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Snorkeling Through Science and Self: Two Weeks in Greece

Snorkeling Through Science and Self: Two Weeks in Greece

Saroosh Zahid is a rising junior at Georgetown University-Qatar, pictured above third from left.

As I walk down the most recent lane in memory town, I can’t help but smile at the thought of two  wonderful weeks I spent with a brilliant group of people in Greece. I was part of the Earth Commons’ summer course in Greece: Sensing Marine Ecosystem Health & Climate Impacts from Space. This was a joint initiative between Georgetown University (GU) in Washington, DC, Georgetown University-Qatar, and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), with five students from each of the participating institutions. This 5+5+5 formula turned out to be the “secret sauce” which gave this course so much flavor!

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We received academic tutelage under professors Jesse Meiller and Dionysios Raitsos, with the logistical brilliance of Katerina Downward of the Earth Commons-Greece keeping everything running smoothly. The course consisted of two parts: the first in Athens at the NKUA biology department and the second in Andros with the Andros Research Center. As a student of International Economics at GU-Q, this course was somewhat distant from the normal scope of my academics. So far, I have been privy to more of the policy discussions around environmental science, and I have consistently felt a lack of scientific knowledge informing environmental policymaking. This course offered me a way to snorkel (somewhat literally and intellectually) in the waters of science-proper while expanding the colors on my academic palette.

Over the first week in Athens, we learned the fundamentals of marine biology, starting with phytoplankton and thermoclines and all the way to oceanographic equipment used to collect in-situ data. In the second week, we put our new knowledge to practice by collecting samples from the ocean using niskin bottles, secchi disk, and sea surface samples from the Andros port and from a few kilometers into the Aegean. We then studied the samples under the microscope, observing the phytoplankton, zooplankton and, unfortunately, quite a few microplastics in the water. Nearing the end, we worked in pairs to prepare a research report about primary productivity of any interesting oceanic region around the globe using satellite data from ESA & NASA and presented our findings on the last day of course.

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As exciting and fun as the academic experience was for me, it was the shared meals, quiet conversations and slow weaving of trust that gave our learning deeper meaning, reminding us that science, at its best, is a profoundly human endeavor.

As I look back on the two weeks, I find it very hard to pick and choose a particular memory because every moment is so special to me. However, something that is evidence enough of the beautiful human experience is that although we were able to have several meals on our own, there was barely a Mediterranean meal that we had solo. Even after spending the whole day together, our cohort would get together to grab dinner and be out late, laughing, sharing, and being excellent humans deep into the night.

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At the precipice of my undergraduate years, I would like to use the knowledge I gained and the relationships I’ve built in Greece to inform a mindful life that embodies a respect for the world I’ve been entrusted with, to act for preserving life—both microscopic and macroscopic—and to advocate for science-based environmental policy at every policy discussion I get to be a part of.

To my mentors and colleagues: thank you all for creating and sharing this experience of a lifetime with me!

University of Athens Establishes First Named Chair in Honour of Athina I. Martinou

University of Athens Establishes First Named Chair in Honour of Athina I. Martinou

In a landmark move, the Senate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has unanimously approved the creation of a Named Chair, dedicated to the memory of Athina Ioanni Martinou. The initiative was proposed by the University’s Great Benefactor and Honorary Doctor, Mr Athanasios Martinos. This is the first Named Chair ever established by […]

Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography Publishes New Volume

Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography Publishes New Volume

A new volume, ‘Modern Greek Diaspora in Central-Southern Italy in the Early Modern Period (15th-18th Centuries)’, has just been published. It contains the proceedings of the conference of the same name, held in Venice from 27 to 29 June 2023. The event was jointly organized by the Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography at the […]

University of Athens academic engages at 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China

University of Athens academic engages at 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China

Dr Athena Bazou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philology, participated as an invited speaker at the 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China, delivering a lecture entitled ‘Ancient Pandemics in Greece and China: Concepts, Prejudices, Lessons’. The Nishan Forum, held in Qufu—the birthplace of Confucius—in Shandong province, was inaugurated in 2010 in response […]

University of Athens Professor Stelios Papathanassopoulos and IULM University Professor Andrea Miconi Edit Book on European Media

University of Athens Professor Stelios Papathanassopoulos and IULM University Professor Andrea Miconi Edit Book on European Media

Edited by Professors Stelios Papathanassopoulos and Andrea Miconi and published by Springer, ‘The European Media in the Platform Era: Realities and Tendencies’ examines the significant changes reshaping the European media landscape in the context of rapid technological advancements, political shifts, and economic pressures. The book sheds light on the economic, political, and structural forces driving […]

University of Athens – Harvard University: Intensive English-Taught Course Entitled ‘Clinical Epidemiology: From Theory to Application’

University of Athens – Harvard University: Intensive English-Taught Course Entitled ‘Clinical Epidemiology: From Theory to Application’

Within the context of the Memorandum of Understanding between Harvard University and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which involves collaboration between the Departments of Epidemiology of T.H. Chan School of Public Health of Harvard University and the School of Medicine of the University of Athens, we are pleased to announce the launch of […]

University of Athens graduates can now access digital degree certificates via gov.gr

University of Athens graduates can now access digital degree certificates via gov.gr

A long-standing request from graduates and public services has finally been fulfilled: degree certificates issued by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens since 2000 are now available through the ‘Πιστοποιητικά Σπουδών [Degree Certificates]’ platform on gov.gr. The entire process is completed online using your Taxisnet credentials and Social Security Number (AMKA). How to access […]

Civic engagement activities of Gerodontology NKUA for the Academic Year 2024-25

Civic engagement activities of Gerodontology NKUA for the Academic Year 2024-25

The Discipline of Gerodontology of the Dental School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), continuing a 14-year-long effort to promote the oral health of older citizens, especially those in vulnerable groups, has successfully completed its educational and civic engagement activities for the academic year 2024–2025. These activities were organised and carried out […]

Snorkeling Through Science and Self: Two Weeks in Greece

Snorkeling Through Science and Self: Two Weeks in Greece

Saroosh Zahid is a rising junior at Georgetown University-Qatar, pictured above third from left. As I walk down the most recent lane in memory town, I can’t help but smile at the thought of two  wonderful weeks I spent with a brilliant group of people in Greece. I was part of the Earth Commons’ summer […]

Department of Geology and Geoenvironment unveils new palaeontological discoveries at Vatera

Department of Geology and Geoenvironment unveils new palaeontological discoveries at Vatera

Vatera, a region on the island of Lesbos known for its remarkable palaeontological finds, has once again attracted scientific interest following discoveries that shed light on its geological past. Recent palaeontological research is deepening our understanding of the animals that once roamed the area millions of years ago. One particularly exciting discovery is that of […]

University of Athens

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which was inaugurated on May 3, 1837, was initially housed in a renovated Ottoman building on the northeastern side of the Acropolis. This building has since been restored and now functions as the University Museum. Originally named the "Othonian University," after Otto, the first king of Greece, it consisted of four academic departments and 52 students. As the first university of the newly established Greek state, as well as of the broader Balkan and Mediterranean region, it assumed an important socio-historical role, which was pivotal in the development of specific forms of knowledge and culture within the country.

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