HMU will expand its strategic partnership with the University of Michigan and the international research initiative MiStory (Multicultural Study of Trauma Recovery) through the ongoing preparation for the execution of a second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This new international agreement directly connects cutting-edge technology and social welfare, bringing the academic excellence and research synergies of HMU’s specialized laboratories to the forefront:
- Laboratory of Applied and inTeractIve Computing-LATiCe (Director: Professor Manolis Tsiknakis)
- Laboratory of Applied Social Research and Social Work -SoRSoW (Director: Associate Professor Kleio Koutra)
Key Academic Highlights & Strategic Actions
- Advanced Academic Co-Supervision & Mentorship
During her visit to the SoRSoW Laboratory, Distinguished Professor at the University of Michigan, Prof. Denise Saint Arnault (Founder & Director ofthe MiStory network), engaged in intensive academic work sessions with the Director of the Laboratory, Associate Professor Kleio Koutra, focusing on international academic co-supervision and doctoral research guidance:
- PhD Dissertations: Specialized academic guidance and joint co-supervision for PhD candidates Ms. Pelekidou Lina and Ms. Samara Rafaela, advancing their doctoral research outputs and designs.
- Master’s Theses: Academic mentorship and methodological support for graduate students Ms. Maria Kamnaki and Ms. Varvara Kalimpouri within the MSc program “Interdisciplinary Social Interventions in Crisis Situations”.
- Development & Pilot Testing of the e-CENI Application (2nd MoU)
At the core of the second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)—currently in progress for final signing—is the completion and pilot implementation of the innovative digital application e-CENI (based on the Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview protocol):
- The application is being developed through interdisciplinary synergy between the LATiCe Laboratory (Prof. Manolis Tsiknakis, PhDc Roula Chatzaki) and the SoRSoW Laboratory (Assoc. Prof. Kleio Koutra).
- It will be pilot-tested as part of the master’s research conducted by Ms. Maria Kamnaki, under the academic supervision of Assoc. Prof. Kleio Koutra.
- StrategicHorizonProposalResubmission
The academic visit concluded with a joint strategic meeting between the research teams of the LATiCe and SoRSoW Laboratories, together with Prof. Denise Saint Arnault and the MiStory team (hosted on site at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas, FORTH). The joint team coordinated the resubmission of a competitive research proposal under the European HORIZON framework, laying a strong foundation for future international research funding and high-impact innovation.
