As part of its efforts to inform interested audiences about the research and academic activities of the University of the Aegean, the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication welcomed the following schools:

• Model General Lyceum of Mytilene
• Colegio Maristas Nuestra Señora de la Victoria from Málaga, Spain
• 2nd Lower Secondary School of Pallini
• 1st Lower Secondary School of Papagou
• 2nd Vocational Upper Secondary School (EPAL) of Mytilene
• 1st Vocational Upper Secondary School (EPAL) of Chios
• 11th Lower Secondary School of Acharnes
• General Lyceum of Mantamados
• Lower Secondary School of Pamfila
• DYPA Vocational School (EPAS) of Mytilene
• Vocational Upper Secondary School (EPAL) of Kalloni
• General Lyceum of Petra

as well as students from the:

• Department of Food Science and Nutrition of the University of the Aegean

More than 450 people had the opportunity to attend a presentation of the Department by its Chair, Professor Evangelia Kavakli, followed by guided tours of the PrivaSi Laboratory, directed by Professor Christos Kalloniatis; the CILab Laboratory, directed by Professor Evangelia Kavakli; and the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory (ISCRL), directed by Associate Professor Nikos Boubaris.

More specifically:

At the Privacy Engineering and Social Informatics Laboratory (PrivaSi) (privasi.aegean.gr), interactive presentations were held to familiarize students with modern 3D printing and scanning technologies. During the activities, participants had the opportunity to learn in detail about the process and key stages of 3D printing and scanning. They visited the laboratory’s 3D printing facilities, where they observed the equipment in operation and saw how digital models are transformed into physical objects.

One of the activities was an interactive workshop organized in collaboration with the Model General Lyceum of Mytilene of the University of the Aegean. Six (6) students from the Model General Lyceum of Mytilene, six (6) students from Colegio Maristas Nuestra Señora de la Victoria in Málaga, Spain, and four (4) accompanying teachers participated in the activity as part of the European Erasmus+ KA121 programme. During the workshop, the students actively participated in hands-on 3D design and printing activities. They created their own designs, observed the transformation of digital models into physical objects, and gained first-hand experience of the opportunities offered by 3D technologies in education, research, and culture.

The presentations were delivered with the participation of Christos Kalloniatis, Professor at the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication and Director of the PrivaSi Laboratory; Katerina Mavroeidi, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department and member of the PrivaSi Laboratory; Angelos Omeri, graduate of the Department and member of the PrivaSi Laboratory; and Anastasis Koutsonikolas, undergraduate student at the Department and member of the PrivaSi Laboratory.

The Cultural Informatics Laboratory (CILab) (cilab.aegean.gr) explores the relationship between technology and culture, examining the challenges arising from human interaction with contemporary digital technologies such as robotics, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. A prominent part of the laboratory’s activities is its NAO humanoid robot and the implementation of the “NAO Cadet” educational robotics programme.

As part of the programme, students from the Lower Secondary School of Pamfila and the 2nd Lower Secondary School of Pallini visited CILab’s facilities and participated in activities introducing them to the fundamental principles of robotics, programming, and human–robot interaction.

The programme was implemented with the participation of laboratory members Giorgos Georgiou, Konstantinos Gournas, Giorgos Gournas, Kleoniki Konstantinidou, Denia Alexandropoulou, Angeliki Pesli, and Chrysovalantis Papapanagiotou, under the scientific supervision of CILab Director and Chair of the Department, Evangelia Kavakli.

The same laboratory also hosted the General Lyceum of Petra. During the visit, Emmanouil Mavrikos, a PhD candidate at the Department, gave an interview as part of the school’s participation in the 2025–2026 educational programme of the Youth Parliament, entitled “The AI Generation Discusses Artificial Intelligence.”

At the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory (ISCRL) (cultural-representation.com), guided tours were conducted in the laboratory’s audio processing and editing facilities, its VR and AR application development facilities, and its newly established Virtual Production Studio.

The tour of the audio processing and editing facilities covered:

• Image and video editing, audio processing, and recording control-room operations. Students also had the opportunity to learn about documentation and digitization, both as fields of study and as stages of the research process.
• Demonstrations of audio equipment, including microphones, mixing consoles, and headphones. Students had the opportunity to make simple recordings using the laboratory’s equipment and to create audio content such as podcasts, songs, and other material.

The tour of the VR and AR application development facilities covered:

• The creation and development of Extended Reality applications and games for various fields, with particular emphasis on culture and on promoting and showcasing cultural heritage.
• Motion capture for the creation of virtual characters.
• The presentation of research questions formulated within the laboratory following literature reviews, as well as the development of corresponding applications.

The tour of the Virtual Production Studio included a presentation of new and innovative filmmaking techniques combining physical cameras with virtual sets. The laboratory presentations involved Associate Professor Vlasis Kasapakis; Department Laboratory Teaching Staff members Alexandros Spathis and Giannis Iliadis; and laboratory member Babis Makris.

On Friday, 27 March 2026, as part of an educational trip to Mytilene, students from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition visited the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication of the University of the Aegean. The students were accompanied by Department members Dr Efstathios Kaloudis, Dr Ifigeneia Leri, and Dr Malamatenia Panagiotou. The purpose of the visit was to introduce them to the facilities, laboratories, and research activities of another academic department within the University of the Aegean.

During the visit, participants had the opportunity to tour specialized facilities and learn first-hand about the work and capabilities of the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory and the PrivaSi Laboratory. Through presentations of the laboratories’ infrastructure and applications, participants explored the many ways in which technology intersects with culture, audiovisual creation, digital representation, and contemporary intelligent systems. This connection is particularly relevant to Food Science, since food is not only a biological and technological commodity but also a cultural product.

The following individuals participated in the Department’s presentations:

Evangelia Kavakli — Professor, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; Chair of the Department

Christos Kalloniatis — Professor, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; Director of the PrivaSi Laboratory

Vlasis Kasapakis — Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Katerina Mavroeidi — Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; member of the PrivaSi Laboratory

Angelos Omeri — Graduate of the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; member of the PrivaSi Laboratory

Anastasis Koutsonikolas — Undergraduate Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; member of the PrivaSi Laboratory

Giannis Iliadis — Laboratory Teaching Staff; member of the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory

Alexandros Spathis — Laboratory Teaching Staff; member of the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory

Babis Makris — Member of the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory

Theodora Charalampi — Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication; member of the Image, Sound and Cultural Representation Laboratory

Emmanouil Mavrikos — PhD Candidate, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Giorgos Georgiou — Graduate of the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication and External Associate of CILab

Denia Alexandropoulou — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Konstantinos Gournas — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Giorgos Gournas — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Kleoniki Konstantinidou — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Valentina Papapanagiotou — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Angeliki Pesli — Student, Department of Cultural Technology and Communication

Following the presentations, the University’s Public Relations and Events Department distributed University of the Aegean commemorative items to the participants. We would like to thank Dora Tzekou and the Public Relations and Events Department for their cooperation, as well as everyone who contributed to the successful organization and implementation of this initiative.