The Agricultural University of Athens welcomes 57 international ERASMUS+ students
On Wednesday 30 September, the Agricultural University of Athens warmly welcomed 57 international students from 11 different countries, marking the official start of their academic experience in Greece through the Erasmus+ mobility programme.
Orientation Day, organized by the Department of International Relations and Mobility, began with a greeting by the Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator, Professor Konstantinos Mountzouris Vice Rector of Outreach, Internationalization and Digital Transformation of AUA. The Vice Rector welcomed the students to the University, emphasizing the profound value of intercultural communication, cooperation and internationalization in higher education.
Subsequently, the Department of International Relations and Mobility provided incoming students with detailed information on the opportunities and services offered by the University, while also completing the formal procedures for their enrolment.
Immediately afterwards, the floor was given to the volunteers of ESN AUA Athens, who presented the association’s vision, activities and programmes. One of the most memorable moments of the day was the first face-to-face meeting between the international students and their ‘Buddies’. The Buddies, who are students of AUA and ESN AUA Athens volunteers, have taken on the role of personal mentors, ensuring that new students settle smoothly into daily life in Athens.
The programme on campus concluded with a guided tour in the form of an interactive ‘treasure hunt’ organized by the volunteers. The students solved puzzles whilst discovering the key buildings and facilities that will be useful to them during their studies.
That particular day marked the start of Welcome Month. Α whole month packed with activities promoting cultural exchange and the social integration of students. That very evening, the atmosphere of excitement reached its peak with the opening event, ‘Karaoke: Spread the Friendship Edition’, giving students the chance to get to know one another and forge new friendships.
The Welcome Month will continue in full swing with a variety of activities, such as a bowling night and the unmissable cultural visit to the Acropolis. At the same time, with the aim of expanding international students’ social networks in the city, events will be organized such as participation in the “Greece Race for the Cure 2026” to raise awareness about breast cancer, a Greek evening and a multicultural dinner, in collaboration with associations and volunteers from the ESN Athens network.
The Department of International Relations and Mobility and ESN AUA Athens are demonstrating in practice that they stand by incoming students, ready to support a journey that opens up new horizons and creates memories that last a lifetime.
What is the Erasmus Student Network?
ESN AUA Athens is the voluntary association of the Agricultural University of Athens, which forms part of the wider ESN AISBL - Erasmus Student Network. It has been part of the network since 2010 and operates with the full support and cooperation of the Department of International Relations and Mobility at the Agricultural University of Athens.
The ESN network consists of student-run, voluntary, non-profit and non-political associations, whose mission is to represent international students, thereby providing opportunities for cultural understanding and personal development in line with the principle of ‘Students Helping Students’.
