With the aim of developing the skills of the academic community in the field of Artificial Intelligence, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Google Greece signed a memorandum of cooperation today, Tuesday.

“This collaboration has the potential to bring multi-dimensional changes in the way we perceive education, research and technology“, emphasized the rector of the University of Athens, Gerasimos Siassos, and added: “It is not just a symbolic move, but a real step towards strengthening our educational programs and promoting innovation. Artificial intelligence is no longer a subject of exclusivity for scientists and researchers. It is now a field that touches all aspects of our lives, from our daily interaction with digital platforms, to strategic decisions at the management level. I am sure that this collaboration will have long-term benefits and will contribute substantially to the upgrading of education and research in our country».

For her part, the general manager of Google Southeast Europe, Peggy Antonakou, said: “Artificial intelligence is a huge opportunity and, at the same time, a huge responsibility. Only “together” can we develop it responsibly and ensure that its benefits are accessible to all. We are very excited to start this new chapter of cooperation with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Our goal is, through this collaboration, to equip the academic community with the necessary knowledge and skills to make the most of AI’s potential. At the same time, the signing of today’s MoU is a milestone in our commitment to empower Greek talent and contribute to the country’s faster digital transition».

More specifically, the collaboration between EKPA and Google Greece aims to strengthen digital skills and spread knowledge about Artificial Intelligence (AI).

As informed by the university, the main content of the memorandum concerns the provision of training programs, both online and in-person, which focus on a range of topics such as machine learning, data analysis, cyber security and digital marketing strategy with use of AI.

“The aim of this partnership is to create opportunities to advance artificial intelligence and digital inclusion, providing skills necessary for both individuals and businesses to thrive in a digitally evolving world“, states the relevant announcement.

In particular, for the members of the academic community of EKPA, this cooperation is expected to lead to five main “roads”:

1. In the acquisition of specialized skills, since training programs offer members of the academic community the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest developments in artificial intelligence. This knowledge is now extremely useful for the research and educational development of the Foundation.

2. In fostering innovation, with access to modern digital skills and strategies, enabling members of the academic community to be able to promote innovative ideas and research projects based on artificial intelligence. This enhances the creation of new knowledge and its application in cutting edge areas.

3. In the interface with the labor market, since the collaboration with one of the largest technology companies in the world such as Google, allows the members of the academic community to better understand the requirements of the modern labor market, while providing them with guarantees that strengthen the academic profile of Foundation and bring it to the axis of the international vanguard.

4. Access to international resources and networks, recognizing that Google offers access to global resources such as educational materials, data analysis tools and other platforms that can improve the quality of research and teaching.

5. In the professional development of students, but also of the academic community, as the seminars covering leadership and digital strategy issues can help academics in the management and development of their research groups and in teaching using new methodologies.

It is worth noting that the memorandum was signed by the rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Prof. Gerasimos Siassos, and the general manager of Google Southeast Europe, Peggy Antonakou. The signing ceremony in the Old Senate Hall was also attended by the member of the board of administration Prof. Dimitrios Kainourgios, the vice-rector of Administrative Affairs and Student Affairs, Prof. Efstathios Efstathopoulos, the vice-rector of Academics, International Relations and Outreach, Prof. Sophia, from the University of Athens. Papaioannou, the vice-chancellor for Finance and Development, Prof. Aristides Samitas, and Prof. Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, while from Google Dr. Nicklas Lundblad, Head of Deepmind Public Policy / Google.