Scientific Council

Athanasios Vozikis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics of University of Piraeus, specialized in Health Economics and Information Systems. Holder of a Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) from the University of Athens in Health Informatics and a graduate of the Department of Public Administration of Panteion University.

He is the Director of the Laboratory of Health Economics and Management of the University of Piraeus and has served as Chairman of the Negotiation Committee of EOPYY. and as a member of the National Council of Public Health. He has participated in committees as an expert in Health Technology Evaluation, Negotiation and process redesign, business and strategic planning and systems development of the health sector, public organizations and private companies. He has also been a member of research teams in international, european and national projects and a member of committees for the implementation and evaluation of Information Society projects.

He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses and has published a large number of research papers and monographs in international and domestic journals and conference proceedings.

Konstantinos Dikaios is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at DUTH.

Born in Athens, he studied Political Science at Panteion University of Athens (BA 1982-87) and continued his studies at the Department of Politics at the University of Edinburgh (PhD in Social Sciences 1987-92). During his stay in Britain he taught political theory and British politics at the University of Edinburgh and health policy and health policy and sociology as a visiting lecturer (Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh).

He then (from 1995-2003) worked as an Advisor and Assistant Managing Director on various EU-funded projects on social welfare and health care reform and as a key expert on projects related to poverty and social exclusion. in GREECE. Dr. Dikaios has worked as a professor in the Department of Social Administration of the Democritus University of Thrace since 1998, while for about two years he taught at the Department of Political Science of the University of Crete. He was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Social Administration of Democritus University in the summer of 2004. He is now an Assistant Professor.

His teaching experience and interests cover health policies and policies, comparative analysis of healthcare, healthcare and social policy management, and a history of well-being.

Iris serves on the boards of and is associated with a number of organisations involved in deciphering the activities of humanity. She is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, whose articles and books on an eclectic mix of issues.
This reflects her firm belief in the power of combining different disciplines in order to arrive at a more balanced and nuanced view of the topic concerned. Iris has spent the last few years researching and writing about the issues that she believes we will face in the fast-changing world of the future.
She studied Economics at the University of Athens and earned her ‘Masters’ at the University of Piraeus, where she is now a PhDc. Together with the continual updating necessary for her business career, she has continued to maintain and widen her knowledge base by undertaking numerous external studies at various institutions including: The Karolinska Institute, Harvardx, and MITx.
She has worked as a College Director, created her own Public Affairs business and worked with politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and academics, as well as speaking at the UN in Geneva. In recent years, as her priorities changed for family reasons, she has focused on her research and authored 12 books. Iris now serves as CEO of Noimosini Limited, London whilst her other interests include being an active Member of the Board of HAPSc.
In addition, she is also a Scientific Associate of the Laboratory of Health Economics and Management of the University of Piraeus. In 2019 she joined the Board of Womanitee – a Greek initiative to create a network of Centres for the Promotion of Female Entrepreneurs, acting under the auspices of the Ministry of Development and Investments, the Ministry of Work, and the Central Union of Municipalities in Greece.

Foteini Theiakou is an Economist and Market Analyst professional in health who has special interest in the international markets as well as market access and policy issues. She currently holds the position of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Internal Medicine Hospital of Athens Spiliopoulio “Agia Eleni”.

Fay received her bachelor’s degree in economics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and her MBA and Master of Healthcare Administration, with honors, from the Sawyer Business School of Suffolk University in Boston, USA. She has also graduated from Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development where she focused her work on clinical pharmacology, drug development and regulation in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Fay is a PhD candidate and has written widely on the role of clinical and economic evidence in pharmaceutical decision making.

In her spare time writes poems and plays sports especially basketball and volleyball.

She lives in Athens.

Emeritus Professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at University of Athens until 2013. Studied Political Science, Economics and European and International Affairs at Panteion University, at University of Athens, at University of London (London School of Economics-LSE), at University of Manchester and at University of Amsterdam (Europa Institut). He served also a visiting professor at the School of National Defense and the School of National Security, as well as at the Center for Diplomatic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He has participated in a large number of conferences on European Integration. As ambassador / expert of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has participated in all important EU negotiations, including the Intergovernmental Conferences on the drafting of the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on Amsterdam and the negotiations on the enlargement of the European Union. He was the representative of the Greek government at the Intergovernmental Conference for the drafting of the Treaty of Nice and deputy member of the European Convention for the elaboration of the European Constitution. Among others he has served: President and General Manager of the Hellenic Center for European Studies (EKEM), member of the Board of Directors of ELIAMEP, member of the Board of OPEC, etc.

Mrs Paraskevi Koufopoulou is PhD Candidate in Department of Economics at University of Piraeus with (ongoing) Dissertation about shadow economy in health (informal patient payments) under the supervision of Associate Professor Mr. Athanassios Vozikis. Has a Master of Science titled “State & Public Policy” (Administrative Science) by the Department of Political Science & Public Administration at National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. Also, has a Bachelor Degree by the Department of Social Policy & Social Anthropology at Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences. She works a Social Scientist in Municipality of Agios Dimitrios’ Community Center.

Before that, she worked as Deputy CEO at KAT General Hospital of Attica, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Center of Education, Social Support & Training for the disabled people at Cyclades Region, in Syros Island. Additionally, she has been occupied in Public Power Corporation S.A., Auxiliary Insurance & Welfare Fund for Security Forces Employees, in Manpower Employment Organization, at  National Emergency Centers’ Vocational Training Institute, in General Maternity Hospital “ELENA VENIZELOU, in Labour Institute of GSEE – ADEDY and in Hellenic Children’s Museum. She is certified adult educator on non typical education of EOPPEP and member of registries of certified bodies teaching staff.

She is interested in Management & Health Care Economics, Risk Management in Health, Health Units Internal Audit,  in prevention, detection & management of fraud, shadow economy and corruption incidents in health, in Behavioral Economics, Conflict Management in Health, Nutritional Economics. She took part in many Greek & International Conferences and has written many greek and foreign articles in credible scientific journals.

Panagiotis Liargovas is Professor at the University of Peloponnese and President of the Department of Economics. He studied Economics at the University of Athens and Clark University in Massachusetts (USA), from where he received his doctorate. He was a Fulbright Fellow of the American Foundation. He specialized in International Economics, Monetary Affairs and Economic Development.

He has conducted an internship at the European Commission (Brussels) and has worked as an evaluator in the respective EU Research Directorate. He has taught at various universities in Greece and abroad.

He has extensive academic, administrative and research experience, as well as a rich scientific work.

He also holds the Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration.

He was the Coordinator of the State Budget Office from 2012 to 2018 in the Greek Parliament.

He is the Chairman of the Board and Scientific Director of the Center for Planning and Economic Research.

Emeritus Professor at the University of Athens, where he served until 2007. He studied Law and Political Science. Doctor of Political Science (1970 excellent), Doctor of Political Science (Doctorat d ‘Etat Mention: “tres bien et eloges”).

He has taught at the Universities of Aix-en-Provence II, Aix-Marseille III, Venice, Budapest and the Institute of Political Science (France). In 1982 he proposed the establishment of a separate department of Political Science at the University of Athens and was elected first President of the new department in 1982 (re-elected in 1984). Representative of the Council of Europe at the Permanent Conferences in Siena and Paris. Director of the “European Dictionary of Political Communication” and the series “Library of Political Communication” published by Ant. N. Sakkoulas.

He has been the Director of the Political Communication Laboratory of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens, Chairman of the Board. of ERT, the Hellenic Society of Political Science (twice) and Vice President of the UNESCO Information Committee.

Regular columnist of the newspaper To Vima (1977-1988), collaborator of the newspaper I Kathimerini (1996-1998), and since 2000 head of the column “On the subject” in the newspaper ‘The world of the Investor’.

For his work in “systems analysis” he was awarded the Prize of the Law School of Aix-en-Provence and the Gold Medal of the City of Provence.

Vassilios Balafas is an IT & Network Technologist. He was born and lives in Corinth. He studied Teleinformatics and Management at the ATEI of Epirus, has a master’s degree in Data Communications (MSc in Data Communications – U of Kingston) and a master’s degree in International Relations and Politics, in the direction of Governance (MA in International Relations and Policies – Department of Political Science and Politics). Corinth Relations of the University of Peloponnese, with a scholarship of high academic performance in the last semester of studies by the Chamber of Corinth).
He is also a certified adult educator of EKEPis, level B ‘, and teaches courses related to his cognitive subjects.
Since 1998 he has been a regular contributor to the print and electronic press, in newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs on political, social and local issues, while actively participating in “Civil Society” and on Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. ). Maintains the website balafas.gr in which there are many articles, proposals, positions and interventions at local and national level.
He works in the Informatics Department of the Regional Unit of Corinth, while in the past he has worked in Motor Oil Hellas, in OTE, in the Cooperative Bank of Corinth and elsewhere. He has also been or is involved in Scouting, theater, book presentations, music and radio.
He has participated as an assistant researcher in publications and continues his academic training and research in fields such as Energy, Political Economy, the European Union, etc.

Dimitrios Batakis is a graduate of the Department of Business Administration of the University of West Attica and holds a master’s degree in “Economics and Health Management” from the University of Piraeus. He also holds a Master’s degree in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics. At the same time, he is a doctor of the Technical University of Crete.

He has worked in administrative positions in private companies in the field of health. While, he writes articles on health policy issues in the scientific journal “Medical Chronicles of Crete”. In addition, he is a member of the scientific council of the Hellenic Organization of Political Scientists. While, he is a research associate in the laboratories of Economics and Health Management of the University of Piraeus and Financial Management Systems of the Technical University of Crete. In addition, he is a research associate of the International Health Tourism Center. He has participated, written and presented scientific papers in prestigious journals, online & print media, international & pan-Hellenic conferences and workshops, with the scientific subject of Health Policies, Health Economics and Health Services Management Organization. Indicatively he participated in the mentioned conferences: Panhellenic Conference of the National School of Public Health, Panhellenic Conference of the Hellenic Society of Health Services Management, Panhellenic Medical Conference, Panhellenic Conference on Crisis Management in the field of Public Health Panhellenic Health.

Finally, he is a member of the Society for Medical Studies of Crete, the Hellenic Crisis Management Society, the Association of Cancer Volunteers and Friends of Doctors and the Hellenic Cancer Society, the Greek Community of the London School of Economics.

She was born and raised in Thessaloniki. She studied at the Law School of AUTh. She was awarded a Doctor of Public International Law from the Law School of Komotini (DUTH).

She served at the Law School of Komotini from December 1974 to March 1993, while from 1994 to 2014 she served at the University of Macedonia in the Department of International and European Studies, where she was Director of the UNESCO Chair of the University of Macedonia for Intercultural Studies. and the series “UNESCO Headquarters Publications”.

She was General Secretary of the Center for International and European Economic Law (1997-2007), visiting professor at the Law School of Capital University, Colombus, Ohio, USA (2001, 2009, 2011), taught at the Summer School of the Higher University held in Thessaloniki ( 1997-2005), at the National School of Judges, at the European Master’s on Human Rights and Democratization in Venice (2002), at the Postgraduate Institute of the World Trade Organization in Bern (2002, 2003) and at the International Institute for Human Rights in Strasbourg (2010).

She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Department of Law and History of Neophit Rilsky University in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria (2003). She was a member of the editorial board of the Hellenic Review of European Law (2004-2007) and is a member of the scientific committee of the Yearbook of the Law of Refugees and Foreigners (1998-).

In 2011 she was appointed an ad hoc Judge at the European Court of Human Rights. Since 2012 she has been participating in ECRAN for the creation of a master’s degree in child rights. She is a mother of two. She has published a series of books and scientific articles in Greek, French and English.

Nikolaos Papadakis is a Professor at the Department of Political Science of the University of Crete and Deputy Director of the Center for Research and Studies (KEME-PK) of the University of Crete. He is the Director of the Center for Political Research & Documentation (KEPET) and former President of the Department of Political Science. He is also a member of the Board of the Training and Lifelong Learning Center of the University of Crete (KEDIVIM), as well as of the Market and Entrepreneurship Research Unit, and of the Research Committee of the University of Crete.

In addition, he is a Member of the ECPR Political Culture Research Network, the Higher Education Policy Network, the SD-Med Observation and the UCL Alumni Online Community (AOC).

He collaborates with the Quality Assurance and Certification Body of Higher Education (DIPAE) of Cyprus, as a member of External Evaluation Committees.

He is an external collaborator-researcher of the Institute (“Social Multicenter”) of ADEDY, collaborates research with KANEP / GSEE, while also collaborates with the ESRC-funded Research Center “LLAKES” of UCL-IoE. Until recently, he was an International Expert at the European Training Foundation / ETF (“Skills & VET Governance” project / 2015-2017).

He has served as Special Advisor to the European Commission (2011-2013). He was a member of the Education & Training Coordination Group (ETCG / 2006-2010) as well as the Standing Group on Indicators & Benchmarks (SGIB / 2007-2012) of the European Commission and a member (2008-2011) of the Advisory Board of UNDP / RCPAR (Regional Center for Public Administration Reform). The spring semester of acad. 2011-2012 was a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Faculty of Policy & Society at the University of London / IoE (now UCL-IoE). He has published 137 studies in English, French and Greek. He has also authored 10 books – monographs in Greek and English and has edited 10 other collective volumes (2 under publication).

He has made 171 papers at International and Greek Conferences, while he has been involved (either as a Scientific Officer, or as a Researcher-Scientific Associate) in 39 (mainly research) Programs in Greece and abroad.

Vassilis Pilichos works as an economist in the field of macroeconomic analysis in the banking sector. He graduated from the 1st Lyceum of Chalkida and completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Business Administration and Management of the University of Macedonia. He holds an MSc in “Applied Economics and Finance with an emphasis on strategic decisions” from the Department of Economics of the Athens University of Economics and Business.

He is a PhD candidate in the Department of Economics, University of Peloponnese, in the field of fiscal policy and governance. He specializes in macroeconomic and fiscal policy issues, as well as in the analysis of individual sectors of the economy.

The President of the Hellenic Association of Political Scientists, Mr. Symeon Sidiropoulos, is a graduate of the Department of International and European, Economic and Political Studies of the University of Macedonia, specializing in Politics and Diplomacy. In the period 2009-2010 he completed his Postgraduate Studies on Comparative Policy at Queen Mary University. He holds a Master’s Degree, MSc “Environment and Health” of the Medical School of Athens. He is a PhD candidate in International Economics and Health Policy at the University of Piraeus.

He has specialized in Consulting Public and Private bodies and institutions. He works in the field of pharmaceutical industry as “Public Affairs and Communications Lead” for Greece, Cyprus and Malta, for the company TAKEDA. He is a Scientific Associate of the Laboratory of Economics and Health Management of the University of Piraeus for which he has worked on scientific projects in the field of pharmaceutical industry (Specifar etc.). He worked in the company “KANTOR Business Consultants A.E.”, and as a Consultant – Special Associate of the National Contact Point URBACT Greece – Cyprus, at the Ministry of Development. He has worked as a Special Advisor of the Municipality of Ilida and as a Scientific Associate in the Greek Parliament, while he has collaborated with many Members of the Greek Parliament in the field of Political Communication and assistance to parliamentary work. He worked as a Researcher and Scientific Associate in research programs of the TEI of Athens. He was the Director of the electronic news site www.leksis.net. Registered member of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EVEA). He was a trainee of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the D1 General Directorate and in the Office of the European Parliament.

He has fulfilled his military duties with an honorary report from the Chief of the General Staff of National Defense (AGETHA). After his military service he successfully completed the Sea Land Border Security and Refuges / Arms / Dual use Goods Control training of the Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center (MPSOTC) of GEETHA (UN-NATO accredited center).

In 2008 Mr. Sidiropoulos founded EONEPE, the Scientific Group of Young Political Scientists, in which he chaired until 2015, elected in three consecutive electoral processes. In October 2015 at a special meeting of the Board of Directors, he was named Honorary President of EONEPE, honored for his work in it. Since 2015 he is President of the Hellenic Association of Political Scientists (HAPSc) and has been awarded the highest title of the Organization, that of “Αριστίδην” Member and the gold medal of the organization by the Board.

The President, Mr. Sidiropoulos, exercises his duties at HAPSc without salary.