Scientific Conference 2018 – “Diversity in School”

The Teacher Education Program of Athens University of Economics and Business, with the collaboration of the Department of “Teacher Education and School Research” of Oslo University in Norway and the Athens School of Fine Arts, organized the annual scientific conference and an annual exhibition of student’s artworks on Thursday, 17th May 2018, at the Antoniadou Amphitheater of AUEB, with the topic of “Approaching Diversity in School: Different Aspects and Perspectives”.

The conference was welcomed by Prof. Dimitris Bourantonis, Deputy Rector of AUEB and the Assistant Rector of Athens School of Fine Arts. It was also welcomed by Assistant Professor Janne T. Scheie, from Oslo University.

Speakers Janne T.Scheie and Dr.Britt Oda Fosse from Oslo University, spoke about the diversity that exists in multicultural schools in Norway.

Actress Efi Mouriki gave her different approach to the subject through the theater and the plays of important writers (Chekhov, Shakespeare).

Thodoris Panas, the award-winning choreographer in Europe, approached the difference in school through dance and psychomotor action, uniting the audience with music and dance through an innovative workshop.

Psychiatrist Evi Paschou spoke about approaching the term “diversity in school” on the basis of works of art as an instrument to detect students’ attitude towards this phenomenon.

Director Georgios Konstantinopoulos, who is a member of the Greek Directors Society, gave a cinematic perspective on diversity in school from the projection of film clips combined with narration.

Marina Tsekou, education curator of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, dived into the concepts of “Identity” and “Heterogeneity” through Contemporary Art with examples of its educational program.

Dr. Babis Baltas, teacher and Chairman of the Board of Directors of pedagogical team “To Skasiarheio”, spoke about the term “diversity in school” through the perspective of the French pedagogical movement “Freinet”.

The conference was completed with the presentation of the innovative educational activities of the Teacher Education Program by the Scientific Head, Dr. Vasiliki Brinia.

After the end of the conference, the opening of the Art Exhibition of the student-teachers of the Program in collaboration with the School of Fine Arts, took place.

Here are the artworks of the students.

Art exhibition curator: Tatiana May-Kallergis

Watch an excerpt from Thodoris Panas' speech.

On the occasion of the Annual Conference, an article written by Dr. Vasiliki Brinia and Marianna Spanidi, a student of the program, entitled “Arts and Education 2018: Diversity in School – Fine Arts as a Pedagogical Tool for School Management” was published in the 3rd issue of the financial magazine “Xenophon”, in June 2018..

You can see some excerpts from the magazine here.