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Nurturing Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the University of Aegean

Interview with Maria Chatziantoniou, Lecturer at the Department of Environment

VU Center for Entrepreneurship works together with the University of Aegean on implementing entrepreneurship modules in all faculties of this university.

Could you share more about yourself and your role at the University of Aegean?

Sure! I was born on the beautiful island of Lesbos and later pursued my studies in Chemistry at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. Initially, my academic path revolved around chemistry, until I took an elective in environmental chemistry. This elective allowed me to step out of the laboratory and witness real-world environmental issues. It was a pivotal moment that shifted my focus towards a more holistic and systematic way of thinking. Eventually, I pursued a PhD in environmental management and sustainable tourism networks, engaging in European projects to study different networks across Europe. The goal was to develop a methodology for efficient local stakeholder networks to protect the environment and create more sustainable tourism products.

In 2014, I was recruited by the Department of Environment of the University of the Aegean (UAegean) in Lesvos. The UAegean is a unique insular university which spans across six campuses on six different islands. . I started my academic career by introducing courses in sustainable business development and green entrepreneurship. This was initially challenging because they were quite distinct from traditional curriculum offerings. However, I was determined to bridge the gap between theory and real-world environmental challenges. We incorporated guest lecturers and invited successful role models in sustainable enterprises to inspire our students.

Can you tell us more about the role of entrepreneurship in the University of Aegean's curriculum and why it's important?

Sustainable entrepreneurship is a natural extension of our commitment to environmental stewardship, which is a necessity for islands which are especially vulnerable to climate change and extreme natural events, as well as to unsustainable tourism development, and economic and geopolitical (i.e., refugee) crises. We try to work with these challenges. One notable example is how we integrated the major refugee crisis on Lesvos in 2015-2016 into our curriculum. We challenged our students to participate in the project "The Global Chess Board," a giant chessboard made from the discarded refugees' life jackets and plastic boats that flooded the beaches. . This initiative led to the creation of innovative projects like 'Trash, we can' at the Port hackathon@ Cern 2017.. Our collaboration with NGOs and the involvement of refugees in these projects added a unique dimension to our courses. It highlighted the potential of entrepreneurship to address pressing social, humanitarian and environmental challenges on the island and inspired our students to think out of the box. We would now like to expand our entrepreneurship programs across all faculties, to instill entrepreneurial thinking and sustainability skills in students from all academic backgrounds. 

Could you share more specific initiatives that showcase the university's focus on sustainable entrepreneurship?
Absolutely, one of them is our collaboration with USC (University of Southern California, USA), which brought their students to Lesvos for a faculty-led program. This collaboration led to the development of innovative ideas that addressed the needs of refugees and improved coordination among NGOs. Or our cooperation with GFU (George Fox University, USA), which led to a project for spirulina production at Lesvos, exploiting the advantage of the island’s rich geothermal energy.

We also introduced students to national-level green hackathons like the Junior Achievement Start-Up Competition and other green hackathons while working for the expansion of entrepreneurship courses into our Master’s courses. We collaborate closely with the Lesvos Local Development Company (ETAL SA), which supports youth entrepreneurship for local development in the  LEADER framework.

To continue this expansion we are actively participating in European programs, such as EIT HEI Initiative and the European program called Prometheus which focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship in the domains of digital transformation, circular economy and sustainable development. Last but not least, I should not forget our collaboration with the VU Center for Entrepreneurship. It is our aim to work together on implementing entrepreneurship modules in all faculties at University of Aegean. I’m very excited about the path we are on. I truly believe that entrepreneurship, when combined with sustainability, has the power to drive positive change.