ACG Research Center
Prime vehicle for hosting ACG's funded research activities
The American College Research Center (ACG-RC), a not-for-profit Research Center launched in 2020, acts as a platform for the promotion of research and innovation in the fields studied and taught in schools and divisions of The American College of Greece (ACG). These areas of inquiry range from the natural, social, and computational sciences to technology, education and communications, as well as the liberal and fine arts.
ACG-RC fosters a diverse range of research, learning and innovation-oriented activities, hosts researchers and scholars from different countries and backgrounds, participates in collaborative projects — such as research grants funded by various entities — and collaborates with an array of partners from the academic, research, industrial, non-governmental and other domains.
ACG-RC serves as the prime vehicle for hosting the funded research activities (such as European Union-funded projects) involving the faculty members of all ACG’s educational divisions, as well as the members and fellows of ACG’s Institutes, Centers of Excellence and other units.
EU-Funded Projects
Horizon Europe Project LIKE-A-PRO
LIKE-A-PRO is a collaborative innovation action project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program (under grant agreement # 101083961). The project started on Nov. 1, 2022, and will last for four years. It is coordinated by CTIC CITA in Spain and brings together key representatives along the entire alternative edible protein value chain (protein producers, ingredient & product developers, culinary centers, food clusters), scientists and market & communication experts and European consumers in a cross-disciplinary consortium (42 entities in 17 countries). ACG-RC participates through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), led by Prof. Athanasios Krystallis, Executive Director of the CoEFTL. ACG-RC will be responsible for the organization of a “Living Lab” on its premises, whereby consumers will have the chance to test and evaluate several food recipes based on alternative proteins. More information about the project can be found here.
ERASMUS+ project REFOCUS
REFOCUS (REthinking and FOstering Competence and skills for sUstainable transport, Shipping, and logistics) is an Erasmus+ project, funded under Key Action 2 (Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions), and specifically, Call 2022 on Cooperation partnerships in higher education (KA220-HED). The project aims at developing student-centered educational material in the transport, shipping and logistics sectors, focusing on environmental protection and the fight against climate change while enhancing inclusion and diversity of students. As such, REFOCUS will target University dropouts, people located in isolated rural/island areas, as well as students belonging to disadvantaged groups with an interest in transport, shipping and logistics sectors in order to assist them in building skills. The project will engage an innovative, engaging design-thinking approach to develop a future-oriented curriculum and new training material for transport, shipping and logistics that will lead to a micro-credential (certificate). REFOCUS is coordinated by the University of the Aegean and comprises, besides ACG-RC, the University of Antwerp in Belgium, Cambiamo Sociedad Cooperativa Madrilena in Spain, Andaira in Spain, and Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. ACG-RC participates through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Logistics, Shipping, and Transportation (CoELST), led by Prof. George Kokosalakis, Executive Director of the CoELST, whereas the Scientific Lead on the side of ACG-RC is Prof. Athena Tsirimpa, CoELST Fellow.
ERASMUS+ project SDG4U
SDG4U (Engaging SDGs for Transformative Education and Enhanced Sustainability in Universities) is an Erasmus+ project, funded under Key Action 2 (Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions), and specifically, Call 2022 on Cooperation partnerships in higher education (KA220-HED). A main priority of the project is to stimulate innovative learning and teaching practices through engaging SDGs for transformative education, which lead to enhanced sustainability in universities at all levels. The project is coordinated by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and comprises, besides ACG-RC, the Panteion University in Greece, the University of Murcia in Spain, the University of Cork in Ireland and UniMed in Italy. The participation of ACG-RC is coordinated by the ACG150 Center of Excellence on Sustainability (CoES), led by Prof. Stella Apostolaki, Executive Director of the CoES.
EIT Food RIS Consumer Engagement Labs 2022
The EIT Food RIS Consumer Engagement Labs are pre-competitive co-creation sessions carried out by a group of consumers (selected based on specific segmentation criteria) in a joint place and limited in time, focused on ideation and development of new product concepts. They operate under the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS), which was introduced in 2014 in order to boost the innovation performance of countries with moderate or modest innovation scores as defined by the European Innovation Scoreboard. The RIS is steered by the EIT and implemented through the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The activity contributes to the implementation of the EIT Food RIS Strategy, Action Line 2, by strengthening the innovative ecosystems of targeted EIT RIS countries. In 2022, EIT Food joined forces with EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Manufacturing, and EIT Urban Mobility in a joint initiative aimed at bolstering collaboration and enhancing the circular economy approach in the region. ACG-RC has participated, since June 2022, through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL ), led by Prof. Athanasios Krystallis and implemented by Dr. Toula Perrea, member of the CoEFTL. More information can be found here.
