Eleven Greek researchers have been named among the most highly cited scientists in the world, according to the 2020 list of ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ released by Clarivate Analytics.
More than 6,000 researchers – out of a total of 9 million around the globe – who have great influence in the fields of science and social science were selected for the 2020 list.
The results were based on the number of highly cited papers the scientists produced from January 2009 to December 2019.
According to the list, Greece’s top eleven researchers were (in no particular order):
Nicolas Apergis, Economics and Business, University of Piraeus.
George L. Daikos, Cross-field studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Theodore Dalamagas, Cross-field studies, ATHENA Research and Innovation Centre.
Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, Clinical Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Gerasimos S. Filippatos, Clinical Medicine, University of Athens.
Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Cross-field studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Artemis G. Hatzigeorgiou, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Thessaly.
George K. Karagiannidis, Computer Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Dimitrios C. Rakopoulos, Engineering, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas.
Constantinos C. Stoumpos, Chemistry, University of Crete.
Aristeidis M. Tsatsakis, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Crete.
The biggest percentage of highly cited researchers belongs to the United States, but the number of researchers from China on the list has grown to an impressive 12 percent of the total.
More than 4,000 people have signed so far the online petition and numerous others, including federal and state politicians and the Archdiocese, have sent emails of support in an effort to keep the only Greek tertiary education program in Victoria alive, before the consultation period ends on Wednesday, November 25.
Last Friday, a Greek delegation consisting of representatives from the Greek community met with La Trobe University’s Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Susan Dodds, the Head of the School of Humanities Professor Simon Evans and two other leading academics to discuss viable solutions for the continuation of the program.
Present were also the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitrios Michalopoulos, and the deputy Consul who is in charge of education.
“We want to work diligently and sincerely with the university,” President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis, tells The Greek Herald.
The program has seen an increase in student numbers the last past three years, from 28 in March 2018 to 48 in 2020, however these enrolments do not seem to be sufficient.
“The university said that the number of students needs to triple for the program to be sustainable and it became apparent that its discontinuation is more about the strategic direction of the university itself,” Mr Papastergiadis says.
The committee requested an extension to the consultation period or an opportunity of two more years to “encourage more students to learn the language.”
The Greek community, including teachers and students, are fighting to save the Greek Studies Program at La Trobe University.
“They said they hear us loud and clear but no promises were made,” Papastergiadis said.
In a statement to The Greek Herald this afternoon, La Trobe University wrote:
“La Trobe was pleased to meet with members of the Greek community in Victoria last Friday to discuss the change proposal and hear their concerns. It is clear there is a strong desire from members of the community for La Trobe’s Greek Studies program to continue.
We discussed the significant financial impacts to the University as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, our subsequent Strategic Plan, and the fact that student demand for the program would need to increase substantially before the program could be financially viable. La Trobe will carefully consider the outcomes of staff consultation, as well as representations made from members of the community, regarding the future of the program before making any decision.“
* You can sign the petition here to save Modern Greek Studies at La Trobe University.
How you can help save the Modern Greek Studies Program:
In addition to signing the petition, writing letters of support, making phone calls and using the hashtag on social media (#SaveModernGreekAtLaTrobe), teachers, students, parents and all community members are being asked to do the following:
1. Handwritten messages – All school-age students learning Greek are encouraged to submit handwritten answers with the message: “I would like to learn Greek at University because…”
Messages can be scanned or photographed and sent to mgta.vic@gmail.com. Make sure that the students’ messages remain anonymous as they will be presented to the University.
2. Video messages – All school-age students learning Greek are encouraged to create posters using phrases such as “Save Greek @ La Trobe” and video themselves explaining one or all of the following:
why Greek is important to them.
why they would want to study Greek at University.
what the closure of the program would mean for them.
Videos should be short in length and should range from 20-60 seconds per student. As the students will be visible in the video, parent/guardian consent will be required. Copy and paste the template below in an email to mgta.vic@gmail.com and fill out the appropriate sections.
I _________________________ give consent for my child ____________________________ to take part in the Save Greek @ La Trobe Video Message Campaign.
I understand that my child’s name will remain anonymous, but that their video will be presented to La Trobe University, the Mass Media and on Social Media in an effort to support and maintain the Modern Greek Studies program at the University.
Parents/Guardians, please make sure your child’s video is labelled with your child’s name.
3. Year 12 students – Promote enrolling in a Greek subject to your Year 12 students for when they begin university. Regardless of the university students study at, they are able to undertake Greek at La Trobe as part of their course. Increased enrolments in 2021 will strongly support our case.
4. Parents’ Associations – Please encourage your school’s parent associations to also send letters of support to the appropriate university team.
Federal Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, says it’s not impossible that international travel could be back on the cards next year, but to do it in the first half of 2021 would be challenging.
Such travel will depend on the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines.
“Then of course the manufacturing rollout, distribution, uptake, all the other factors that come into how it is that a vaccine could change the way we look at things around this pandemic,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
“It’s not impossible… I think the first half may be challenging.”
This statement was supported by Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, on Channel Nine’s Today show this morning, where he said international travel could be back on the cards as early as June.
“Our base plan is that we will probably get a significant amount of the international operation up in the next financial year, which is between July and June,” Mr Joyce said on the program.
“We always were assuming 50 percent of it. It is dependent on the vaccine but the news on the vaccine is looking really, really positive.”
Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, says international travel could be back on the cards as early as June. Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett.
The plans come as 17 flights are scheduled between Melbourne and Sydney today after NSW reopened its border to Victoria following a four-month closure.
“This was the second largest route in the world before COVID-19,” Joyce said. “Today, people who haven’t worked since March are going to be on an aircraft for the first time. This is really good for news for them.”
“We’re hoping that we get better news with the Queensland border at the end of this month and the Western Australian border as soon as possible, so we can get even more of those people back to work.”
Dr Christos Dimas, Deputy Minister for Development and Investments in charge of Research and Technology in Greece, will take part in a special video conference to discuss how Greek Australians can invest in the fields of innovation and technology.
The conference, which is part of the ‘Greek Australian Dialogue Series,’ will be held on Monday, November 30, from 5pm to 6.30pm.
It is hosted on behalf of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Katia Gkikiza the Trade Commissioner (Australia) Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Consulate General of Greece in Sydney.
During the video conference, Dr Dimas will discuss the challenges faced by the research and innovation sector in Greece, as well as his vision for where he sees the sector going and how to ensure Greece plays a leading role in the innovation field within the Balkan neighbourhood.
Dr Dimas will also express his hope that Greece will play a leading role in innovation, with a clear aim of improving the Greek economy’s competitiveness and thus, achieve better results in the European Index of Innovation.
“Since the very first day we were elected to government, we knew there wouldn’t be a period of grace,” Dr Dimas, who is one of the youngest members of the Mitsotakis government cabinet, says in a statement prior to the video conference.
“For the first time, in the last 10 years, we have had a government with an absolute majority in Parliament and one that is committed to deep structural reforms. Our basic pursuit is to make every day better than the previous day and we want this to be reflected in the daily life of our fellow citizens.”
Following his presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask Dr Dimas a question in the Q&A session.
If you would like to attend the video conference, please email paul.nicolaou@australianchamber.com.au to secure your place. A Zoom link will be forwarded to you after you RSVP.
An army field hospital has been set up outside the 424 Military Hospital in Thessaloniki in order to tend to COVID-19 patients as the city’s hospitals reach capacity.
Works are expected to be completed on the field hospital by Monday, according to an Open TV report.
Health authorities say the current situation in Thessaloniki hospitals are dire as intensive care units are almost full.
This comes as Greece also announced a record 108 deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, followed up by 103 deaths on Sunday and 1,498 new cases.
There is also a record number of 540 patients in intubation in Greece.
Out of the 1,498 new coronavirus cases announced on Sunday, Thessaloniki once more had the most with 305, followed by the Attica region with 218, and Larissa, Trikala and Volos, all three in central Greece, with 84, 80 and 79 cases respectively.
Notorious Block buyer Danny Wallis has taken home three of this season’s luxe Brighton properties, costing him almost a whopping $12m.
The Melbourne rich lister outplayed The Block’s regular buyer’s advocates and other bidders, who were unable to compete with his incredible knockout bids.
Mr Wallis collected Sarah and George Bragias’ family home for $4,000,0002, Harry and Tash Pavlou’s for $4 million and Daniel and Jade’s for $3.8 million.
The IT entrepreneur entered the competition at each auction with blowout bids well above the $3.2-$3.4 million price guides.
Mr Wallis said that even after he had inflated the final prices, the Block homes were “good value for money” and in a “great spot.”
“Number one (Harry and Tash’s) was my favourite. I liked the tree outside, the northern aspect, garage and the house,” Mr Willis told realestate.com.au.
Harry and Tash’s property at 364 New St Brighton was Mr Wallis’ favourite. Photo: realestate.com.au
All contestants were told prior to the bidding last night that Cypriot father-daughter duo Harry and Tash’s property had been the ‘most viewed’ on the popular real-estate website, The Domain. Meanwhile, Sarah and George’s house was voted the ‘people’s favourite’ by Channel 9 audiences.
Both teams had a reserve house price of $3.35 million but that clearly didn’t stop Mr Wallis.
The property investor confirmed he would not be moving into any of his latest purchases — which are all in a row along New Street.
It’s believed he will rent out the properties, which he did last year after buying Mitch and Mark’s St Kilda Oslo townhouse for $3.374m.
He also previously purchased 403 Dorcas St in South Melbourne on the fifth season of The Block for $1,400,001.01, after a number of erratic bids.
A Western Sydney high school is in lockdown after a teenage boy was stabbed several times.
The 14-year-old student was stabbed at Arthur Phillips High School in Parramatta around 8.30am.
Emergency services treated the boy for stab wounds to his back and arm before he was taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for further treatment.
“Officers from Parramatta Police Area Command have established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” NSW Police have said in a statement.
Arthur Phillip High was sent into lockdown after a student was stabbed. Picture: TNV
No arrests have been made as yet.
Arthur Phillip is the first public high-rise school in NSW.
Only last week, the school published an update on their website urging students, parents and staff to download the NSW Schools app to “be prepared for any emergency.”
“The NSW School Updates App was created to help our parents and carers check on the status of their school during last summer’s bushfire season. And it’s been invaluable during COVID when schools were required to close for deep cleaning,” the message said.
The 47th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic Uprising was commemorated on Sunday with a special event organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) and the Combined Universities Greek Association (CUGA).
Held at the Greek Community Club in Lakemba at 4pm, the event began with a minute silence followed by the national anthems of Greece and Australia sung by students from the Community’s schools.
Wreaths were laid by representatives of the Greek community.
The national anthems of Greece and Australia were sung by students from the schools of the GOCNSW.
In attendance was the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras, as well as other representatives of Greek communities across Sydney and many university students. They laid wreaths at a special cenotaph set up at the front of the stage.
During a speech addressing the audience, Mr Karras said the commemoration was important to honour all those who struggled for the values of democracy and freedom during the Polytechnic Uprising.
The Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras, gave a speech.
University students Kosta Plegas and Joanna Kolevris from the University of Sydney gave the history of the day.
“Today’s anniversary reminds us that the battle for the defence of democracy and freedom should be ongoing and intangible. The messages of the Polytechnic Uprising remain as relevant as ever,” Mr Karras said.
Speeches were followed by a number of poem recitals from students of the Community’s schools as well as the University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University.
The event was attended by a number of primary and high school students, as well as university students.
A small play titled, Ραδιοφωνικός Σταθμός Φοιτητών, was also proudly performed by students Maria Kakalis, Anna Andromeda, Gregoris Angelis and Stefania Gounara from the Saturday high school of the GOCNSW, under the direction of their teacher, Maria Xyloporta.
The commemoration event was concluded by a beautiful singing performance from students of the Community’s schools, being guided by piano teacher Maria Sikiaridis, as well as music from Sotiris Procopiou.
A small play titled, Ραδιοφωνικός Σταθμός Φοιτητών, was proudly performed by students.
Greece marked Armed Forces Day on Saturday with a video projected onto the Hellenic Parliament facade showcasing the history and struggles of the Greek army for the protection of the homeland since ancient times.
Among the projected historical battles was the Battle of Marathon, the Greek Revolution of 1821 and frigates of the Greek Navy apparently ready to meet the Turkish challenge.
One of the projections also had a religious theme featuring the Virgin Mary, who is the patron of the Greek Armed Forces.
The video triggered reactions and controversy online, with Greek people in lockdown taking to social media to voice their objections.
Αυτό προβάλεται στη Βουλή την ημέρα που η Τουρκική NAVTEX είναι στα 6 μίλια απ τη Ρω. pic.twitter.com/Qv9iAeAWZw
“This is projected on Parliament the day the Turkish NAVTEX is 6 nautical miles off the island of Kastellorizo,” writes Twitter user, Andreas Kallioras.
Older generations described the video as “creepy,” saying it reminded them of the military dictatorship and its main slogan “Homeland – Religion – Family.”
“The symbol of my teenage nightmare in parliament. The symbol of intolerance and fundamentalism. The symbol of SKASE, DO NOT SPEAK, the symbol of mafia and masculinity, the symbol of FEAR, the symbol of the deniers,” wrote Τριριτζάντζουλα.
Others found “inappropriate” the projection of “warmongering, national-christian kitsch” the day COVID-19 killed 108 people.
“The names of the dead should be projected,” wrote Maria Louka on Twitter.
Μια μέρα που 108 άνθρωποι έχασαν τη ζωή τους, η Βουλή φωτίζεται με πολεμοχαρές εθνικοχριστιανικό κιτς. Τα ονόματα των νεκρών έπρεπε να βάλουν. Να τους θυμίζουν το έγκλημα που διέπραξαν με τις πολιτικές τους εις βάρος της δημόσιας υγείας. pic.twitter.com/ijnQw4Ubpu
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou joined in on the commemorations on Saturday, marking Greek Armed Forces Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament at downtown Athens’ Syntagma Square.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou commemorated Greek Armed Forces Day on Saturday,
“At this time when Turkish aggression has intensified, my thoughts go out to the men and women in the armed forces who, with self-denial and exemplary patriotic ethos, have been on alert for months, without the opportunity for rest, to be with their families,” she said, thanking them “on behalf of all Greeks.”
The armed forces were also hailed by Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who thanked the men and women serving in the country’s defense forces for their “self-denial and sense of duty,” in a post on Twitter.
Turkey has issued another navigational telex, or NAVTEX, for the continuation of survey activities of the Oruc Reis vessel in the Eastern Mediterranean through to November 29.
The NAVTEX, which was released on Saturday by the Antalya station, reserves an area extending just beyond six nautical miles south of the island of Kastellorizo.
The Oruc Reis will continue its activity along with two other ships, the Ataman and Cengiz Han, the NAVTEX said.
The Oruc Reis had been expected to finish its work by November 23.
Greece issues counter-Navtex:
In response, Greece has issued a counter-NAVTEX to the advisory published by Turkey.
Turkey has extended its illegal NAVTEX until November 29.
The NAVTEX, issued by the Iraklio station in Crete, said that an “unauthorised station” had broadcast a NAVTEX message in the Greek NAVTEX service area, referring to “illegal activity in an area including Greek territorial sea.”
It added that the area designated by the Turkish advisory overlaps Greece’s continental shelf.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry also responsed on Saturday, saying in a statement that the Turkish NAVTEX had reserved an area overlapping Greece’s continental shelf in violation of the international law of the sea.
Turkey’s moves, the Ministry said, undermine peace, security and stability in the region.
The Ministry warned that Turkey was once again disregarding calls by the international community and the European Council to refrain from illegal actions that fuel tensions in the region.
Erdogan calls on EU for dialogue:
Turkey’s Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, and President Erdogan both made comments days before the NAVTEX was extended. Credit: simsek hb – hakar/Wikipedia.
Hours before Turkey issued their illegal NAVTEX, the country’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on the European Union for dialogue, warning the bloc not to become a “tool for enmities” during escalating tensions over the Eastern Mediterranean.
“We expect the EU to keep its promises, not to discriminate against us or at least not to become a tool to open enmities targeting our country,” Erdogan said in a video address to his ruling party congress on Saturday.
“We don’t see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe,” he added. “We envisage building our future together with Europe.”
These comments came in the face of statements by Turkey’s Defense Minister, Hulusi Akara, who again raised the issue of “gray zones” in the Aegean, claiming that there are islands the sovereignty of which was never given to Greece.
“We are researching openly, it is obvious. We are not hiding anything. We do scientific and technical work. Our ships continue their work. It is immoral to present these tasks as provocation or as raising tension,” the Turkish Defense Minister said, according to Ekathimerini.
“This is not about ethics. They ignore moves and actions which they carry out around islands, which are by no means under Greek sovereignty.”
EU leaders are to decide in a December summit whether to impose further sanctions over Turkey’s recent activity.
