Distinction for the teams of the Agricultural University of Athens at the 6th International Student Competition EU-CONEXUS: “Think Smart, Create Green”.

On Monday, April 27, 2026, the European Final of the 6th International School Contest “Think Smart, Create Green,” organized by the EU-CONEXUS European Universities Alliance, was completed. The aim of the competition was to raise awareness among lower and upper secondary school students on issues of environmental sustainability, with the participation of more than 60 students from nine (9) countries of the alliance.

The Greek teams representing the Agricultural University of Athens achieved significant distinctions at an international level. Specifically, the team “9R4ces” from the 4th Gymnasium of Kalamata won second place in the 12–14 age category, while the team “Eco-vision team” from Doukas School placed fourth in the 14–17 age category.

The “9R4ces” team, consisting of Panagiotis Gioulos, Anastasia Mavrea, Zoi Kehagia, and Ioannis Papadopoulos, supervised by Mr. Nikos Katsoulis and Ms. Reveca Scarpalezou, as well as the “Eco-vision team,” with members Michalis Laloumis, Marios Kourtis, Stelios Mpirmpakos, and Christoforos Asprogerakas, supervised by Ms. Georgia Daniil, presented their projects to the international evaluation committee and managed to stand out among 16 international student teams, impressing with their high level and innovation.

The international evaluation committee consisted of nine (9) representatives from the EU-CONEXUS partner universities, coming from La Rochelle University (France), the Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), the Catholic University of Valencia (Spain), the Klaipėda University (Lithuania), the University of Zadar (Croatia), the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (Romania), the Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland), and the Frederick University (Cyprus).

As part of the competition, students formed teams and participated in a series of challenges aimed at encouraging critical thinking and developing creative skills on topics related to smart urban coastal sustainability.

The success of the Greek teams is the result of a multi-stage evaluation process, as the two teams representing the Agricultural University of Athens had previously excelled in two preliminary stages at the national level.

• During the first stage, a national pre-selection of the five (5) best projects per age category was carried out for each EU-CONEXUS partner university.
• Subsequently, the selected projects were presented at the national final. In Greece, eight (8) teams participated, from Arsakeio-Tositseio Lyceum of Ekali, the 4th General Lyceum of Chalandri, the Model Gymnasium of Anavryta, Psychiko College, the 4th Gymnasium of Kalamata, Doukas School, “Hellenic Education” Gymnasium (Marousi Campus), and the 1st Gymnasium of Rafina, presenting their proposals before the national evaluation committee. The committee included Emmanouil Chatzieleftheriou (Head of the Environmental Education Center of Antonis Tritsis Metropolitan Park), Antonis Vlassopoulos (EU-CONEXUS External Affairs Officer), and Rebecca Golfinopoulou and Nasia Stefanaki (representatives of the EU-CONEXUS Student Board).

This process highlighted the high level and creativity of the students, confirming the importance of the competition as an institution that promotes innovation and sustainable thinking.