MTSR 2024

18^th International Conference on Metadata and Semantics Research

Athens, 20 - 22 November 2024

 

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

The idea of establishing a University in Greece emerged alongside with the Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), officially founded in April 14th, 1837, is the first University not only of Greece but both the Balkan peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Throughout its history a number of our students and faculty members have played a critical role in medicine, politics, education, literature and nearly all fields of sciences and arts; we should mention, among others, George Papanicolaou, Hélène Glykatzi– Ahrweiler, Constantin Carathéodory. We are also proud of the two Nobel prize–winners in Literature, Odysseas Elytis and George Seferis, who have studied at the NKUA. Finally our national poet Kostis Palamas had served as Secretary of the University.

NKUA is the largest University of Greece and holds a great place in Greek history. It is hailed as one of the greatest educational institutions in the world, due to its contribution to education, research and innovation.

NKUA offers 41 undergraduate programs as well as 224 postgraduate programs leading to a Master’s or Doctoral degree. 33 of these postgraduate programs are taught in a foreign language. There is also the English “BA Program in the Archaeology, History and Literature of Ancient Greece”, exclusively for international students; a Medical Degree in English also operates the academic year 2022-2023. The University has established 15 Centers of Excellence, 18 Centers of Expertise in Rare Diseases of the School of Medicine, and 5 University Research Institutes. There are also 3 University Hospitals that belong to the NKUA, while 72 Clinics and Departments under the auspices of the School of Health Sciences, operate in NKUA premises and in 16 Athens hospitals. Furthermore, 283 University Laboratories, 11 libraries, the History Museum of the University, the Historical Archive and 17 thematic museums are used for research and education purposes. Additionally Greek language can be learned as second/foreign language at the Modern Greek Language Teaching Center; also at the Foreign Languages Teaching Center of the University, 25 languages can be studied and special programs are available in language, translation, as well as legal and medical terminology. The buildings of NKUA expand in the Metropolitan Area of Athens creating a city in the city (https://estories.uoa.gr/en/a_city_within_the_city). Details regarding the structure of the University are available at:
https://synergasia.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/NOC123/self_portrait_2022_eng.pdf

The vision of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the constant commitment to four main principles: research, education and training shall be characterized by a quest for high quality and distinction; the University’s leading role shall be safeguarded by a constant engagement to innovation and creativity; the academic community members shall participate actively in scientific, social and cultural events; our standpoints shall reflect our historical and contemporary Greek culture worldwide through scientific activities.

Venue

The conference will be held at the ‘Ioannis Drakopoulos’ Amphitheatre of the Main Building of the University of Athens (NKUA), 30 Panepistimiou Str., Athens, Greece.

A virtual tour of the Main Building of NKUA (University of Athens Megaron) is available at:
(https://estories.uoa.gr/en/propylaea).

Gala Dinner

The conference dinner will be held at the Kostis Palamas’ Hall of NKUA, Kostis Palamas Building, 48 Akadimias Str. & Sina Str., Ahens, Greece on November, 21, 2024.

Accommodation

There is a huge selection of hotels in Athens to suit all price ranges. Delegates will be accommodated in hotel rooms located in the historic centre of Athens, in short (walking) distance from the main venue of the conference. Reviews and prices are available on https://whyathens.com/hotels/ and make bookings through expedia.com or booking.com.

Delegates travelling from outside of the EU, should also check the visa status regarding their trip to Greece, and any special arrangements that might be necessary to be made. Most valid information can be found in the website of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Visa Information
and
Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs countries that require or not visa

Useful links and guides

http://www.thisisathens.org/
http://www.discovergreece.com/en/mainland/attica/athens
Visit Athens: https://youtu.be/NJQpXiugmUg

Travel information

The distance from the airport is about 45 kms and there is comfortable, affordable and reliable ground transfer from and to the airport.

Bus: X95 SYNTAGMA – ATHENS AIRPORT EXPRESS. Direct Connection to Syntagma Square (the centre of the city of Athens). Link to metro Line 2 (red line) – “Anthoupoli – Elliniko”. Disembark at PANEPISTIMION Station. Ticket price: 6€

Metro: The Airport is accessible via Metro Line 3 (blue line) – “Athens International Airport – Piraeus Dimotiko Theatro”. Disembark at Syntagma and then get the Metro Line 2 (red line) – “Anthoupoli – Elliniko”. Disembark at PANEPISTIMION Station. Signle ticket: 10€

Local transportation in Athens

The Athens public transportation network offers a wide range of routes, combining many different means, including the metro.

Athens Metro

The Athens Metro system encompasses three lines:
Line 1. Green Line, from the port of Piraeus in the south of Athens to the suburb of Kifissia in the north.
Line 2. Red Line, from Anthoupoli in the northwest to Elliniko in the south.
Line 3. Blue Line, from Dimotiko Theatro in the west to either the Airport or Doukissis Plakentias in the northeast
Lines 1 and 2 meet at Attiki and Omonoia stations. Lines 1 and 3 meet at Monastiraki station. Lines 2 and 3 meet at Syntagma station.

The most common tickets are:

• A regular minute single ticket for all means of public transport (Airport excluded) costs 1,4€.
• A daily ticket for all means of public transport (Airport excluded) costs ,5€.
• A day tourist ticket for all public transport means with 1 two-way ticket for the Airport included is at 20€.

For more information regarding the public transportation tickets please click here.

Taxis

Taxis offer a 24-hour service and are quite cheap. They can be hailed down on the street or otherwise picked up at taxi stands around major tourist places such as Monastiraki and Syntagma. You can also book a taxi by calling on any of the following numbers: 18222, 18300, 18288 or 18180.

Buses

There is a huge network of buses and trolleys (electric buses) that operates in Athens and its suburbs. They usually operate from around 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. approximately. You may have more information on the timetables here. One ticket cost 1,20 euro and can be used for 90 minutes from the time you first validated it. It is virtually the same as the one you use at the metro. This is why it can be bought in special kiosks around town but also inside all Metro Stations.

Other means of transportation

There are more means of transportation that can help every traveler explore Athens, such as: car or motorcycle rental, bicycle, or electrical scooter rental, as well as some more touristic choices, like the Hop-On Hop-Off bus and the Happy Train.
For more information you can visit OASA.