy at Aristotle University and continued on to a Masters degree, followed by a Doctoral degree in Mendelian, quantitative genetics and breeding. In order to further his studies and take advantage of the expertise in molecular genetics in the USA, he then moved to North Carolina State University for a second Doctoral degree in molecular genetics and biotechnology.
Professor Tsaftaris has held academic posts in both the USA and Greece, as well as a Visiting Professorship in Germany. He was appointed Professor of Genetics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1988, where he has been serving to this day, demonstrating his commitment to making a contribution to agriculture and food production in his homeland.
In order to share and develop his research and training efforts, Professor Tsaftaris has been awarded numerous international grants, totalling almost 12 million euros. In addition, the Institute of Agrobiotechnology has been identified as a Centre of Excellence. He has published more than 150 research papers in international journals, several books and numerous book chapters. His current research efforts are focused on the coordination of the BioAgroFood Cluster in Northern Greece.
Professor Tsaftaris has served on a range of committees in Greece, Europe and for the United Nations. He also served as the President of the Board of the Science Centre and Technology Museum in Thessaloniki, and as Secretary General of the General Secretariat of Research and Technology for Greece.