The Agricultural University of Athens has declared the national groups that will represent the Institution in the 1st European School EU-CONEXUS Final Contest: “Think smart, create green”

The Partnership of European Universities, entitled EU-CONEXUS, in which the Agricultural University of Athens participates, in collaboration with eight other Universities, as members of that Consortium, constitutes a Transnational Collaboration of European Universities, and Research Institutions, which handles issues, in smart urban coastal sustainability and development, from a global perspective.

             One of the main targets and activities of the Alliance EU-CONEXUS, is raising the awareness about the challenges faced, by urban areas, on the European coastline, inspiring the society to look for the proper solutions to apply environment-friendly principles, in their daily life.

            Among joint academic actions, the EU-CONEXUS European Universities Partnership, is, also developing various workshops and seminars for high schools. Therefore, partners have come up with the idea of the International EU-CONEXUS School Contest, addressed for sustainable ideas, suitable for smart cities, entitled “Think smart, create green”.

The Universities, acting as partners of that Consortium are as follows:

• LA ROCHELLE UNIVERSITÉ, (FRANCE),
• THE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, (GREECE),
• THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING BUCHAREST, (ROMANIA),
• THE KLAIPEDA UNIVERSITY, (LITHUANIA),
• LA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE VALENCIA “SAN VICENTE MÁRTIR”, (SPAIN),
• THE UNIVERSITY OF ZADAR, (CROATIA),

         Moreover, the associated partners are the ones below:

• THE FREDERICK UNIVERSITY, (CYPRUS),
• THE WATERFORD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, (IRELAND)
• THE UNIVERSITY OF ROSTOCK, (GERMANY).

           As far as the Greek participation is concerned, a great number of schools have expressed their interest in taking part in that contest, across the region of Attica, namely, the 2nd High School of Nea Ionia, The Special High School in Athens, GEITONAS School, DOUKAS School, Zagorianakou Schools, Schools Palladium, “Jeanne d'Arc” Ellinogalliki School in Piraeus, 1ST High School of Salamis and Othissi Gymnassio S.A.

   Besides, groups consisting of four students and a leading teacher will be composed, per target group:

• Pupils aged 13-14 are kindly asked either to draw a poster, in which the atributes of a sustainable city are featured, or to tell a story, in photographs, covering the topic: Sustainable coastal tourism and economy.
• Pupils aged 14-15 are asked, either to design a smart rubbish bin for their school, or to make a short video with coastal residents, talking about the quality of coastal life (laying emphasis on sustainability).

          In addition, the principal objectives of that contest are categorised, as follows:

• To bring the EU-CONEXUS project closer to elementary and secondary education students, in order to raise their awareness about the sustainability of coastal areas and promote marine, environmental consciousness,
• To bring university life, closer to elementary and secondary education students, in order to encourage them to further study STEM related degrees, in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and introduce them in future, into pertinent career paths.

          Furthermore, the contest is explicitly, divided into three steps:

1. Pre-selection timeline, as scheduled: announcement of the 10-best works, per age group, within the Attica region, was made on March 15th 2021.

2. National winner selection: Presentations of the works of the pre-selected groups took place on April 14th2021, before the national jury, at the Agricultural University premises. Afterwards a group of winners, for every target group, appointed for the participation into the International Contest.

3. International final winner selection: The national winners will actually present their projects to the international jury, on April 27th 2021.Consequently, a group of winners, per target group, amongst the six (6) countries, is to emerge, as the international winner of the EU-CONEXUS contest.

As a matter of fact, both the level of the work achieved by the students and the quality of presentations, were characterized as outstanding, by the Greek Evaluation Committee. The students had selected topics, related to “green city”, recycling, sustainability of coastal areas, and traditional professions that tend to gradually disappear. In the final of that International contest, Greece will be represented, by the following groups of schools:

• High School Students of the eighth (8th) grade of Schools Palladium, under the banner, entitled: “we say yes to green” and
• High School Students, of the ninth (9th) grade of GEITONAS School, with the video named as: “Sustainability of coastal areas of the Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni Municipality”.

        It is remarkable that, the group of winners are to receive EU-CONEXUS prizes and all the teams will receive a certificate of participation. In conclusion, all the students, will enjoy the opportunity of living that exciting experience, gaining knowledge as well, about the sustainable development of their area, regardless of whether they are the winners or not.

        For more information about the EU-CONEXUS partnership, please run the website: www.eu-conexus.eu .