Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh)
The Mediterranean Hot-Spot: Challenges and Responses in a Changing Environment
The Mediterranean basin is located in the transitional zone between the deserts of North Africa, the semi-arid and arid regions of the Middle East and the temperate, continental western and central Europe. The geographic characteristics, climatic and environmental conditions of the region are characterized by gradients and contrasts that also define the social and economic aspects, access to natural resources, as well as cultural and religious traditions.
This project is a DAAD-funded cooperation between Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), and its main aims are:
- Strengthen existing partnerships between JLU and AUTh by elaborating environmental changes and their impacts on societies, ecosystems, economy and infrastructure among others.
- Strengthen the collaboration on various scientific topics within research and education by identifying and pursuing open calls of interest to the partnership members with the intention to submit collaborative research proposals.
- Improve the employment potential of university graduates. The interdisciplinary scientific approach, the exposure to different educational and working environments, the organisation of various workshops and the participation to international conferences enhances skills that increase the potential for employment.
- Improve internationalisation of the German and Greek Universities: Members of the two institutions of all levels are given the opportunity to strengthen their international network, thus increasing the Universities networks.
- Improve the exchange possibilities of scientific staff, students and administrative personnel. Formalisation of the exchange possibilities as for instance with the contact of Erasmus agreements between the involved departments, faculties and research centres.
Members of the GGS are provided with an opportunity to take part in the cooperation and obtain financial support for e.g. travel expenses or university invitations.
The main faculties and institutes involved in the various projects are:
JLU
- Department of Geography / Climate and Climate Change Research
- Agricultural Science, Nutritional Science and Environmental Management
- Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU)
- Centre for Competence Development (ZfbK)
- Giessen Graduate Centre for Social Sciences, Business, Economics and LAW (GGS)
- International Giessen Graduate Centre for the Life Sciences (GGL)
- International Meeting Centre “Lokal International”
AUTh
- Faculty of Sciences
- School of Agriculture
- School of Geology
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics
Further information is available at https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/zentren/zeu/forschung/researchprojects/Mediterranean_Hot_Spot