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News & Events
ESD Students and Dr Paschalia Patsala on the stage of the 23rd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Convention in an inspiring performance!
A group of Level-2 students in the BA in English Language and Linguistics Programme—Alexandros Agathangelidis, Maria Gourmou, Evanthia Kanonidou, Iro Sapouna, Despina Sarantidou and Persefoni Tyfliori—together with Dr. Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Dept., passionately delivered a presentation at the 23rd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Northern Greece International Convention, held on 26-27 March at the American College of Thessaloniki. The team presentation was entitled “Aspiring to inspire! From teaching to … educating” and covered a wide range of ELT topics. Founded on the distinction between teaching and educating, the presentation aimed at presenting the attributes of an inspiring EFL teacher, as well as raising participants’ awareness of the barriers that could impede inspirational teaching. Hoping to motivate Foreign Language teachers and their learners, the team shared various innovative ideas and suggested practical techniques that can actively contribute to inspiring teaching practices. The most positive outcome though of this presentation was that students with different educational backgrounds, diverse experiences and future aspirations, joined forces and created a memorable presentation! This presentation would have not been so exciting without the support and ideas of Mr. Thanos Hatziapostolou, Senior Lecturer of the Computer Science Dept., whose contribution proved to be valuable! “This will be an unforgettable experience for us! We combined our studies with professional development and not only did we bond as classmates, but we felt new professional pathways opened up for us as well. We would definitely do it again!”
30/03/2016
Our students at Round Two in the IBM Universities Business Challenge (UBC) 2015-16
Congratulations to our students participating in the IBM Universities Business Challenge (UBC) 2015-16 for participating to Round Two! Our team participated the Semi-finals of this international competition that took place at the University of Sheffield! In this highly competitive round our team got the 17th place competing against 40 participating teams and received very positive feedback. Our team comprised five students from our academic departments, namely, Ioannis Zafiridis, Nikolaos Mantsios, Maria Gourmou, Tringa Krasniqi and Filip Stefanovic entered this year’s IBM Universities Business Challenge (UCB) representing the University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College. Our team competed against students from other universities worldwide in this international student competition. Each week teams had to make financial decisions on all aspects of the company they are running, in order to maintain a sustainable, profitable and socially responsible business.Throughout all stages of the competition our students demonstrated knowledge, professionalism, team spirit and innovative thinking. Our students described it as a unique experience where they acquired new knowledge and tested their abilities and team spirit. Congratulations to our students for their excellent performance and representation of the International Faculty in this international competition! Meet the International Faculty’s participating team! Name Academic department Year Ioannis Zafiridis Business 3 Nikolaos Mantsios Business 3 Maria Gourmou English Studies 2 Tringa Krasniqi Computer Science 3 Filip Stefanovic Business 3 What is the Universities Business Challenge (UCB)? The Universities Business Challenge is the UK's longest established and most recognised simulation-based competitive challenge for undergraduates designed to develop employability and enterprise skills. Supported by the UK's leading universities and graduate employers, more than 21,550 students have benefitted from participating in the UBC Worldwide over the past 17 years. The fact that the UBC is growing year-on-year is testament to the value that participating university educators, students and employer partners put on the competition. The UBC content is based around realistic business simulations developed by Learning Dynamics. The simulations are designed to engage and develop students' employability and enterprise skills so that they are given a head start in their careers. More…
29/03/2016
Interview with Alumnus, Mr George Pavlidis
Enjoy the “Interview with Alumni” series starting with our alumnus & lecturer Mr George Pavlidis. Mr. Pavlidis teaches Introduction to Psychology, Psychology of Ageing, and Academic and Transferable Skills for the Psychology Department at CITY College. Q: What is on your bookshelf? A: A lot of psychology books; books from people who are introduced as contemporary philosophers, many that deal with existential issues. I enjoy reading authors like Kazantzakis, Max Weber, a little bit of Nietzsche. Now I’m adding to my collection some books about music, such as works for piano, theory of music etc. Q: Who are you heroes? A: My heroes are rarely famous people; they are usually ordinary people that I admire for curtain qualities. An older couple that open their home’s door to help refuges in Eidomeni, for example. I’m someone that rarely idolizes celebrities or people that are well known. My heroes are usually EVERYDAY people. Q: What quote do you live by? A: “BECOME WHO YOU ARE” [showing tattoo…] It was first said by Pindar, later adopted by Epicurus, the basis of Socrates philosophy of “know who you are”. It was quite redundant for many years until Schopenhauer used it for his argumentation on life and death, then Nietzsche, and then Freud adopted it from the psychoanalytic perspective. It was also used by Adler; he interpreted it in this way: “you have to become the best version of you”. I do not like this interpretation! Lately it was discussed by Kazantzakis and Irvin D. Yalom stressing the idea of living life to the fullest; as Kazantzakis said: “Leave death nothing but a burned out castle”. I like this one! Q: What is the best gift you’ve ever received? A: I’m really bad at receiving gifts: REALLY BAD, … really bad at receiving compliments. I shouldn’t, as this is really unfair to those who try to be nice to me, but I’m [smiling]. Because I feel really uncomfortable in these occasions, I have troubles recalling what the best gift I have ever received is. If I had to use a general existential tense I would say that the best gift I have received is the fact is higher education. I feel really fortunate for having had the opportunity to do that. Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? A: Many things [smiling], but I wouldn’t like to share. I think many people would be surprised that deep down I’m pretty insecure and shy [laughing]. Also, that although I have been a professional basketball player, I rarely watch basketball games. Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were a CITY College student? A: Most of the lecturers that I had were great. I cannot pick one, it would be unfair. Q: How did you manage to survive in all this “madness” [courseworks, modules, exams…]? A: I never felt that I had to survive as I enjoyed the whole process of studying; it was really fun for me. I was engaged in a lot of extracurricular activities. Though, I aimed to study systematically, and I made sure that I had some free time for me. That took a lot of discipline! Other than that, I didn’t have any BIG secret! Q: Have you ever had a resit? (Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth :)) A: No, actually, far from it. One time […we are allowed to be late half an hour in our exams, if we came 35 minutes late, then we were not allowed to take part]. It was freezing and the brakes of my motorbike froze so I used my bicycle from the place I live [which is pretty far from here by bicycle], something that took me an hour … but I made it for the exam. That was the closest to the resit. [smiling] If people have the choice, they should do everything they can in order not to resit. If they tried and still had to resit, it is OK. Though, I can’t imagine myself having to read during the summertime in order to give exams in September. This is tough! Q: What is the worst mark you’ve received in a test? A: I think it was my first year of studies, it was something like 56 or 54 (subject: English), I can’t remember worse than that. Actually, grades never bother me a lot; I wasn’t good at English, though I was happy that I had the chance to improve my grades in the respective classes. Q: Have you ever cheated during exams? A: No, Never! I don’t like cheating generally, not even during the exams. I don’t like seeing people doing that, I don’t like people asking me to participate on that, I’m a real GEEK in this fashion! [laughing] Q: What was the most productive class/book that you took when you were a CITY College student? A: “Introduction to Psychology” and I still love reading it. Q: How did you become interested in teaching your subject? A: Interesting question! [smiling] I have never imagined myself being a lecturer. During my studies my fellow students told me that I was really good at the assignments where we had to present something (they were telling me “You should be a lecturer”). In addition, when people around me were asking “What are you studying?”, I was keen to let them know, and I was doing it in such a way that they end up saying “Wow, you can really make someone understand the subject, you should be a lecturer”. So being a lecturer came up as a career choice after my bachelor studies and during my PhD; given the fact that I also enjoy teaching. In other words, initially I was not motivated or interested to become a lecturer … it just happened. And I really like it! Q: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were a CITY College student? A: The learning experience in this Faculty is amazing. I was not sure about that when I was a student. Then, a panel of scholars from UK came to evaluate the Business Administration Department and I was called as a student to be a member of this panel. The things I heard from people evaluating the department were amazing. Any doubts I had were cast away! So now, as a lecturer, I understand fully the effort put for students to receive the education they receive in the International Faculty; If I knew that before, as a student, I would not dear to make even one complain; well, maybe one or two, but I would make sure to do that in a very constructive way. I wish I knew back then what amount of effort lecturers put in order to ensure the quality of education and the student experience. It is amazing. I feel very fortunate to have been a student here.
29/03/2016
Psychology talk on domestic violence and the conspiracy of silence
Mr Petros Theodorou, Gestalt Psychotherapists held a very interesting talk on ‘Domestic Violence and the Conspiracy of Silence’ in the frame of the ‘Psychology for all’ series. The event took place on Wednesday, 23 March 2016 at our main campus in Thessaloniki. Mr Theodorou touched upon this very delicate issue and discussed that keeping silent about domestic violence is often a bigger problem than the violent act itself. Many households suffer today from domestic abuse. Family is a system thus all members are directly affected by violent situations. The speaker noted that its often the case that family members choose silence as a means of protection against negative consequences of violent acts. However, this usually end us with more negative consequences for the family as a whole. The audience found Mr Theodorou’s presentation particularly enlightening and helpful.
25/03/2016
MBA student from Kyiv gets ‘Inventor’s badge’ at the finals of Mobile Innovators Tournament in Barcelona
A great success for our Executive MBA student in Kyiv, Mr. Oleksandr Pavlenko and his start-up, who excelled at the finals of Glovators 2016 Challenge in Barcelona and was awarded the ‘Inventor’s badge’. The Global Mobile Innovators Tournament was created by IBM and 4YFN with the objective of empowering startup, entrepreneur and developer communities around high-end accelerating technology and best in class IT infrastructure. The Global Mobile Innovators Tournament recognises startups, entrepreneurs and developers around the world with the most brilliant ideas to transform businesses and industries as well as give customers a better experience. At the finals in Barcelona Mr. Pavlenko introduced a strong AI concept and product that won him the Inventor Finalist status from IBM. His team presented a prototype of "stronger" AI system which has to decrease number of deaths on roads due to distracted driving issue. Together with IBM Mr Pavlenko and his team is working on polishing the technology and creating their own brain on top of it. Mr. Pavlenko’s start up has been contacted by serious investors (Samsung Capital, Allianz, Mazda, BMW and others) and is discussing potential partnerships. Congratulations to Mr Pavlenko and his start-up! The International Faculty takes pride in his achievement.
24/03/2016
Dr Patsala and Ms Lampreli from the English Studies Department participate in the LIF2016 International Conference in Turkey
Dr Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Department, and Ms. Anastasia Lampreli, postgraduate student in the MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL, delivered a Presentation on a Sociolinguistic study with teaching implications in the Language in Focus - LIF2016 Conference entitled “From Theory to Practice: New Directions in ELT and Applied Linguistics”. The Conference’s organization was a joined effort by the University of Ḉukurova, Adana, Turkey and the State University of Applied Sciences, Konin, Poland. The Conference was held in Istanbul, Turkey (10-12 March) and its aim was to provide a forum for linguists, researchers and ELT teachers. Dr. Patsala’s and Ms. Lampreli’s presentation titled “Just Call me ‘Ms.’! A Corpus-based Sociolinguistic Research” investigated the use of sexist language in American and British English, focusing on the use of the honorifics ‘Ms.’ and ‘Mrs.’, through both a diachronic and a synchronic study about the time period these gained linguistic popularity, and it received complimentary comments from renowned participants of the Conference. Dr Patsala and Ms. Lampreli with Regent’s Professor of Applied Linguistics Douglas Biber, Northern Arizona University The present research constituted a case-study on how teaching and learning a Foreign Language can build on developments in various areas of Applied Linguistics, such as Sociolinguistics and Corpus studies, offering innovating directions and exquisite tools in the area of ELT.
23/03/2016
Congratulations Dr Serafini!
Congratulations are in order for Dr Giovanni Serafini who recently defended successfully and was awarded his PhD degree titled “Comprehending HR Policies and Practices in the Multinational Firm within the Hotel Industry: Explaining Variety and Commonality in Countries of Domicile - Evidence from Developed Economies and the Transitional Periphery”. Congratulations also go to Dr Serafini’s supervisors, namely, Dr Leslie Szamosi from the International Faculty and Prof. Geoffrey Wood from the University of Essex, UK, for their great work and support. A special thanks also to to Prof. David Collings and Prof. Phil Johnson, who were his examiners, for their thorough work. Dr Serafini commented “Attaining the PhD in Human Resources Management represented a wonderful learning journey to me. Still, it required a lot of hard work and dedication. Ultimately, this long-term effort demonstrated me the importance of setting intermediate objectives in order to reach the ultimate goal." Dr Serafini is an alumnus of the University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College as he holds the Master in Business Administration (MBA) and has an extensive professional experience in HR applied in the national and international luxury hotel industry. Congratulations Dr Serafini!
21/03/2016
Ms Kosior from our English Studies Department participates in International Conference in Slovenia
Ms. Margarita Kosior represented the English Studies Department of the University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College at the 23rd International IATEFL Slovenia Conference "Where Inspiration Is Born" organized in Terme Topolsica, Slovenia (3-6 March 2016). During the presentation entitled "Re-Negotiating the Basics: Learner Autonomy", Ms. Kosior first elaborated on the origins of the term "learner autonomy" and explained the rationale behind moving away from teacher-centered classroom to more student-centered learning environments in which students are granted more autonomy and assume responsibility for their own learning. During her session, Ms. Kosior presented a range of techniques used by the instructors both at the English Studies Department and the English Language Support Unit, ranging from involving in self-reflection within an academic context, but also at a personal level, to the use of technology (YouTube, TED Talks and the TED-Ed platform, Clickers). All these techniques result in increased engagement and motivation of the students. The presentation was well-received and created a lot of interaction after the session. Special thanks are due to Dr Zoi Tatsioka and Mr. Thomas Mantzaris for their contribution during the preparation of the presentation and to one of the participants, Michael Harrison, for the sketch visualization of the session.
18/03/2016
Successful event by CITY College and YMCA 'Healthy and active ageing'
The International Faculty and YMCA jointly organised a very successful on ‘Healthy and Ageing’ presented by Mr George Pavlidis, PhD Candidate at SEERC and Lecturer at our Psychology Department. The event took place on 17 March 2016 at the YMCA premises in Thessaloniki. Mr. George Pavlidis discussed the negative connotations of aging and the general belief that old age is one of the causes of peoples’ suffering. In his lively and interactive presentation the speaker pointed out that as we grow up in order to improve and maintain our quality of life with age we should focus on the combination three essential prerequisites: the cognitive training, cardiovascular exercise and socialization. The presentation concluded with discussion between Mr Pavlidis and the audience. The event was part of the social action of the International Faculty and YMCA.
18/03/2016
Invited speech on ‘Triple Helix’ by Prof. Ketikidis in Thessaloniki
Prof. Panayiotis Ketikidis, Vice Principal of the International Faculty, CITY College participated as invited speaker representing the Alexandria Zone of Thessaloniki (AZK) at the event entitled ‘Digital Europe: Growth and Innovation promote Entrepreneurship – the EU gives SMEs priority for growth’. The event took place at Makedonia Palace Hotel in Thessaloniki in 4 March 2016 and was organised by Ms Eva Kaili, Member of the European Parliament. Prof. Ketikidis had the opportunity to talk about the notion of triple helix with his presentation on "Triple Helix- Boosting the innovation potential in GREECE" and discussed of how the interaction of the three pillars, University (research centers), Industry (market) and Government, can contribute to Greece’s growth and jobs creation. His main point was that, the matter of governance and intermediation among the triple helix actors in Greece, relies in the actual coordination and integration of stakeholders’ visions, with academia having, not the role of the leader, but of the main motion driver in the process of regional economic growth. The event featured three panels with distinguished speakers, proved very informative and generated discussion between participants.
16/03/2016
'Psychology for All' open seminar series (9 March 2016)
The following event is going to take place in Greek. FREE ENTRANCE Online Participation Form Information / Registrations: T: 2310 224 421 E: stververidou@citycollege.sheffield.eu
09/03/2016
Our Students Union becomes part of the Sheffield Student Union
CSU – SU Twinning On 11 February, after a series of discussions, our Students Union (CSU) became part of the Sheffield Student Union (SU) in the SU Council meeting, where the motion for the twinning of the two Unions was voted. CSU Officer, Vasilis Kikalos, travelled to Sheffield to represent CSU in this meeting. The motion was passed by total majority and CSU is currently working on implementing in detail the spectrum of changes this will bring to the unions’ Constitutions. The initiative for the twinning started by this year’s SU and CSU teams in order to integrate the two bodies in the exemplar of the University of Sheffield and the International Faculty integration. This is a very important development as our students will have steady representation in Sheffield while it will also strengthen the cultural and social relationships between students in both campuses (Thessaloniki and Sheffield). The two Unions are already working on joint initiatives, with the SU being keen to involve the CSU and its students in upcoming events. In a few months, with the completion of the procedural process, the students of both campuses will be considered one body by Sheffield Students’ Union and the CSU will act as a part of the Union. “This kind of integration is challenging and complex, especially considering the size and scale of Sheffield Students’ Union and of its operations. We also believe that it's a very uncommon integration at a British, or even European level. But, we have a common vision and a bigger picture that guides us and undoubtedly, when the integration will mature enough, the benefits will be great for our students and the Sheffield community.” said Vasilis Kikalos while CSU President Theodora Theodoridou commented “I am really happy to see this unique merge taking place. I believe there is so much space for common initiatives and activities. Students at the International Faculty will come closer to students studying at Sheffield and will surely benefit from this integration.” Undoubtedly, the twinning of the two Unions is a very important development for the role of our Union, its strength and the relations of our students with the fellow-students studying at Sheffield, UK.
26/02/2016
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