News

Lecture on Managing Humanitarian Operations in Greece by Ms Jelena Tesic

15/12/2016

Workshop by FEAST on Crowdfunding

An interesting workshop on crowdfunding was presented by FEAST (Fundraising Entrepreneurship and the Arts with Sustainable Tactics) to business students of the International Faculty, CITY College on Friday, 2 December 2016. Our alumna, Ms. Argyro Barata, FEAST Co-Founder, gave a presentation on Crowdfunding, its history, contemporary usage and specific examples, case studies of Crowdfunding platforms and projects, startups that where initiated through it. She also spoke about FEAST, an offline crowdfunding platform, its targets and activities. The workshop also included an activity where, our 3rd level students were asked to work in teams on a crowdfunding campaign during the workshop of the event.  FEAST is to establish a new way of funding creative projects and innovative business plans, by activating the local community. Crowdfunding is today an important funding tool for projects, especially those focusing on the arts, culture and social entrepreneurship.   The event was organised by our Career, Employability and Enterprise Centre and was part of the unit “Entrepreneurship & Small Business”.

14/12/2016

Dr Ana Cruz launches new book on Digital and Social Media Marketing

‘Digital and Social Media Marketing: A Results-Driven Approach’ by Dr Ana Cruz Congratulations to Dr Ana Cruz on her new book on Digital and Social Media Marketing that was recently launched. Entitled ‘Digital and Social Media Marketing: A Results-Driven Approach’ the book is a new industry-led, research-informed and results-driven guide to digital commerce. Its examples draw from SMEs and from Europe to offer a unique perspective for those learning about digital marketing. The book is a must have for students and practitioners aiming to be at the cutting edge of digital marketing and social media practice. It is also a key teaching and learning resource for academics aiming to teach the topic in a robust and engaging manner. The book is published by Routledge and is available on Amazon. Embracing the true spirit of Digital and Social Media Marketing, the book is the first of its kind in this field with digital learning materials, case studies and exercises available in a supporting Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The MOOC will enhance learners’ experience and create an interactive international learning community. The first MOOC was taken by over 14K students world wide. The MOOC is free of charge and is available again on the iversity platform. Dr Ana Cruz Dr Cruz said about her new book: “Digital and Social media marketing are not the future. They are here to stay providing a great deal of challenges and opportunities for organizations, yet many practitioners and companies lack the required digital skills. If you are a student, a practitioner, an entrepreneur or an academic and you are interested in a robust and strategic approach to deliver tangible results, then this book is for you.” Co-editors of the book are Dr. Aleksej Heinze, Dr. Gordon Fletcher and Dr. Tahir Rashid from Salford University (UK). Alongside the editors, the book was informed with the contribution of over 40 top academics and leading industry practitioners across Europe to provide the latest developments in the field. One of the contributors and co-author of two of the chapters was Stelios Karatzas, who was at the time a student in the MA marketing, Advertising and PR. This illustrates the university’s effort to foster a research culture and collaboration among students and staff. Dr. Ana Cruz is a multiple award winning marketer with over 15 years international experience in public, private, commercial, non-profit and environmental sectors. She lectures in Marketing Communications and Brand Strategy, teaching at International Faculty since 2010 in the Executive MBA, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Dr Cruz’s contribution to the field of marketing and branding has been recognised with over 7 marketing awards in the UK. The International Faculty warmly congratulates Dr Ana Cruz and wishes best success to her and her book!

14/12/2016

Lecture on Intercultural Communication in Business by Mr Gourgen Karapetyan

06/12/2016

Mr. Liassides delivers seminars to the management team of Ramada Encore Hotel managers in Kyiv

Mr. Chris Liassides, Lecturer and Director of postgraduate studies at the Business Administration & Economics Department of the International Faculty delivered two insightful seminars to the staff of the Ramada Encore Hotel in Kyiv. On 22 September 2016 Mr Liassides delivered the seminar ‘Operations and the Art of Gamification’ to 20 managers of the hotel’s management team. During this 5-hour seminar gave to attendants operation management insights and discussed ways in which they could inspire and motivate employees. On 25 September 2016 Mr Liassides delivered another seminar to all the staff of Ramada Encore Hotel this time. More than 100 employees attended the all-day seminar entitled "Practical Marketing, customer Service, and Sales Skills" and had the opportunity to learn more about quality customer service and latest trends in sales skills within the hospitality industry. The management team and the rest of the staff of Ramada Encore Hotel were impressed by Mr. Liassides seminars and his presentation skills and reported that they learnt a lot from both presentations which they can incorporate in their work and would welcome more seminars like this in the future.

23/11/2016

Dr Nikolaidis at the book presentation of the President of Hyphen S.A. Yiannis Stergis

Professional preparation and skill – based education Dr Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Head of the Business Administration and Economics Department of the International Faculty CITY College was one of the main speakers at the presentation of the new book of Mr. Yiannis Stergis, President of Hyphen S.A. entitled ‘CODEX: the roadmap to business autonomy’. Photo source: www.voria.gr During his speech Mr. Nikolaidis highlighted that one of the most critical success factors in businesses and organisations today is the right exploitation and management of human capital. “The right use of peoples’ skills is directly connected to providing quality customer services and thus vital for business development and success. A wrong corporate culture may prove to be destructive” he said an added: “The book is easy to read. It is an excellent tool to measure and evaluate employees’ skills and I would highly recommend managers and professionals not only to read it but also to critically think of the points raised. As far as the skills and competencies required, we all need to understand that the traditional educational system is over; and we need to reform not only our educational system but our value system as well”. The panels of speakers of the event also included Mr Athanasios Savvakis, President of the Federation of Industries of North Greece and Dr Miltiadis Sarigiannidis, Assistant Professor in Public International Law at the Law Faculty of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.    

16/11/2016

‘Entrepreneurs Talk’ for business students

Five inspirational entrepreneurs participated as guest lectures in the ‘Entrepreneurs Talk’ event that took place on 4 November at our main campus in Thessaloniki, as part of the unit “Entrepreneurship and Small Business”. Representatives of five successful startups were invited to participate and talk about their experience to our business students. The speakers shared with the students their stories about their ideas and vision, the various steps, milestones, success and failure moments they faced. The startups that were showcased are the following Fieldscale (simulation software) Total Eclipse (game development company) Elektronio (handmade custom bicycles) Ergon Foods (premium quality Greek products & Greek deli restaurant) SociallGreen (recycling reward app) Students benefited from the opportunity they had to hear first-hand information, to meet the people behind the startups and connect their academic knowledge with the everyday life of actually running a startup. The event was organised by our Career, Employability and Enterprise Centre and comes in alignment with the Centre’s core mission to bring our students closer to the industry.  

16/11/2016

'Tasty' company visit to Unismack by business students

Unismack hosted an insightful and engaging and definitely 'tasty' company visit for our final year students of the BA (Hons) in Business Studies (Marketing). Unismack is a Greek company with innovative snack products exporting to over 11 countries. The Managing Director,  Mr. Dimitrios Stratakis and the Commercial Manager Ms. Angeliki Petsa presented an insightful case study focusing on Wellaby’s brand. During the visit the students were given a tour at the manufacturing facility and got the chance to try their delicious and freshly baked products, a tasty experience indeed! Our final year marketing students will be developing an Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the launch of the Wellaby’s brand in Greece. Working with clients and integrating company visits into students’ learning is a vital part of enhancing students’ employability and learning outside the classroom. The visit took place in the context of the Integrated Marketing Communications Module led by Dr. Ana Cruz and is part of the effort to strengthen the university’s links with industry which is facilitated by Mr. Vasilis Tsoulis, Director of Career, Employability & Enterprise Centre.

14/11/2016

Successful Business Seminar on Leadership by Chick-Fil-A

A successful business seminar under the title “A pathway to successful leadership: The SERVE leadership programme” presented by Chik-Fil-A managers, took place at the International Faculty’s main campus in Thessaloniki, 31 October 2016. For one more year a Chick-Fil-A team - restaurant operators / owners and company managers- visited the International Faculty to present their leadership model, SERVE.  Eight invited speakers from Chick-Fil-A introduced the SERVE model to the participants by elaborating on the following basic elements which form the basis of successful leadership: Seeing and shaping the future. See an opportunity and pursue it aggressively. Engaging and developing others. Encourage participation and instill confidence. Reinventing continuously. Think creatively. Valuing results and relationships. Success is about both of these things. Embodying the values. True leadership is about building and maintaining trust Prior to the presentation of SERVE a warm up event took place with Anne-Marie Moraitakis, Senior Manager of Community Affairs and Gloria Cox, Senior Supervisor of Community Affairs giving insights on how to “Make your business community friendly”. Participants had the opportunity to discuss with the Chick Fil A team concepts such as the new culture on serving, respect towards customers and the new model of innovation and creativity in building services. It is the sixth time for the International Faculty to host the Chick Fil A leadership seminar while closer cooperation is coming in the near future, with Chick-Fil-A managers guest lecturing and internship opportunities at Chick-Fil-A HQ. The event was organised by the Business Administration and Economics Department (BAED) and the Career, Enterprise and Employability Centre of the International Faculty. About Chick Fil A Chick-Fil-A is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Georgia, specializing in chicken sandwiches. Founded in May 1946, it has more than 2,000 restaurants, mainly in the southeastern United States. The company's culture is influenced by its founder Truett Cathy's Southern Baptist beliefs; all Chick-Fil-A restaurants are closed for business on Sunday as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas. In 2010 Chick-Fil-A took the industry lead in average sales per restaurant, making an average of $2.7 million per restaurant (McDonald's was second with $2.4 million per restaurant). It also features in many top 10 US brand lists.  

09/11/2016

An inspiring speech by Mr Liassides at the 8th MHRA International Conference & HR Expo 2016 in Skopje

Mr Chris Liassides, Academic Director of Postgraduate Programmes at our Business Administration & Economics Department, gave an inspiring speech at the 8th MHRA International Conference & HR Expo that took place in Skopje, 13-14 October 2016. In his presentation entitled "Part-time / temporary workers in service focused environments – a blessing or a curse for the economic well-being?", Mr. Liassides discussed the ongoing debate companies hiring part time staff whether this is beneficial to businesses’ revenue. The speaker shared with the audience the latest HR theories and practices on this subject. The event was well-attended and HR executives found Mr Liassides’ topic quite informative.

25/10/2016

Business students visit Ktima Gerovassiliou Vineyard

A group of students from the Business Administration and Economics Department (BAED) of the International Faculty, CITY College, visited Ktima Gerovassiliou Vineyard, one of the biggest vineyards in orthern Greece. Accompanied by Mr Vassilis Tsoulis, Director of our Career, Enterprise and Employability Centre, and Dr Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Head of Business Administration and Economics Department, the students were given a tour at the beautiful vineyard, the winery - where the wine making procedure takes place - and the exquisite museum. Mrs Leivadiotou Magdalini, Museologist, Events Director and Mr Thrasivoulos Giantsidis, Chemist Oenologist - Exports Director, gave the students a thorough talk about the history of wine making of the area, the creation of the Domain, the different variety of grapes / wines and the winemaking process. Students also had the opportunity to learn more about managerial issues, marketing and sales, logistics and expansion policies of the company. During the wine tasting at the end of the visit, the students had the opportunity to discuss those issues with the company’s representatives and ask many questions. The company visit proved to be an interesting and educational experience for our students. Working with industry is vital to enhance our students’ employability. The intention of company visits is to give students, who will soon enter the workforce, exposure to business culture and working environments.  

25/10/2016

Business alumni excel in International Undergraduate Awards 2016

Congratulations are in order to business alumni of the International Faculty, CITY College, Sanja Arsova (Skopje) and Dzhuliya Katsarova (Bulgaria), who excelled in the international Undergraduate Awards 2016 and were highly commended, ranking in the top 10% of submissions internationally with the papers they submitted. Both graduates are now in the shortlist as ‘Highly Commended Entrants’ to be announced as one of the 25 Winners. This is a great achievement of our graduates at an international level, considering that they are among the 12 students from the University of Sheffield that stood out of 5,500 submissions from all over the world. Both Sanja and Dzhuliya are recent graduates of our BA (Hons) in Business Studies (Accounting & Finance) programme. Their papers entitled "UK Recessionary Economy: The impact of increased money supply and government expenditure, analyzed under IS-LM-BP framework and Phillips Curve" and "The Impact of an Increase In The Money Supply and Government Spending In The UK Economy" respectively, were submitted as part of the assessment of the "Money and Banking" module for the Finance Track. Both students worked under the supervision of Dr Pavlos Gkasis, Lecturer at our Business Department. During their studies at the International Faculty, both Sanja and Dzhuliya made it to the department’s Head’s List while they received their degree with distinction. Ms Dzhuliya Katsarova "I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the CITY College, International Faculty of theUniversity of Sheffield and the academic staff for creating a vibrant, motivational, and positive environmental of enthusiasm for learning, and also encouraged personal and academic growth, and insatiable intellectual curiosity. I am grateful for having my lecturers as a guide, who created an environment that inspired my commitment to education, cultural and social awareness, and a room for making mistakes along the way. I feel extremely appreciative to be a recipient of the Undergraduate Award. This award is an important impetus for me to put every effort into maintaining the highest level of academic achievement during my upcoming postgraduate study at Durham University. I am very glad that my hard work has been appreciated. It is so meaningful to know that someone thought that you deserve an award. Awards are the tribute of our dynamism!" said Dzhuliya. Ms Sanja Arsova Sanja also commented on her success: "Considering that Undergraduate Awards (UA) is a global competition that this year had over 5 500  papers submitted, being selected among the top 10% in the Business category means a lot to me. This International recognition of my work, certainly contributed to my motivation and self-confidence in academic terms." Dr. Pavlos Gkasis warmly congratulated both graduates: “I would like to congratulate both Sanja and Dzhuliya for this great achievement. It is very rewarding to see that the work conducted during the semester as part of the assessment has led to such an important distinction. This depicts, initially, the commitment of our students towards producing high quality academic output, but also the contemporary character of our assessment material. Sanja and Dzhuliya have been two of the best students I have worked with in the past years and I am certain that they are going to excel either they follow a career in the academia or in the industry. Finally, I would like to wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours.” As ‘Highly Commended Entrants’ our graduates have been invited to meet their fellow awardees at the annual UA Global Summit, taking place in Dublin, Ireland on November 8th-11th. The attendees will be addressed by the likes of NASA Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, Shiza Shahid of the Malala Fund, MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abrahams, among many more speakers and facilitators. About The Undergraduate Awards The Undergraduate Awards is the world's largest international academic awards programme, recognising innovation and excellence at undergraduate level. Cited as the ultimate champion for high-potential undergraduates, UA identifies leading creative thinkers through their undergraduate coursework and provides top performing students with the support, network and opportunities they require to raise their profiles and further their career paths. More about the Undergraduate Awards.  

03/10/2016