TEI of Kavala
Encyclopedia
The Technological Educational Institute of Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...

is a public institute providing education at university level in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The institute has 3 campuses; the main campus in St. Lukas, Kavala, a second campus in the nearby city of Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...

 and an additional campus in Didymoteicho
Didymoteicho
Didymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north...

, Evros Prefecture
Evros Prefecture
Evros is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Its name is derived from the river Evros, which appears to have been a Thracian hydronym. Evros is the northernmost regional unit. It borders Turkey to the east, across the river Evros, and it...

. The TEI of Kavala has 13,500 registered students, ranking 7th among the 16 Technological Educational Institutes in Greece in terms of students.

History

The TEI of Kavala was founded in 1976, and its current form is a result of many institutional reforms and changes. Originally, it was established as an Educational Centre for Vocational Studies (Presidential Decree 748/76 and Law 652/70). In 1983, it was recognised as an Institute of Technology by Law 1404/83. In 2001 it was upgraded to a Higher Educational Institute by Law 2916/01 and since 2007 it is a recognised as a University-level institute (Law 3549/07). However, the term University is not widely used, because the term "Technological Educational Institute" (TEI for short) is more common throughout Greece.

Old departments

In its earlier (1976–1983) forms, the TEI of Kavala consisted of six departments. These are: 1) the Department of Electrical Engineering, 2) the Department of Mechanical Engineering, 3) the Department of Petroleum Engineering, 4) the Department of Sciences, 5) the Department of Accounting, and 6) the Foreign Languages and Physical Education Centre. In 1983, the first four of these departments were allocated to the newly-formed School of Engineering Sciences and the remaining two, the School of Business and Economics. In 1985 the first campus outside of Kavala was established in the nearby city of Drama; the Department of Forestry and Natural Environment Management was the first department that established there. In 1986, the Department of Business Administration, was founded and integrated into the School of Business and Economics.

New departments

During the period 1999-2007, the institute underwent an expansion with the creation of four more departments, known as the ‘New Departments’. Originally, these departments were financed by the European Union through the Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training. The departments are listed below in chronological order of their foundation: 1) the Department of Industrial Informatics (1999) and Information Management (2000) located in Kavala, the Department of Landscape Architecture (2003) located in Drama, the Department of Nursing (2007) located in Didymoteicho.
Following the establishment of the Department of Landscape Architecture (2003) in Drama, a third school, the School of Agricultural Technology was established in the Institute. In 2009, the Department of Oenology (third department in Drama) was founded and integrated into Drama Branch.

Main Campus

TEI of Kavala’s facilities were originally accommodated in different leased buildings around Kavala. In 1992 these facilities relocated to the new main campus in St. Lukas. Developed by Michaniki S.A., the campus buildings were assembled in an amphitheatre-style structure, overlooking the gulf of Kavala. The campus area is approximately 132,000 m2 with buildings covering an area of 36,000 m2.

Additional Campuses

The Drama Campus is located in the area of Microchori, Drama. The Departments of Forestry and Oenology and administration services, the Museum of Natural History as well as the Botanical Gardens are located within the campus area of 100,000 m2 with buildings covering an area of 6,000 m2, while the Department of Landscape Architecture is located in the city of Drama, in facilities granted by the Prefecture of Drama. The Didymoteicho Campus is accommodated in the historic Primary School in the centre of Didymoteicho, located in the eastern part of the Evros Prefecture of Thrace.

Libraries

The main library is in operation since 1988 and has a collection of over 32,000 volumes. It subscribes to 17 electronic sources (on-line databases, digital libraries, statistical databases, etc.) and provides access to 550 scientific journals. The study room area is 800 m2, has seating capacity for 200 people and provides access to 22 computers. In comparison with other TEIs, the library in Kavala is ranked 6th in number of books. There are also libraries on the campuses at Drama and Didymoteicho.

Academic structure and administration

The institute comprises three schools, and a total of thirteen departments. The following table provides an overview of this structure and also indicates the number of students entering the institute per annum (S/A).
TEI of Kavala
S/A
1 Kavala
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES
Department of Petroleum Technology and Natural Gas 305
Department of Electrical Engineering 300
Department of Mechanical Engineering 300
Department of Industrial Informatics 300
Department of Sciences -
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Department of Accounting 500
Department of Business Administration 330
Department of Information Management 300
Department of Foreign Languages and Physical Education Centre -
2 DRAMA CAMPUS
SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
Department of Forestry & Natural Environment Management 150
Department of Landscape Architecture 150
Department of Oenology and Beverage Technology (independent) 100
3 DIDYMOTEICHO CAMPUS
Department of Nursing 150

Administration

The institute is governed by the Senate, the Academic Council, the President and 3 Vice-Presidents. The Academic Council is composed of 9 members: the President, 3 Vice-Presidents, 3 Deans, the General Secretary, and the Student Representative. Each Vice-President individually deals with one of the following areas: Academic Affairs, Economic Affairs and European and International Affairs.
Each school is governed by a Dean that answers to a School Board. The Department Heads and the student representatives participate in the School Board.
Each department is governed by a General Assembly, Board, General Assembly of the Sector, and a Head and the Managers of the Sectors. Each department acts independently and has two or more sectors, to which the members of Educational Staff of the Department are allocated. Each Department Board consists of a Head, Sectors Managers and a Student representative.

Academic staff

Educational duties in TEI of Kavala are carried out by the members of the permanent academic staff, which are hierarchically ordered as follows: a) Professor, b) Associate Professor, c) Assistant Professor, and d) Lecturer. The members of academic staff cooperate with temporary staff such as Scientific and Laboratory Associates, Laboratory Technicians, and Administrative Staff. This “mixed” system (i.e. permanent/temporary staff) is common in Greek Institutes of Technology and derives from the French model of grandes écoles.

Master studies

The following four Master Programmes are available in the TEI of Kavala:
1) M.Sc. in Finance and Financial Information Systems. The programme focuses on the students’ ability to analyse, compose and assess theoretical concepts as well as practical applications in the economic sector. It is run by the Department of Business Administration in partnership with the University Of Greenwich’s (UK) Business School. The tuition fees for 2010 are €6,500. 2) Southeast European Studies. This is a two-year programme for those that have graduated from studies in law, economic, business administration or medical sciences. It is run by the Department of Accounting in partnership with the Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Law. 3) Catalysis and its Applications. This programme is in the area of catalysis, and its applications in modern technology. It is run by the Department of Petroleum Technology in partnership with the Athens University, Department of Chemistry. The programme is currently free of charge. 4) Masters in Distance Education. This programme is addressed to graduates interested in specialising in new educational technologies and methodologies for distance education. It is run in collaboration with the Open University of Athabasca (Canada). The 2010 tuition fees are €10,500.

Ranking

TEI of Kavala is ranked 8th among the 16 Institutes of Technology and 25th among 50 ΑΕΙs and Colleges throughout Greece.
Globally, it is ranked in the first third (1/3) (3,744) of the world’s top 12,000 Universities
as determined according to the indexes of the Cybermetrics Lab, which are based on the production and publication of scientific knowledge.; the measurement has 4 indexes: a) the “size”, which is the number of pages retrieved from search engines, b) the “visibility” that is the received number of external links (inlinks), c) the “rich” files which are the volume of files of the following types: .pdf, .ps, .doc, and. ppt, and d) the “scholar” that is the number of publications and references per academic research area. The indexes are normalised and 1 stands for “excellent”. Other measurements provide equivalent results.

Research-innovation

The TEI of Kavala is dedicated to achieving the highest standards in research and the promotion of knowledge and is actively involved in a variety of areas, including computer science chemistry and chemical engineering, and material science. TEI of Kavala publishes two English-language scientific journals. a) the Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Review is edited by Prof. D. Bantekas. The Journal’s Board includes such distinguished participants as Prof. D. Nanopoulos and Prof. E. Gazis. The journal is registered in research databases such as EBSCO, DOAJ) and is included in CERN’s recognised scientific journals. b) the International Journal of Economics Science and Applied Research is edited by Prof. Α. Κarasavvoglou from the Department of Accounting.
Both journals are published in electronic and printed form and access to the journals is free.

Advanced Laboratories

TEI of Kavala has made significant investments in research infrastructure, including highly-valued laboratory equipment for the promotion of knowledge in specific fields. Among those, the Small Angle X-Ray Scattering and the Scanning Electron Microscope in the Centre for In-Situ Studies permits the in-situ combination of different experimental methods for the static and dynamic (in process) study of nanomaterials.
Others laboratories include the Water Quality Laboratory, the Petroleum Chemistry Laboratory, the Materials’ Laboratory, the Photovoltaic Laboratory and the Microcomputers Laboratory.

Technology Research Centre

In 2004, the academic staff founded the Technology Research Centre of East Macedonia and Thrace (Presidential Decree 36/ΦΕΚ 30/06-02-04). This is a legal entity of private law focused on innovation in the areas of: a) Radiation, b) Fuels, c) Marbles, d) New Products Design, e) Marketing, f) Informatics and g) Environment. The centre has overseen the development of innovative technologies, including the survivor-detection robotic vehicle R.OX.AN.E, for which the centre was awarded a prize at the ‘Athens Digital Week 2009’ exhibition. Since 2010 the centre is organiser of the Innovation Festival. The centre is also a regular participant in exhibitions in Thessaloniki and Thrace; at a recent exhibition in Thrace, the Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou
George Papandreou
Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...

 inspected recent technological advances made at the TEI of Kavala.

Projects

KavTech has been actively involved in many transnational co-operation actions over the past ten years, such as ERASMUS, COMETT, LINGUA, PETRA, TEMPUS, EUROFORM, TEXT, EURASHE, SOCRATES and bilateral international cooperation programs (SLOVENIA, GEORGIA etc.).
It has been also actively involved in international research projects, such as ALPHA, EU DG-Research Vth Framework, (MEDMONT /QLK5-2000-01031), (CONTROCAM /QLK5-2000-01684), INTERREG IIIB CADSES, (GOVERNET/3B084), INTERREG III A PHARE CBC GREECE-BULGARIA (Dra-Smo 2.1-67), INTERREG III B ARCHIMED (Acronym ManagMED A.1 113.31), GREECE-JORDAN HELLENIC AID (YDAS 44.8), INTERREG IV-C South East.

As far as concerned the amounts more than €2,5 million have been managed by our institution, corresponding to the most recent of the projects, the list quoted below as follows:
  • INTERREG III A PHARE CBC GREECE-BULGARIA (Dra-Smo 2.1-67)
  • INTERREG III B ARCHIMED (Acronym ManagMED A.1 113.31)
  • GREECE-JORDAN HELLENIC AID (YDAS 44.8)
  • NTERREG IV-C South East

Student life

TEI of Kavala offers an active student life; students can participate in the institute’s theatre group, music groups, and painting and hagiography ateliers. For those into sports, there are football, basketball and volleyball teams that participate with distinction in the Universiade. There is also great interest in the martial-arts team, the aerobics team, and the traditional dances group in which the Pontian and Cretan Student Associations are also active. Other active cultural associations are the Cypriot and Thessalian Student Associations as well as the Graduates of the Department of Forestry. The Pontian Student Association is the oldest in the Institute (1984), and has constructed a monument in memory of the genocide of Pontian Greeks that was inaugurated by the then-President of the Republic, Konstantinos Stefanopoulos. The association has also represented the AEIs of Greece in the cultural festival of Santa Napa (1993).

Student political parties

Each school has an elected Student Association. Additionally, associations representing the major Greek political parties contribute to the public discussion for the organisation and structure of higher education in Greece. The Student Associations are legal entities of private law.

Student exchange programs

TEI of Kavala is a member of a number of networks to enhance internationalisation. For instance, TEI of Kavala is highly active in SOCRATES, ERASMUS MUNDUS, LΕΟΝΑRDΟ DA VINCI, Associations des Formations Européennes à la Comptabilité et l'Audit (AFECA), Euroweek-Primenetworking, European Taxation and Accounting in Practice (ETAP), International Student Olympias of Business Administration, etc. Student groups from TEI of Kavala regularly participate with distinction in Euroweek.

English Language Certificate

The English Language Certificate is organised by the Foreign Languages and Physical Education Centre. The examinations programme covers writing and reading in terminology.

Events

Many distinguished scientists and personalities have delivered lectures in TEI of Kavala. Recently, TEI of Kavala welcomed Professor Dimitris Nanopoulos to talk about the Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....

 (20-5-09). Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem is the current Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem...

 presented The Jerusalem Patriarchate and the meaning of Sacred Pilgrimages (2-7-09). Painter G. Kordis presented The art of image as a visual creation (10-11-09). The Rector of Sorbonne, Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler presented the topic The Pontian Greeks and their intellectual life (27-1-10), and the journalist S. Fyntanidis talked about Journalism and personality protection (20-3-10). TEI of Kavala also organises a variety of events, including international conferences.

Seals and emblems

The TEI of Kavala’s official seal is the ‘Tripod of Philippi’ with lion’s feet and three handles, two of which are side-handles decorated with strands by three beams. Above the tripod there is a laurel branch, and on the right side there is a long-handled axe. This tripod was originally used on the tetradrachma coin, dating from the period 356-345 B.C. The other side of the coin depicts the head of the young Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...

 wearing a lion’s skin. When Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...

 conquered the Mount Pangaio goldmine in 358 B.C., he renamed the ancient Crenides into Philippi
Philippi
Philippi was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest...

, and minted the race (drachma), the dolphin (half-drachma), the bow (silver stater
Stater
The stater was an ancient coin used in various regions of Greece.-History:The stater is mostly of Macedonian origin. Celtic tribes brought it in to Europe after using it as mercenaries in north Greece. It circulated from the 8th century BC to 50 AD...

) and the Phrygian cap
Phrygian cap
The Phrygian cap is a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, associated in antiquity with the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia. In the western provinces of the Roman Empire it came to signify freedom and the pursuit of liberty, perhaps through a confusion with the pileus,...

(gold stater) coins, on which the tripod emblem was depicted.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK