On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the Organizing Committee of the Rhodes Model Regional Co-operation hosted an event at the TMΕDE Events Hall in Athens, dedicated to the significance of International Organizations in today’s world and the value of academic simulations.
The event was opened with a welcome speech by the President of the Hellenic Engineers and Public Works Contractors Fund (TMΕDE) , Mr. Konstantinos Makedos, who emphasized the importance of synergies in promoting European integration and strengthening young people’s active participation in public affairs. Following him, Mr. Antonios Giannikouris, General Secretary of the Technical Chamber of Greece, stressed the need for young people, regardless of their field of study, to educate themselves and understand the functioning of the international system and the political process “so that they may become capable of building Greece and the world of tomorrow.”
Subsequently, Mr. Konstantinos Lolitsas, Vice President of the Institute of Educational Policy, praised the educational value of academic simulations, particularly in light of new priorities set to enhance active citizenship initiatives in schools. Lastly, Ms. Ino Afentouli, Executive Director of the Institute of International Relations, spoke about the new challenges emerging in the international system and global community, including the evolving U.S. foreign policy approach, revisionism, and Artificial Intelligence—factors that shape an entirely new landscape in global affairs. She highlighted the unique role of academic simulations in helping participants gain both a deeper understanding and specialized knowledge on these issues.
MPs for the Dodecanese Islands constituency, Mr. Manos Konsolas and Mr. Vasilis Ypsilantis, also sent greetings.
The first panel, titled “The Role of International Organizations in Contemporary International Reality,” was moderated by Ms. Athina Fatsea, PhD candidate at the Ionian University and Research Assistant at the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), who was also responsible for the overall coordination of the event. The panel consisted of:
- Maria Gavouneli, Professor of International Law, Law School, NKUA / General Director, ELIAMEP
- Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, Professor of International Relations, Panteion University / Program Director, Institute of International Relations – IDIS
- Ioannis Grigoriadis, Associate Professor, Bilkent University / Head of Turkey Program, ELIAMEP
- Stefanos Vallianatos, PhD in International Relations, Head of International Relations at the Hellenic Foundation for Culture / Head of the Greek Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation
The speakers underscored the enduring importance of International Organizations in global politics, especially in an era of political volatility and challenges to the status quo by revisionist actors. Additionally, they highlighted the value of international institution simulations as a tool for enhancing active citizenship and encouraging youth engagement in public affairs.
After the conclusion of the first panel, Rev. Theodoros Alexandrakis, Director of the Pastoral Training Foundation of the Church of Greece and representative of His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II, also spoke about the significant educational value of academic simulations and the necessity of youth engagement in public life through knowledge acquisition and collaboration.
The second panel, moderated by the founder and Head of the RhodesMRC Organizing Committee and President of the House of Europe in Rhodes, Mr. Michalis G. Kavouklis, featured “veterans” of the conference reflecting on its history, sharing their experiences, and discussing the valuable skills they gained through their participation. The panel included Mr. Emmanouil Kalaitzis, Rapporteur at the Hellenic Court of Audit, Mr. Emmanouil Batistakis, International Relations Expert – Political Scientist and Account Management Lead at Aegean Airlines S.A., and Mr. Georgios Karanikas, lawyer and College of Europe alumnus.
In the final part of the event, the official presentation of RhodesMRC 2025 took place. Mr. Dimitrios Lolitsas, Head of the RhodesMRC Executive Committee, presented the conference’s main themes, dates, and organizational structure and announced the first two official endorsements: from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family and the Technical Chamber of Greece. Following these announcements, the Secretaries General of the university and student editions of the conference, Mr. Konstantinos Oikonomou and Mr. Efthymios Kounalakis, respectively, introduced the topics to be discussed in the conference committees. Finally, Ms. Anna Kalamata, Director of the RhodesMRC Academy, outlined the operational framework of this new educational initiative.
The event was held under the auspices of the Technical Chamber of Greece, with the support of TMΕDE.
RhodesMRC is organized by the House of Europe in Rhodes, the South Aegean Region, the Municipality of Rhodes, the Chamber of Commerce of the Dodecanese, the Department of Mediterranean Studies of the University of the Aegean, and Europe Direct South Aegean.
The conference is supported by the Greek Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation and the European Network for Education and Training – EUNET.
Academic partners of the conference include the International Center for Black Sea Studies, the Laboratory of European Integration and Policy at NKUA, the Institute of International Relations at Panteion University, the Foundation for International Economic Relations, ThessISMUN, and the European Program for Youth Strategies EUSYP.
On a local level, multiple institutions support this international initiative, including DERMAE, the Museum of Modern Greek Art of the Municipality of Rhodes, the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, the Rhodes Hotel Association, the Rhodes Scholarships Foundation “E&M. Stamatiou,” and the Development Agency of the Dodecanese.
The university edition of the conference will take place from October 8 to October 12, 2025, in Rhodes. The student edition will take place from October 30 to November 2, 2025, in Rhodes. Registrations are already open at www.rhodesmrc.org.
