On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, TUC hosted Prof. Dionissios T. Hristopulos, Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Technical University of Crete (TUC).

Prof. Hristopulos delivered a lecture, following the prestigious 2024 Georges Matheron Lectureship Award he received, on "From Particles to Patterns: An Odyssey from Physics to Geostatistics and Beyond" (all details about this lecture can be found on the linked announcement).

On the right tab of this post, you can view the photo album of the event, as well as watch the video of the lecture.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Participants have already joined five online sessions (90 minutes each) in the past months, since January 2026. This week is the concluding in-person Staff Week with a full training program, including lectures, workshops, cultural activities, and networking opportunities, taking place on TUC Campus and the broader area of Chania. 

The expected outcomes of the program are the following:

• Creation of lasting cross-institutional peer networks.
• Improved intercultural awareness and communication skills.
• Strengthened sense of belonging within the EURECA-PRO community.
• Planning of further capacity building activities.

The entire team of EURECA-PRO TUC would like to welcome all participants to TUC Campus!

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

This new program is supported with funding from the Greece 2.0 National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Universities Internationalization Program) and is implemented in collaboration with the European University on Responsible Consumption and Production (EURECA-PRO), in which the two organizing institutions participate as founding members since 2020. The new program will commence in the 2026 Winter Semester.

Work meetings and discussions took place between 27.05.2026 and 29.05.2026 and were attended by the visiting delegation from the Technical University of Leoben (TUL), representing the Admissions Office and the Legal Office of TUL:

• Bianca Sieberer (TUL Admissions Office, main spokesperson and contact person)
• Barbara Ott (TUL Admissions Office, implementation of admission process)
• Christina Waldauf (TUL Legal Office, consultant to the Rectorate for academic affairs)
• Erika Rossoll (TUL Legal Office, consultant for Research and Innovation contracts and agreements)

as well as members of the Postgraduate Studies Committee of the School of MRE:

• Assistant Prof. Emmanouil Varouchakis (EURECA-PRO TUC Education Lead and RCP-SM Program Coordinator)
• Prof. Panagiotis Partsinevelos
• Prof. Konstantinos Komnitsas
• Prof. Michael Galetakis

and members of the EURECA-PRO TUC team:

• Prof. Konstantinos-Alketas Ouggrinis (TUC Vice Rector for Research and Innovation)
• Prof. Em. Evan Diamantopoulos (EURECA-PRO TUC Coordinator)
• Prof. Michail G. Lagoudakis (EURECA-PRO TUC Deputy Coordinator)
• Dr. Eleni Mylona (EURECA-PRO TUC Education and I&E Representative)
• Aliki Stergianni (EURECA-PRO TUC Joint Study Programs and Accreditation Representative)
• Ioulia Koroptsenko (EURECA-PRO TUC Joint Study Programs and Accreditation Representative)
• Stavroula Panagiotidou (School of MRE Doctoral Candidate and EURECA-PRO Doctoral Training School)

Overall, the meetings focused on key areas that directly affect the longevity and smooth implementation of the new Master’s program: student admissions, international student procedures, educational agreements, legal compliance, research contracts, and funding structures. Bringing together colleagues from the two institutions allows to address both the operational and strategic dimensions of the ongoing collaboration and create a stronger basis for future joint activities.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The next lecture of the series will be delivered by our own Prof. Dionissios T. Hristopulos, Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Technical University of Crete (TUC). Prof. Hristopulos will deliver a celebrated lecture, following the prestigious 2024 Georges Matheron Lectureship Award he received from the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG), which recognized his outstanding scientific contributions to spatial statistics and mathematical morphology.

Prof. Hristopulos' lecture is titled:

"From Particles to Patterns:
An Odyssey from Physics to Geostatistics and Beyond"

and is scheduled to take place on:

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 16:30 EET (15:30 CET)

and can be attended either physically or virtually:

Room 145.P58 (School of ECE @ TUC Campus)​
https://tuc-gr.zoom.us/j/96511690683?pwd=BF3BVAhr7YpNSuHBrRf5FWGdrw3EwF.1

The lecture is open to all interested members of TUC and EURECA-PRO. An official, electronic certificate of attendance will be issued to all actual attendees who will register their participation during the lecture.

Abstract

Understanding and managing our natural resources requires reliable ways to analyze spatial data—from climate variables and soil properties to pollution levels and ecosystem indicators. This talk explores how ideas from physics, geostatistics, and artificial intelligence (AI) can be combined to support sustainable development through efficient and transparent data modeling. We begin by showing that traditional geostatistical methods, such as kriging, are closely related to modern AI tools known as Gaussian process regression. This connection helps bridge established spatial analysis techniques with newer data‑driven approaches used in environmental and sustainability studies. However, applying these methods to the large datasets now common in Earth observation, sensor networks, and climate science can be computationally demanding. To address this challenge, we introduce an alternative perspective inspired by statistical physics. By formulating spatial dependence through local interactions—rather than large covariance matrices—we obtain models that are both physically interpretable and computationally efficient. These stochastic local interaction (SLI) models function as Markov random fields and are particularly well suited for large‑scale spatial prediction and uncertainty assessment, which are essential for sustainable planning and risk analysis. We further discuss how these ideas extend naturally from discrete data to continuous spatial processes, enabling smooth representations of environmental variables. We also briefly explore how concepts from complex systems and statistical physics, such as the Ising model, can help describe collective spatial behavior, for example in land‑use patterns or ecosystem transitions. We conclude by highlighting how physics‑inspired, computationally efficient spatial models can contribute to more informed, scalable, and sustainable decision‑making in environmental and resource management.

Short Bio

Dionissios Hristopulos is a Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technical University of Crete (TUC) in Greece. He holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1985) and a PhD in Physics from Princeton University (1991), where he did his PhD research in the group of the Nobel Laureate in Physics Philip W. Anderson. Following mandatory military service in Greece, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for two years as Post-doctoral Researcher and for five years as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. In 2000, Dionisis moved to the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (currently, FPInnovations). For his research he was awarded (jointly with T. Uesaka) the 2003 Johannes A. Van den Akker International Prize for Advances in Paper Physics. Recently, in 2024 he received the Georges Matheron Lectureship Award from the International Association of Mathematical Geosciences. In 2002, Dionissios moved to the Technical University of Crete as Associate Professor in Geostatistics and was promoted to Professor in 2007 in the School of Mineral Resources Engineering (MRE). In 2020, he joined the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at TUC. Dionissios teaches courses in Probability, Statistics, Geostatistics, Time Series, and Random Fields. He has co-authored 202 publications (journal articles, conference proceedings and abstracts, and technical reports) as well as the books “Spatiotemporal Environmental Health Modelling" (Kluwer, 1998) and "Random Fields for Spatial Data Modeling" (Springer, 2020). Dionissios is on the Advisory Board of the journal Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment (Springer) and the Associate Editor board for Computers and Geosciences (Elsevier). He has served as Director of Graduate Studies in the School of MRE at TUC (2004-2009), as Director of the Master's program in Machine Learning and Data Science (MLDS) in the School of ECE at TUC (2022-2026) and as Member of the University Council of TUC (2012-2017 and 2022-2026). His research explores the intersection of spatiotemporal statistics, time series analysis, statistical physics, and machine learning, along with their practical applications. Dionissios has coordinated and participated in several national and European research projects. He collaborates with engineers, statisticians, mathematicians, physicists, and geologists on the development and application of novel methods for the analysis of spatial and spatiotemporal data. Dionissios also regularly reviews articles that involve interdisciplinary applications of statistical physics, stochastic methods, spatial statistics and signal processing for various international journals. Dionissios has held short visiting professor appointments in the Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University (2013) and the Space Physics Program in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2025).

The event may be broadcast live through the official TUC Facebook page and will be recorded, while photographic material will be taken. The digital material will be displayed on the websites and on the official channels of the Technical University of Crete, EURECA-PRO TUC and the European University EURECA-PRO and will be published on social media, press releases and newsletters. For any issue, which concerns your personal data, you can be informed through the page with TUC's privacy policy.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

🧑‍💻 Full-day contest focused on physiological signal analysis using supervised and unsupervised analysis techniques

⚙️ Develop a model that best fits the data provided and achieves the best performance

📍 Online or on-site at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Germany

📍 Part of the IEEE MetroXRAINE 2026 Conference in Chemnitz, Germany

👉 Find more info and register by 15th June 2026 at www.eurecapro.eu/ieee-metroxraine-2026-youth-pre-contest

The Youth Pre-Contest is a full-day hands-on challenge focused on physiological signal analysis using supervised and unsupervised analysis techniques. Participants will receive a dataset to train and evaluate their own model on their personal device. The goal is to develop a model that best fits the data provided and achieves the best performance according to the evaluation criteria defined by the organizers. The contest offers students, PhD’s and researchers under 36 years the opportunity to test their skills, work on a practical data-based challenge, and exchange ideas with other young researchers. The contest will take place in a hybrid format: participants can join online via Microsoft Teams or attend on-site at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences if they live close-by (snacks and drinks will be provided). Students, PhD’s and researchers under 36 years can work individually or in teams of up to three members. Participation is free of charge.

About the IEEE MetroXraine

The MetroXRAINE conference brings together researchers from around the world who are working on cutting-edge research topics in the field of metrology for eXtended Reality – an umbrella term for immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality – artificial intelligence (AI) and neural engineering (NE).

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The webinar will explore key topics in hydrometallurgy through two high-level expert presentations:

• "The Lindy Effect in Hydrometallurgy"
  Prof. Koen Binnemans, KUL (11:00-12:00 CET)
  
  The presentation discusses why established hydrometallurgical technologies remain dominant and why the adoption of new approaches can be challenging. This concept explains industrial hesitation to adopt, as capital-intensive projects favor low-risk, established methods over novel, often less-durable alternatives.
  
   
• "Reagent Recovery and Recycling by Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPED)"
  Emma-Liisa Lappalainen, Research Scientist VTT (12:00-13:00 CET)
  
  The presentation discusses the use of bipolar membrane electrodialysis for sulphate treatment and the regeneration of acid and base products. It explores its potential to support more sustainable and resource-efficient hydrometallurgical processes.

The webinar is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and all those interested in expanding their knowledge on current developments in hydrometallurgy.

Register for the webinar here 

Registration will close on 20.05.2026 and participants will receive the Zoom link prior to the webinar.

Are you a 2nd or 3rd year bachelor student in (bio)chemistry, physics, materials science, or (bio)engineering? 

Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the future of innovative materials!

July 6–8, 2026

Campus Diepenbeek, Hasselt University (Belgium)

This 3-day summer school will introduce you to cutting-edge materials for:

Healthcare

Energy generation, storage & efficiency

Sustainable technologies

Quantum technologies

Enjoy a dynamic programme combining expert lectures and hands-on experiences, delivered by UHasselt faculty and international speakers.

Secure your spot and be part of the next generation shaping innovative materials!

Application deadline: 24 May 2026 7 June 2026 (extended)

Apply here: www.eurecapro.eu/summer-school-materiomics-2026

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, TUC hosted Dr. Adam Długosz, Associate Professor with the Department of Computational Mechanics and Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Poland.

Prof. Długosz's delivered a lecture on "Selected Aspects of Multicriteria Optimization Problems in Mechanical Engineering using Metaheuristic Algorithms" (all details about this lecture can be found on the linked announcement).

On the right tab of this post, you can view the photo album of the event, as well as watch the video of the lecture.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

"Decision-Making and Optimisation for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Systems"

which will take place on

Tuesday April 28, 2026, 16:00-17:30 CET (17:00-18:30 @ TUC)

In this inspiring PhD seminar, three doctoral candidates will present their latest work addressing key challenges in climate risk, sustainable governance, and advanced optimization methods. This seminar offers a unique look into how different systems – from natural environments to organizations and industrial processes – can respond to growing sustainability and climate challenges and how innovative research approaches contribute to more resilient, responsible, and energy-efficient systems. Meet some of the EURECA-PRO PhD students (with TUC contribution this time!) and learn about their exciting research!

• Julius Emmanuel Emuriat, Silesian University of Technology, Poland
  Impact of Selected Climate Features on Disaster Landslides with Climate Change Factors in East Africa
   
• Alain Patience Ihimbazwe Ndanguza, Silesian University of Technology, Poland
  Managerial Competence and Corporate Social Responsibility
   
• Maria Tsiftsoglou, Technical University of Crete, Greece
  A Multi-Objective Firefly Algorithm for Solving the Energy-Efficient Permutation Flow Shop Problem

Find out more and register for free to attend on this page:

www.eurecapro.eu/decision-making-for-sustainable-climate

The event may be photographed, video-recorded or broadcast live through the official channels of EURECA-PRO and its partners. This digital material may be used by EURECA-PRO and its partners for reporting, archival, and dissemination purposes across EURECA-PRO's and partners' official websites and social media channels.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

📍 TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany | 🗓 June 8–12, 2026

Celebrate this milestone edition with young researchers from across Europe! Engage in interdisciplinary discussions, hands-on training on sustainability, exciting excursions, and vibrant networking in Germany’s historic mining and innovation hub.

✅ Free participation and possible travel support via ERASMUS
✅ Main language: English
✅ Applications open for PhD students from EURECA-PRO universities (extended deadline: May 8, 2026)

🎙️Hear From Past Participants✨

Curious what the experience is really like? Get first-hand insights! All the links can be found in the comments.

Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and celebrate research excellence! ✨

Apply now: www.eurecapro.eu/20th-freiberg-colloquium-of-young-researchers

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.