The Agricultural University of Athens organized a Virtual Workshop on Undergraduate Research Activities within EU-CONEXUS European University Alliance
On Tuesday, 1 July 2025, the Closing Virtual Workshop on Undergraduate Research Activities was successfully held, highlighting student-led research initiatives carried out within the framework of the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability EU-CONEXUS. This event was part of the EU-CONEXUS initiative “Research to Education”, coordinated by the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), under the leadership of Professor Eleni Miliou, Vice-Rector for European University, Internationalization, and Student Affairs, and Ms. Evanthia Chatzoglou, Research Associate at the Department of Animal Science, AUA.
The workshop showcased the scientific achievements of EU-CONEXUS students who participated during the academic year 2024–2025 in the activities “Student Research Hub” and “Open Lab Hours.” In total, sixteen (16) undergraduate research projects were presented to an audience of over fifty (50) students, academics, and researchers from the nine (9) partner institutions of the Alliance.
The Student Research Hub combines academic learning with hands-on research experience by involving undergraduate and postgraduate students in collaborative teams that work for two (2) months on focused research projects. Each team is supervised by a PhD candidate (Leader) and mentored by a faculty member and/or researcher (Mentor), with the aim of developing cognitive, non-cognitive, and technical skills.
The student presentations were evaluated by a Scientific Committee comprising Professor Eleni Miliou, Dr. Charalambos Chassos, Associate Professor of Internal Combustion Engines at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University (Cyprus), and Mr. Mike Kinsella, Lecturer in Chemistry/Organic Chemistry at the Department of Science, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland). As a result of the evaluation, five (5) teams will have the opportunity to participate in and present their research findings at a scientific conference. Final results will be announced in the near future.
In addition, students shared their experiences from the Open Lab Hours activities, short, five-day (5) research-oriented training sessions offered either on-site or online by inter-institutional teams of EU-CONEXUS academics and/or researchers. These sessions gave students the opportunity to become familiar with advanced scientific instruments, data and sample collection, literature review, and specialized research software. Moreover, students were introduced to recent research methodologies, good practices in research integrity and ethics, and the pressing challenges of environmental sustainability explored by the EU-CONEXUS research teams.
The event concluded with an open discussion session among students, Mentors, and Leaders, aimed at evaluating the activities and exchanging experiences and ideas. Participants explored how undergraduate and postgraduate students can benefit from the multi-institutional research opportunities offered by more than four hundred (400) research groups within the EU-CONEXUS Alliance, gaining structured experience, advancing their aspirations for an internationally competitive scientific career, and developing skills for future employment. It was also discussed how such experiences can foster students’ interest in research and innovation, support further postgraduate studies, and enhance the overall quality of their research work even at the undergraduate level.
