The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; el, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest higher education institutions of Greece and the most prestigious among engineering schools. It is named in honor of its benefactors Nikolaos Stournaris, Eleni Tositsa, Michail Tositsas and Georgios Averoff, whose origin is from the town of

Metsovo Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east. The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large ...

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

. It was founded in 1837 as a part-time vocational school named Royal School of Arts which, as its role in the technical development of the fledgling state grew, developed into Greece's sole institution providing engineering degrees up until the 1950s, when polytechnics were established outside

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...

. Its traditional campus, located in the center of Athens on

Patission Avenue Patission Street ( el, Οδός Πατησίων) is one of the major streets in central Athens, Greece. Though it is known as Patission, its name for its stretch between Panepistimiou Street and Amerikis Square, was changed to 28 October Street, ...

on a site donated by Eleni Tositsa, features a suite of magnificent neo- classical buildings by architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou (1811–1885). A new campus, the

Zografou Zografou ( el, Ζωγράφου) is a suburb of approximately 71,000 in the eastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. It was named after the Greek politician Ioannis Zografos. To the east of Zografou lies mount Hymettus. The area, being ...

Campus, was built in the 1980s. NTUA is divided into nine academic schools, eight being for the

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

disciplines, including

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

, and one for applied

sciences Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence f ...

(mathematics and physics). Undergraduate studies have a duration of five years. Admission to NTUA is highly selective and can only be accomplished through achieving exceptional grades in the annual Panhellenic Exams. It is a widely spread perception that the vast majority of each year's Panhellenic Exams top students interested in the sciences and technology opts to attend NTUA The university comprises about 700 of academic staff, 140 scientific assistants and 260 administrative and technical staff. It also has about 8,500 undergraduates and about 1,500 postgraduate students. Eight of the NTUA's Schools are housed at the Zografou Campus, while the School of Architecture is based at the Patission Complex.

History

NTUA was established by

royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

decree on December 31, 1836 (OS), January 21, 1837 (NS), under the name "Royal School of Arts" (Βασιλικό Σχολείο των Τεχνών). It began functioning as a part-time vocational school (only Sundays and holidays) to train craftsmen, builders and master craftsmen to cover the needs of the new Greek state. In 1840, due to its increasing popularity and the changing socio-economic conditions in the new state, NTUA was upgraded to a daily technical school which worked along with the Sunday school. The courses were expanded and the institution was housed in its own building in Pireos Street.

The restructuring

In 1843 a major restructuring was made. Three departments were created: * ''Part-Time Vocational School'' * ''Daily School'' * A new ''Higher School of Fine Arts'' The new department's object was fine arts and engineering. The new department, which was later renamed ''School of Industrial and Fine Arts'', rapidly evolved towards a major higher education institution. Tradition has it that ''arts'' referred to both technical professions and fine arts. Even today, the school maintains a school of architecture that is closely related to the School of Fine Arts, which later evolved to become a separate school. The name ''Polytechnnic'' came in 1862, with the introduction of several new technical courses. This restructuring continued steadily until 1873. At the time, the school became overwhelmed by the plethora of students wanting to learn high technical skills, and this led to its moving to a new campus.

The relocation

In 1873 it moved to its new campus in

Patission Street Patission Street ( el, Οδός Πατησίων) is one of the major streets in central Athens, Greece. Though it is known as Patission, its name for its stretch between Panepistimiou Street and Amerikis Square, was changed to 28 October Stree ...

and was known as ''Metsovion Polytechnion'' (Metsovian Polytechnic) after the birthplace of its benefactors who financed the construction of this campus. At the time, the campus in Patission Street was even partially incomplete, but the high demand by students made it urgent to rellocate. In 1887, the institution was partitioned into three schools of technical orientation, the schools of Structural Engineering, Architecture and Mechanical Engineering, all four-year degrees at the time. This is when the institute was recognized as a technical education facility by the state, which was a crucial step for its development, as it became accompanied to the country's needs as it developed. In 1914, new schools were created and was officially named ''Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion'' (National Metsovian Polytechnic) went under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Works. This is when new technical schools started to be formed, a procedure was completed three years later, in 1917 when the NTUA changed form: By special law, the old ''School of Industrial Arts'' was now separated into the Higher Schools of ''Civil Engineering'', ''Mechanical & Electrical Engineering'', ''Chemical Engineering'', ''Surveying Engineering'' and ''Architecture''. Later, the schools of ''Naval Engineering'', and ''Mining and Metallurgical Engineering'' were formed, and the school of ''Mechanical & Electrical Engineering'' was split up into two separate schools, ''Mechanical Engineering'' and ''Electrical and Computer Engineering'', which is almost the form of schools maintained until now. In 1923, the NTUA alumni formed the core of the

Technical Chamber of Greece The Technical Chamber of Greece ( el, Τεχνικό Επιμελητήριο Ελλάδας) (TEE-TCG) is the Greece, Greek professional organization that serves as the official technical advisor of the Greek state and is responsible for awarding p ...

, the professional organization that serves as the official technical adviser of the

Greek state Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

and is responsible for awarding professional licenses to all practicing engineers in Greece. In 1930, the

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; el, Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών, ΑΣΚΤ, literally: Highest School of Fine Arts), is Greece's premier Art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its student ...

was established, acquiring its independence from the NTUA, as a school exclusively focused in the teaching the fine arts. This allowed the two schools to develop separately as a technical and an arts school respectively. In 1941 to 1944, the National Technical University of Athens played an important role in the country's political life with the Greek students participating in the National Resistance under the German occupation. During the Axis occupation of Greece, NTUA, in addition to its function as an academic institution, became one of the most active resistance centers in Athens.

The uprising

The most important event of NTUA's history is the Athens Polytechnic uprising on November 17, 1973, which was the first step to overthrow Greece's military dictatorship. On 14, 15 and 16 of November 1973, the students were barricaded inside the institute, and started broadcasting a pirate radio transmission, calling the people of Athens to rebel. In the evening of November 17 however, an AMX-30 class military tank broke the main gate and charged inside, after receiving orders from the dictators. About 23 people were killed in the following events and the uprising ended. The junta however, was irreparably damaged by the popular outcry. The junta fell in 1974, after the Turkish invasion in Cyprus and since then, November 17 is celebrated as a day of freedom and democracy. All schools and universities of the country remain closed on that day.

Emblem

The emblem of the National Technical University of Athens is

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...

Academic profile

Schools

The National Technical University of Athens is divided into nine academic schools ( el, σχολές), which are furthermore divided into 33 departments (Greek: τομείς): *School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences *School of Electrical and Computer Engineering *School of Civil Engineering *School of Mechanical Engineering *School of Architecture *School of Chemical Engineering *School of Rural and Surveying Engineering *School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering *School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
School of Applied Mathematics and Physics
*

*
Department of Physics

*
Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
*
Department of Signals, Controls and Robotics
*
Department of Computer Science
*
Department of Εlectric Power
*
Department of Electromagnetics, Electrooptics and Electronic Materials
*
Department of Industrial Electric Devices and Decision Systems
*
Department of Communications, Electronics and Information Systems
*
Department of Information Transmission Systems and Material Technology

School of Civil Engineering
*
Department of Structural Engineering
*
Department of Water Resources, Hydraulic and Maritime Engineering
*
Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering
*
Department of Geotechnical Engineering
*
Department of Engineering Construction and Management
NTUA mechanical engineers school

School of Mechanical Engineering
*
Department of Fluid Mechanics Engineering
** Department of Thermal Engineering *
Department of Nuclear Engineering
*
Department of Mechanical Constructions and Automatic Control
*
Department of Manufacturing Technology
*
Department of Industrial Management and Operational Research

School of Architecture
** Department of Architectural Design ** Department of Urban and Regional Planning ** Department of Interior Design and Landscaping ** Department of Building Technology-Structural Design and Mechanical Equipment
School of Chemical Engineering
** Department of Chemical Sciences *
Department of Process and Systems Analysis, Design and Development
** Department of Materials Science and Engineering ** Department of Synthesis and Development of Industrial Processes
School of Rural and Surveying Engineering
*

*

*

School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
** Department of Geological Sciences ** Department of Mining Engineering ** Department of Metallurgy and Materials Technology
School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
** Department of Ship Design & Maritime Transport ** Department of Ship Hydrodynamics ** Department of Marine Engineering ** Department of Marine Structures

Studies

Undergraduate studies

The academic calendar of NTUA comprises 10 independent, integral academic semesters. Each semester lasts 18 weeks: 13 weeks of classes, a two-week break (Christmas and Easter holidays for the fall and spring semester respectively), and three weeks of semester exams. The tenth semester is devoted to the preparation of the diploma thesis. The diploma thesis has to be related to one of the courses of the faculty. The student has at his or her disposal at least a full academic semester to prepare the thesis. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must take part in an oral examination that can take place either in June, October or February, after the final examinations, provided that the student has passed all courses prescribed by the curriculum. An important part of the studies in NTUA are the summer "training" projects which take place in Industrial and Production Units, in the period between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester. They constitute an elective course for the Faculties of Civil Engineering, Survey Engineering (Surveying and Geodesy Camp) and Mining and Metallurgy Engineering (Mining Camp) and are partially subsidized by the European Union.

Postgraduate studies

There are currently 20 departmental or inter-departmental postgraduate courses, coordinated by NTUA Departments, leading to the respective Post Graduate Specialization Diploma, with a minimum duration of 17 months, including one in Business Administration (in collaboration with the Athens University of Economics and Business). Moreover, NTUA participates in nine post-graduate programs coordinated by other Greek Universities. After the acquisition of the Post Graduate Specialization Diploma, the student can proceed towards submitting a doctoral thesis.

Academic staff

Academic evaluation

An external evaluation of all academic departments in Greek universities will be conducted by the

Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency Hellenic is a synonym for Greek. It means either: *of or pertaining to the Hellenic Republic (modern Greece) or Greek people ( Hellenes, el, Έλληνες) and culture *of or pertaining to ancient Greece, ancient Greek people, culture and civil ...

(HQAA) in the following years. * School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (2012) * School of Mechanical Engineering (2012) * School of Civil Engineering (2013) * School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2013) * School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (2013) * School of Chemical Engineering (2013) * School of Applied Mathematical & Physical Science (2013) * School of Rural and Surveying Engineering (2014) * School of Architecture (2014)

Research and innovation

NTUA boasts high research activity, as research and education are both its goals. Research is managed by administrative and education personnel, but can be conducted by graduate and sometimes undergraduate students as well. Research is administrated by five different offices: # The Special Accounting for Research Office (ΕΛΚΕ) # The Liaison Office # The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit # The Internship Programme # The Office of Researchers # The Interdisciplinary Research Center # The Interdisciplinary Unit for Reusable Energy Research is funded by the NTUA endowment, or often directly through public or private funds.

Ranking

The National Technical university of Athens is ranked 338th in the world, 116th in the European Union and third in Greece by the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities website. NTUA was ranked between 551 and 600 by the

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for th ...

in 2012, with the corresponding faculty area ranks being 152nd for

Engineering & Technology ''Engineering & Technology'' (''E&T'') is a science, engineering and technology magazine published by IET Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a registered charity in the United Kingdom. Th ...

and 352nd for

Natural Sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeat ...

respectively. The 2012 performance ranking of scientific papers for world universities released by the

National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. The university was founded in 1928 during Taiwan under Japanese rule, Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imper ...

(NTU Ranking) ranked NTUA as excellent. NTUA has the highest citation impact score (0.88) among the Greek universities, based on a ranking prepared by the Directorate General for Science and Research of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

in 2003 (updated 2004) that was compiled as part of the Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators.

Campus

Patission Complex

The Averof building is one of the most important and elegant buildings of the Athenian Neoclassical period located in the center of

and the most important work of architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou. It constitutes also one of the most important creations of European Neoclassicism, directly influenced in its design by the monuments of the Athenian

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

. Its construction began in 1862 and ended in 1878. After its completion, the building was in continuous use for more than 125 years during which it suffered from several additions and alterations. The main building has housed at times the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...

and various exhibitions of

Schliemann Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann (; 6 January 1822 – 26 December 1890) was a German businessman and pioneer in the field of archaeology. He was an advocate of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeologi ...

's archaeological findings and relics of the 1821

Greek revolution The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. The Averof building reached a deteriorating state and was eventually in great need of restoration and modernization in order to continue operating as an educational establishment. The aim of the conservation project, namely for the Averof to be used again as an educational building, was successfully achieved after the building became operative in the beginning of 2010 and won the grand prize of

Europa Nostra Europa Nostra ( Italian for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement to relevant inte ...

in 2012.

Zografou Campus

The main campus is located in the

area of

, housing all the schools of NTUA except architecture, which remains in its traditional location on the

for historical reasons. The main campus spreads over an area of about 190 acres, 6 km from the center of

. It includes buildings of 65 acres with fully equipped lecture theaters, laboratories, libraries, gyms, a central library, a computer center and a medical center. The School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences is housed in the center of the campus. Right next to it is the Mining and Metallurgical Engineering School. The Civil Engineering School and the Rural and Surveying Engineering School are both housed on the south-west near the Zografou Gate. Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Naval Engineering, and the new Electrical Engineering School are all housed near the middle of the campus, while the old electrical engineering buildings remain on the north-east.

Transportation

There are in-campus roads making all buildings accessible by bicycle and car. There are also various internal buses that allow for transportation within the facilities, driving around the perimeter of the campus and through eight different bus stops. The campus is accessible through three main gates: the Katechaki and Kokkinopoulou Gates on the north, and the Zografou Gate on the west. There are 2,000 dedicated parking spots scattered throughout the campus, most nearby all major buildings. The campus resides near the metro station of Katechaki, which makes it accessible within minutes from any area of Athens. Furthermore, six different buses are available for transportation from various city locations to the campus: the 608 from

Galatsi Galatsi ( el, Γαλάτσι, ''Galátsi'' ), called in Katharevousa Galatsion ( el, Γαλάτσιον, ''Galátsion''), is a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, and a municipality of the Attica region. The municipality has an area of 4.026 ...

, 230 from

, 242 from the Katechaki Metro station and 140 from

Glifada Glyfada ( el, Γλυφάδα, ) is a suburb in South Athens located in the Athens Riviera along the Athens coast. It is situated in the southern parts of the Athens' Urban Area. The area stretches from the foot of the Hymettus mountain to the ...

Central Library

On the campus lies the NTUA Central

Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

, which has operated since 1914, and was the first library in Greece with a complete index. Today, it remains one of the largest technical libraries in the country, featuring a collection of over 215,000 books and 100,000 scientific issues. The library is available to the public at all times for studying, and available to students, faculty, and internal and external researchers for borrowing. The central library building at Zografou campus houses also the historical library of NTUA as a special collection. This scientific-technical library is unique in Greece, and one of the most important in Europe, since it contains approximately 60,000 volumes and periodicals (1,096 titles) issued from the 17th century until 1950. The main bulk of NTUA's historical collection consists of old and rare books, pamphlets, maps, engravings and encyclopedias.

Other facilities

Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park (LTCP)

Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park (LTCP), is a body of scientific research, education, business and culture. Founded in place of the old French Mining Company of Lavrion (Compagnie Francaise des Mines du

Laurium Laurium or Lavrio ( ell, Λαύριο; grc, Λαύρειον (later ); before early 11th century BC: Θορικός '' Thorikos''; from Middle Ages until 1908: Εργαστήρια ''Ergastiria'') is a town in southeastern part of Attica, Gree ...

) in 1992, as a result of the initiative undertaken from the National Technical University of Athens. LTCP aims at linking scientific and technological research conducted in Athens with the needs and interests of the business world, and to the realization of cultural events related to the promotion of the history and culture of the wider area of Lavreotiki, and the emergence of the history of activities in the past had developed in the maintenance of premises. The LTCP area is a unique monument of industrial architecture and archeology and placed him in a series of housing facilities for business and research excellence. The services provided by LTCP as well as its renovated facilities, continue to support research, education and technology. Today, LTCP is essentially the only technology park in Attica, which specializes in areas - keys of modern applied technology, such as information technology, electronics technology, telecommunications, robotics, technology laser, environmental technology, energy, shipbuilding, marine technology, etc.

Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Center (MIRC)

The Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Center (MIRC) of the National Technical University of Athens for the Protection and Development of Mountainous Environment and Local European Cultures was founded in 1993 by decision of the National Technical University of Athens Senate, following the proposal of the then

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Professor Nikos Markatos. The principal aim of MIRC is to contribute to the protection and development of mountainous environment and local European cultures and the provision of

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. ...

. As well as, the conduct of

research Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

, studies,

seminars A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

and

conferences A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

, relevant to the broader object of MIRC, the creation of a European network with related organizations under the aegis of the center or the participation in already existing networks. The above will be utilized by universities, cultural, research and productive organizations with the aim of assisting Metsovon in becoming a European center of decentralized interdisciplinary, educational, research, technological and cultural activities of NTUA.

Culture

Music Department

The NTUA Music Department was established in 1960 by Chancellor Alexander Pappas. The first president of the music department was composer Vassilis Makridis. It features a

mixed choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

, a

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first ...

, and free lessons for various instruments, among others

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

, and

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

. The music department groups regularly perform publicly within the facilities of the university, but also elsewhere. The department president today is

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

and composer Michalis Economou.

Dancing Department

The Dancing Department was established in 1990. It is formed by students, and it features various groups, including a Greek traditional and Cretan folk dances group, a European and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

Ballroom dances group, a Salsa and a

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

group. The groups meets weekly, and perform regularly inside and outside the facilities of the university. Attendance and dancing lessons are free for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty and even people not related to the university. The dancing department is housed near the center of the main campus.

Theatrical Group

The Theatrical Group was established in 1991. It is a self-managed group, which teaches the art of performance and often performs in public. Participation in the group is free for students. The theatrical group is housed near the center of the main campus. The theatrical group has also organized a separate percussion lessons group.

Sports

The main sports facilities of NTUA are housed in the Sports Center located to the south of the campus, taking up about 3,500 square meters. The campus sport facilities feature

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

and soccer courts, a field and track, a

sauna A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...

ping pong Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

tables, and more. More than 40 sport teams exist, and the sports practiced include

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind–body intervention, mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, es ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, soccer, handball,

, martial arts inside the campus facilities and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, polo,

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically at ...

yachting Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called '' yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboat ...

rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

wind surfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

, and equestrianism outside. Each year several inter-departmental championships are organized among the teams of the university faculties. NTUA student's teams have been distinguished and received many awards in Panhellenic University Games, as well as in university games abroad.

Open source

There is an open source students group whose purpose is to promote the use of

open source software Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Op ...

throughout the university and beyond. Furthermore, NTUA officially supports open source software by using it in its laboratories and other facilities, but also hosting mirrors for all major open source projects with a collection of over 2.5

terabyte The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit ...

s of free and open source software.

Foreign languages

English, French, German and Italian are the four languages taught in NTUA. All non-exchange students have to choose one from those as a mandatory foreign language course. For foreign students, the NTUA Linguistic Service offers the option of attending Greek courses during the entire

academic year An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. School holiday School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which sc ...

, free of charge. These courses are intended to provide students with the basic linguistic tools, so that they can understand and communicate efficiently with people in Greece.

Participation in international organizations

CESAER – Conference of European Schools for advanced Engineering, Education and Research

EEGECS
- Network on European Education in Geodetic Engineering, Cartography and Surveying">EEGECS">EEGECS
- Network on European Education in Geodetic Engineering, Cartography and Surveying
SEFI – Societe Europeene pour la Formation des Ingenieurs (European Society for Engineering Education)

TIME – Top Industrial Managers Europe

Student unions

NTUA Students' Formula Team
* Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, NTUA
Athens Local BEST Group

Electrical Engineering STudent's European Association Local Committee of Athens (EESTEC)

Euroavia Athens, NTUA

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE)
*American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter (AIChE)

Notable alumni

* Nicholas Ambraseys - professor of engineering seismology at

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a ...

* Dimitris Anastassiou - developer of MPEG-2 algorithm for transmitting high quality audio and video over limited bandwidth and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

professor of electrical engineering *

John Argyris Johann Hadji Argyris FRS (Greek: Ιωάννης Χατζι Αργύρης; 19 August 1913 – 2 April 2004) was a Greek pioneer of computer applications in science and engineering,Hughes TJR, Oden JT, and Papadrakakis M (2011) ''John H Argyris'' ...

- one of the founders of the

finite element method The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat ...

, professor at

and

University of Stuttgart The University of Stuttgart (german: Universität Stuttgart) is a leading research university located in Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded in 1829 and is organized into 10 faculties. It is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany wi ...

Costas Azariadis Constantine Christos "Costas" Azariadis ( el, Κώστας Αζαριάδης; born February 17, 1943) is a macroeconomist born in Athens, Greece. He has worked on numerous topics, such as labor markets, business cycles, and economic growth an ...

- professor at the Department of Economics, UCLA and Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis *

Dimitri Bertsekas Dimitri Panteli Bertsekas (born 1942, Athens, el, Δημήτρης Παντελής Μπερτσεκάς) is an applied mathematician, electrical engineer, and computer scientist, a McAfee Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineeri ...

- professor of engineering at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

Charalambos Bouras Charalambos Bouras ( Greek: Χαράλαμπος Μπούρας, 17 July 1933 - 27 July 2016) was a major Greek restoration architect, engineer and professor of architectural history. Amongst his most notable contributions are his restoration wor ...

- historian, professor of History of Architecture and restoration architect *

Georges Candilis Georges Candilis ( el, Γεώργιος Κανδύλης; 29 March 1913 – 10 May 1995) was a Greek-French architect and urbanist. Biography Born in Azerbaijan, he moved to Greece and graduated from the Polytechnic School of Athens between 19 ...

- architect and urbanist, one of the founders of

Team 10 Team 10 – just as often referred to as Team X or Team Ten – was a group of architects and other invited participants who assembled starting in July 1953 at the 9th Congress of the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM) and c ...

Giorgio de Chirico Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico ( , ; 10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978) was an Italian artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the '' scuola metafisica'' art movement, which profoundly influ ...

- painter * Constantine Dafermos - Greek applied mathematician, professor at Brown University and recipient of Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics * Constantinos Daskalakis - computer scientist, professor at

* Athos Dimoulas - poet * Eleftherios N. Economou - Professor of Physics, former Chairman of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas * Georgios Gennimatas - former MP, minister and founding member of

Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement ( el, Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellínio Sosialistikó Kínima, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK, (; , ) is a social democracy, social-democratic List of political partie ...

John Iliopoulos John (Jean) Iliopoulos (Greek: Ιωάννης Ηλιόπουλος; 1940, Kalamata, Greece) is a Greek physicist. He is the first person to present the Standard Model of particle physics in a single report. He is best known for his prediction of ...

- recipient of the

Dirac Medal The Dirac Medal is the name of four awards in the field of theoretical physics, computational chemistry, and mathematics, awarded by different organizations, named in honour of Professor Paul Dirac, one of the great theoretical physicists of the 2 ...

Paris Kanellakis Paris Christos Kanellakis ( el, Πάρις Χρήστος Κανελλάκης; December 3, 1953 – December 20, 1995) was a Greek American computer scientist. Life and academic path Kanellakis was born on December 3, 1953, in Athens as the ...

- computer scientist, professor at Brown University *

Linda P. B. Katehi Linda Pisti Basile Katehi-Tseregounis (born January 30, 1954) is a Greek-American engineering professor and former university administrator. Katehi was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (2006) for contributions to three-di ...

- Chancellor of

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the Uni ...

* Alexander S. Kechris - mathematician, professor at

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

Emmanouil Korres Emmanouil Korres (Greek: Εμμανουήλ Κορρές, born 1948) is a major Greek restoration architect, civil engineer and professor of architectural history at postgraduate studies at the National Technical University of Athens. Currently ...

- professor, writer, restoration architect *

Georgios Lianis George (Georgios) Lianis ( el, Γεώργιος Λιάνης, 1926–2008) was a Greek scholar, activist, diplomat, and cabinet member of the first term of government of PASOK, in 1981–1985. As cabinet member responsible for higher education, ...

- Professor and first Minister of Research and Technology (1982) * Nikos Markatos - former Rector of the NTUA * Max Nikias - former President of the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

Constantine Papadakis Constantine Papadakis (February 2, 1946 – April 5, 2009) was a Greek-American businessman and the president of Drexel University. Academic career Papadakis received his diploma in Civil engineering from the National Technical University ...

- former president of

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Ar ...

Christos Papadimitriou Christos Charilaos Papadimitriou ( el, Χρήστος Χαρίλαος "Χρίστος" Παπαδημητρίου; born August 16, 1949) is a Greek theoretical computer scientist and the Donovan Family Professor of Computer Science at Columbia Un ...

- computer scientist, laureate of the 2002

Knuth Prize The Donald E. Knuth Prize is a prize for outstanding contributions to the foundations of computer science, named after the American computer scientist Donald E. Knuth. History The Knuth Prize has been awarded since 1996 and includes an award of U ...

for longstanding and seminal contributions to the foundations of computer science *

Yannis Papathanasiou Yannis Papathanasiou ( el, Γιάννης Παπαθανασίου) (born January 1, 1954) is a Greek politician, former Minister for Economy and Finance of Greece. He is a member of the Hellenic Parliament with the conservative New Democracy pa ...

- politician, former Minister for Economy and Finance of Greece * Nicholas A. Peppas - professor in engineering,

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

* Dimitris Pikionis - architect * George Prokopiou - billionaire shipowner * Athanasios Roussopoulos - professor in applied statics and iron constructions at the National Technical University of Athens, where his work was mostly concerned with the development of the theory of aseismic structures, politician, member of the Greek Parliament and Minister of Public Works in 1966, he was also president of the

* Joseph Sifakis - computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award for his work on model checking. *Michael Triantafyllou - professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at

*Alexis Tsipras - former Prime Minister of Greece *Ioannis Vardoulakis - professor of civil engineering at University of Minnesota and at NTUA, a pioneer of theoretical and experimental geomechanics * Iannis Xenakis - one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers, pioneer of the use of mathematical models in music and architect * Mihalis Yannakakis - computer scientist, laureate of the 2005

for numerous ground-breaking contributions to theoretical computer science * Mihail Zervos - professor of financial mathematics at London School of Economics File:Constantine Papadakis.jpg, President of Drexel University

, Civil '69 File:Christos Papadimitriou mg 7721-b.cr2.jpg, ''Computational Complexity'' author

, ECE '72 File:Nicholas A Peppas 1-12-08.jpg, Nicholas A. Peppas, Chemical '71 File:Mihalis Yannakakis 2006.jpg, Knuth Prize 2005 winner Mihalis Yannakakis, ECE '75

References

Bibliography

External links