est. 1995
Athens Institute
A World Association of Academics and Researchers: Promoting Global Education & Research
1995-2025: 30 Years of Bringing Academics and Scholars together in Athens
Meeting on the Establishment of Athens Institute Undergraduate Physics Competition
was held on Monday 20 July 2026
The Athens Institute is pleased to announce that a formal meeting was held to discuss the proposed establishment of the Athens Institute Undergraduate Physics Competition (AIUPC).
The initiative aims to promote excellence in physics research among undergraduate students worldwide and to further enhance the Athens Institute’s commitment to supporting young scholars and fostering international academic exchange. The proposed competition is intended to be launched in connection with the 15th Annual International Conference on Physics, 19-24 July 2027, in Athens, Greece, where selected undergraduate student submissions will have the opportunity to be presented in an international academic setting. The competition will recognize outstanding student contributions and encourage greater participation of undergraduate students in scientific research.
The meeting brought together distinguished academics and researchers from institutions around the world to discuss the structure, objectives, and future development of the competition.
Participants (In Person)
- Bala Maheswaran (Director, Engineering Division, Athens Institute & Professor, Northeastern University, USA)
- Nikolaos Dimakis (Deputy Director, Sciences Division, Athens Institute & Professor & Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA)
- Nikos Mourtos (Head, Mechanical Engineering Unit, Athens Institute & Professor, San Jose State University, USA)
- Assimina Pelegri (Deputy Head, Mechanical Engineering Unit, Athens Institute & Professor & Chair, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA)
- Evangelia Kotsikorou (Deputy Head, Natural Sciences Unit, Athens Institute & Associate Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA)
- Nadia Lvov (Associate Professor, Essex County College, USA)
- Patrick Navez (Researcher, University of Montpellier, France)
- Yelena Istileulova (Researcher and Head of STEAM Session of the Socratic Lectures Symposium, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Participants (Online)
- Haiduke Sarafian (Head, Natural Sciences Unit, Athens Institute & Professor of Physics and Endowed Chair of John T. and Paige S. Smith Professor of Science, Pennsylvania State University, USA)
- Bruno Gonçalves (Professor, Instituto Federal do Sudeste de Minas Gerais, Brazil)
The meeting highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for undergraduate students to engage with the international physics community, present their research, and receive recognition for their academic achievements. The Athens Institute looks forward to advancing this initiative and welcoming outstanding student contributions from around the world.
