Lifelong learning activities and extroversion actions
NTUA incorporates the principles of sustainability into education, offering courses and seminars with an emphasis on sustainable development and environmental management.
At the same time, through the Center for Training and Lifelong Learning (KEDIVIM) of the National Technical University of Athens, specialized lifelong learning programs on sustainability issues are offered. Indicatively, e-learning programs such as “Sustainable Buildings with Zero Carbon Footprint Systems (ZEROING)” and “Green Buildings of Tomorrow: Training in Sustainable Technologies and Practices” as well as the “On Cooling” program are implemented and focus on sustainable building technologies, energy practices but also on modern applications in air conditioning and the heat pump industry, with emphasis on the use of alternative refrigerants, compatible with European and international agreements to reduce the environmental footprint towards the 2050 climate neutrality objective.
A similar program offered by KEDIVIM of the National Technical University of Athens is “Circular Economy, Green Innovation & Entrepreneurship” which aims at training on issues of implementation, management and exploitation of circular economy models at micro-, medium and macro-level, as well as on issues of green innovation in order to deliver new ones.
In the context of sustainable design, KEDIVIM of the National Technical University of Athens also offers the program “Environmental Licensing of Technical Projects and Development Programs”, which aims to familiarize with the process of environmental impact assessment and sustainability in technical projects, considering factors such as the climate crisis and sustainable resource management.
In addition to KEDIVIM’s programs, the National Technical University of Athens, through its laboratories, also participates in the organization of specialized intensive programs, workshops and seminars on topics related to sustainable development and related environmental issues. Indicatively, the Blended Intensive Program conducted between May-October 2023 on the subject of “Monitoring clean energy in the EULiST campuses” is mentioned. The project, which involved students from universities of the EULiST alliance as well as students of the National Technical University of Athens, provided training in methodologies for estimating energy savings in buildings and through the participation of researchers from the various institutions of the EULiST alliance offered an extensive presentation of the various good practices across Europe in the field of sustainability in academic settings. Following the successful 2023 event, NTUA aims to organize similar actions in the future, starting with the intensive program scheduled for May-June 2025 within the framework of the EULiST alliance on the thematic unit “Carbon Footprint Reduction” and aims to inform and mobilize young scientists on the issues of the climate crisis and the integration of reduced carbon footprint technologies and practices on campuses.
In order to strengthen NTUA vision towards a sustainable future, NTUA participates in cooperation networks of academic and research institutions, such as EULiST mentioned in Section 1, but also SCIENCE AGORA, a stable cooperation network to enhance technology transfer between the largest research and academic institutions based in Athens. It is a partnership of five leading Institutions (NCSR Demokritos, Athens University of Economics and Business – Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, National Technical University of Athens, Athens Research Center and University Research Institute of Communication & Computer Systems) with the aim of mutually enhancing the technology transfer and business acceleration activity produced within the individual entities.
Correspondingly, in the context of the NTUA initiatives towards a sustainable green future, the NTUA in collaboration with the University Research Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) have proceeded to the establishment of the first Energy Competence Center in Greece, a cluster that aims to support and promote innovation, entrepreneurship and technical competences among companies operating in the energy sector – its fundamental pillar Greek economy.
