November 7, 2024
A delegation of Greek scientists from three leading Greek Research Centres NCSR “Demokritos,” ATHENA and FORTH, visited China between 12-19 October 2024, in the frame of fostering collaboration between the two countries. The visit was organised with support from the Chinese Embassy in Greece, in partnership with the Palace Museum of the Forbidden City in Beijing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other institutions.
The Greek delegation include from NCSR Demokritos: Dr. Vangelis Karkaletsis, Director of the Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications and Dr. Kostas Eleftheriadis, elected Director of the Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety.
FORTH was represented by Prof. Nektarios Tavernarakis, Chair of the Board, and Prof. Yiannis Vontas, Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, while ATHENA was represented by Minos Garofalakis, Director of the Institute of Information Systems (IIS) and Professor at the Technical University of Crete.
The six-day program included visits to research institutions in Beijing and Shanghai, which have developed partnerships with Greek institutions, such as the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC), the Palace Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the NICE Organization, and major tech companies (Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.), highlighting China’s unique cultural heritage and technological innovations. Notably, this is the first mission of its kind, reflecting a mutual desire to strengthen bilateral relations and establish research partnerships in areas of shared interest.
Dr. Vangelis Karkaletsis stated: In recent years, Demokritos has initiated a series of joint actions with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Greece, focusing on the use of digital technologies in culture and philosophy. On the occasion of the opening of AiTHERION at the Athens Conservatoire, a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and NCSR Demokritos, we are designing and implementing cultural experiences in ancient Greek philosophy through digital technologies. This has led to visits by Chinese students and researchers to the site, as well as visits by AiTHERION representatives to the Palace Museum and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. These initial exchanges resulted in a memorandum of cooperation with Shanghai Jiao Tong University for research and educational activities in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, culture, and philosophy. We were delighted to visit these and other organizations, where we discussed the potential for collaboration. We hope to expand our joint research activities in these areas and also in areas like energy and the environment, which are of particular importance to us.
The Greek delegation visited among others: the Wanboke Group Digital Research and Health Services Platform of the China Institute of Scientific and Technical Information, the Alibaba Campus laboratories in Beijing, the Huawei Convention and Exhibition Center and the Palace Museum, the royal palace of China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, the Xiaomi Technology Park in Beijing, the Research Center Aerospace Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shougang Park, National Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Park of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, etc.
The visit was organised with the support of the Chinese Embassy, in collaboration with the Palace Museum of the Forbidden City in Beijing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other institutions. It is worth noting that it is the first time that such a mission has been organised, highlighting the mutual desire to tighten the relations of the two countries in order to enter into research collaborations in areas of common interest.
Read the full PRESS RELEASE available in Greek here.