School Announcements

The legendary 11-day Engineering Geology field trip of the NTUA School of Civil Engineering across Europe has been completed, leaving a strong imprint of knowledge and an unforgettable field experience.
We can confidently say that this was one of the most successful field trips of recent years.

📍 Facts & Numbers:
• 11 days of continuous educational activity
• 3 countries: Greece – Italy – France
• >3,000 km across highly demanding geotechnical environments
• 20+ landmark engineering projects & globally significant historical failures
• 131 4-year students

NTUA trains young engineers not only in the classroom, but also in the field

This field trip is a true “living laboratory”, where theory meets practice and geological understanding evolves into engineering judgment. Exposure to large-scale projects and historical failures clearly highlighted the critical importance of the engineering geological model and geotechnical judgment in design, safety and performance.

The scientific coordination and academic responsibility of the field trip were led by Associate Professor of the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA, Vasileios Marinos.

However, the most important factor behind this year’s great success was one:

👉 The 131 4-year students.

Their participation exceeded all expectations:
• constant and tireless engagement at every technical stop
• thoughtful, in-depth, and critical responses to every question
• absolute consistency and collaboration throughout all phases of the trip

A truly promising combination: high-level students and outstanding individuals.

Special and sincere thanks go to the 75 sponsors of the field trip.
A record number, and a record level of support, which enabled the almost full participation of fourth-year students at minimal cost. Their contribution was not just important, it was decisive. We are truly thankful!

Warm thanks to my collaborator, PhD candidate Themistoklis Chatzitheodosiou, for his outstanding contribution at all levels: educational, organizational and operational. His role was instrumental in the successful execution of this year’s field trip.

Warm congratulations are due to the Student Committee of the year, who contributed significantly to organizing the trip and securing sponsorships. A truly steady and quietly powerful team this year!

This field trip is not just another educational activity.

It is part of a historic tradition that began in 1992 by the late Emeritus Professor P. Marinos and continued together with Emeritus Professor G. Tsiambaos, shaping a unique educational experience for generations of civil engineers.

Finally, sincere thanks to the travel agency Our Travel and their partners for the excellent organization and the safe and successful delivery of such a demanding field trip.

This experience once again confirmed that: field education with the real scales and real projects remains irreplaceable and is fundamental to the development of engineering judgment.

#NTUA #CivilEngineering #Engineeringgeology #GeotechnicalEngineering #EngineeringEducation #FieldLearning #Geology

Candidates interested in pursuing doctoral studies at the School of Civil Engineering are invited to submit an application, in accordance with the attached Call for Applications.

Applications must be submitted exclusively via email to the following address: ekponisi_diatrivis@civil.ntua.gr, and must be accompanied by the following supporting documents:

1. Completed application form (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site).
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae
3. Copy of High School Diploma
4. Copy of first degree (Diploma) (*),(**)
5.  Copy of the transcript of records of the first degree (*),(**)
6.   Copy of postgraduate diploma (if any) (*),(**)
7.    Copy of the transcript of records of the postgraduate diploma (if any) (*),(**)
8. Copies of foreign language certificates
9. Two letters of recommendation (recent and referring to the preparation of a PhD dissertation)
10. Copy of national ID card or other identification document (e.g., passport).
11. Birth certificate (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site).
12. Certificate of Social Insurance Registration Number (not required for foreign candidates who do not have)
13. Signed consent form for the processing of personal data (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site)
14. Signed consent form for the verification of the authenticity of academic qualifications (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site). (Not required if academic degrees have been issued by the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA)

* Diplomas and transcript of records from Educational Institutions from abroad must bear the seal of the Hague Convention (APOSTILLE) and be accompanied by an official translation.

**In cases where the undergraduate and/or postgraduate degrees were obtained from a foreign institution, official recognition of degree equivalency via DOATAP must be attached (if available). Academic recognition of foreign degrees is subject to the legal framework defined by Law 4957/2022 (Government Gazette A’ 141), as amended by Article 36 of Law 5029/2023.

*** Recent graduates for whom a diploma has not been issued may, instead of item (4), submit the detailed score and a certificate from the supervisor of the Thesis (in the case of graduates of Schools where the preparation of a Thesis is foreseen) that they have completed its preparation and have been successfully examined in it. These graduates are required to submit their final academic qualifications before the Assembly proceeds to accept them as a Thesis and to appoint the Three-Member Advisory Committee.

Note: Applications without all of the above supporting documents, or without Solemn Declarations of Law 1599/1986 that “any documents that have not been submitted will be submitted within a reasonable period of time, which may not exceed 7 days, i.e. until April 7^th“, do not participate in the selection process.

For clarifications, you can contact Ms. M. Palli (tel. 210 772 3459, e-mail: metaptihiako@civil.ntua.gr) or Ms. Aim. Papailiou (tel. 210 772 3451, e-mail: admin@civil.ntua.gr)

A group of 23 ISS members, including Professors Charis Gantes and Pavlos Thanopoulos, visited the Civil Engineering Department of Southeast University in Nanjing, China, to attend the “2025 China–Greece Joint Workshop on Advanced Deployable Structures for Rescue Operations in Extreme Environments”. In the face of natural disasters and extreme environmental conditions, the need for resilient, adaptable, and rapidly deployable engineering solutions has never been greater. Deployable structures – lightweight systems capable of swift assembly, disassembly, and transformation – play a vital role in providing emergency shelters, temporary bridges, and adaptive infrastructure during crises. By combining structural efficiency with mobility, these systems enable effective responses to urgent humanitarian and environmental challenges.

Building upon a foundation of international collaboration, the program contributed towards answering pressing questions: How can deployable systems be designed to withstand the demands of extreme environments? What innovative materials, mechanisms, and design methodologies can make them more reliable, adaptable, and scalable?

Teams of Chinese and Greek students partnered to explore innovative design strategies for rapidly deployable shelters, emergency bridges, and adaptive infrastructure. They proposed innovative deployable structures concepts, integrating architectural, engineering, and disaster management perspectives for holistic solutions. Moreover, they built physical models, thus acquiring hands-on experience, and presented their ideas in a closing event.

A highlight of the workshop was a special lecture day, which brought together eight distinguished international experts, providing a diverse perspective on deployable systems, lightweight structures, advanced materials, and innovative applications for extreme environments. Through these talks, participants gained a deeper understanding of current research directions, practical challenges, and emerging opportunities in the field. On the lecture day Prof. Gantes was awarded the title of Visiting Professor of Southeast University in a prestigious ceremony.

In addition to the workshop activities, several technical visits as well as social and cultural events were organized, strengthening the cooperation and mutual understanding between the two groups. All ISS participants extend their warmest appreciation to Southeast University for organizing and hosting this event, and in particular to Professor Jianguo Cai (https://civil.seu.edu.cn/cjg_en/list.htm) and Dr. Marco Meloni for their warm hospitality.

Candidates interested in pursuing doctoral studies at the School of Civil Engineering are invited to submit an application, in accordance with the attached Call for Applications.

Applications must be submitted exclusively via email to the following address: ekponisi_diatrivis@civil.ntua.gr, and must be accompanied by the following supporting documents:

1.      Completed application form (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site).
2.      Detailed Curriculum Vitae.
3.      Copy of High School Diploma.
4.   Copy of first degree (Diploma)
5.   Copy of the transcript of records of the first degree
6.   Copy of postgraduate diploma (if any)
7.   Copy of the transcript of records of the postgraduate diploma (if any)
8.      Copies of foreign language certificates (if applicable).
9.      Two letters of recommendation.
10.  Copy of national ID card or passport.
11.  Birth certificate (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site).
12. Certificate of Social Insurance Registration Number (if any)
13.  Signed consent form for the processing of personal data (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site).
14.  Signed consent form for the verification of the authenticity of academic qualifications (via gov.gr or other similar official governmental site). (Not required if academic degrees have been issued by the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA)

* Diplomas and transcript of records from Educational Institutions from abroad must bear the seal of the Hague Convention (APOSTILLE)

For clarifications, you can contact Ms. M. Palli (tel. 210 772 3459, e-mail: metaptihiako@civil.ntua.gr)

In the last 33 years, the Geotechnical Division of the School of Civil Engineering at NTUA organizes an international field trip, as part of the Engineering Geology course — an initiative that has now become a cornerstone of our academic tradition.

📍 This year’s highlights:
✔️ 11 days
✔️ 130 fourth-year students
✔️ 21 technical case studies
✔️ 3 countries – 25 cities and villages
✔️ 1 comprehensive educational volume + 1 field guide
✔️ A record-breaking 53 sponsors! 🙌

🔍 Students visited globally significant geotechnical failure sites — such as the Vajont Dam landslide, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Malpasset Dam collapse, and subsidence in Venice and many others. These tragic but enlightening cases provided invaluable lessons on the intersection of geoengineering, geology, design oversight and engineering resilience.

💬 Beyond the classroom:
This trip offers an irreplaceable learning opportunity, transforming theoretical knowledge into lived experience — a critical step in shaping capable and conscious Civil Engineers.

🙏 A heartfelt thank you to our 53 sponsors, many of whom are proud NTUA alumni, for making this journey possible. Your support helped us reach a record level of sponsorship and enabled the participation of an unprecedented number of students.

Special thanks to:

• Assoc. Professor Vasilis Marinos, trip organizer
• PhD Candidate Themistoklis Chatziheodosiou, for his invaluable support
• The incredible student organizing committee and all our fellow students for their cooperation and spirit!

👏 Thanks also to the NTUA and the School of Civil Engineering for their continued support and for providing the educational materials that underpin the trip.

✅ The result?
Smiles, excitement, and inspiration that will stay with us forever.

#NTUA #CivilEngineering #EngineeringGeology #GeotechnicalEngineering #EducationalTrip #FutureEngineers #STEMEducation #FieldLearning #HigherEducation #ProudMoment

Call for expression of interest in Doctoral Studies – Period March 2025

Those interested in doctoral studies of the School of Civil Engineering are invited to apply, according to the attached Invitation

The application must be accompanied by the following supporting documents and submitted exclusively electronically to the address: ekponisi_diatrivis@civil.ntua.gr

1. Completed application
2. Detailed curriculum vitae
3. Copy of high school diploma
4. Copy of first degree (Diploma)*
5. Copy of the transcript of records of the first degree*
6. Copy of postgraduate diploma (if any)*
7. Copy of the transcript of records of the postgraduate diploma (if any)*
8. Copies of foreign language diplomas (if any)
9. Two(2) letters of recommendation
10. Copy of identification card or passport
11. Certificate of birth
12. Certificate of Social Insurance Registration Number (if any)
13. Written consent form regarding personal data
14. Written consent form for verification of authenticity of academic qualifications  (not required in case the degrees have been issued by the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA)

* Diplomas and transcript of records from Educational Institutions from abroad must bear the seal of the Hague Convention (APOSTILLE)

For clarifications, you can contact Ms. M. Palli (tel. 210 772 3459, e-mail: metaptihiako@civil.ntua.gr)

The 7-day educational field trip “Pavlos Marinos” took place from February 3-9, 2025, as part of the 2024-2025 academic year of the Joint Postgraduate Program “Design and Construction of Underground Projects,” in which the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA participates. The title of the trip was “Tunnels and Underground Projects in Greece. Geology – Design – Construction.”

During its 25 years of operation, the program has trained almost the entire personnel involved in the design and construction of underground works, supplying highly skilled professionals to design, consulting offices, technical companies, public authorities and research organizations in Greece and abroad.

As part of the curriculum, training includes the unique 7-day educational field trip offering invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience. The field trip is named “Paul Marinos” in honour of the late Professor Emeritus of NTUA, Pavlos G. Marinos who organised and executed this field trip for almost 20 years. The scientific coordinator and leader of the educational field trip is As. Professor Vasilis P. Marinos of our School of Civil Engineering NTUA and President of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environmennt (IAEG).

This unforgettable field trip is a highly significant complement to the educational cycle of many courses within the postgraduate programme, providing students with real-life experience to underground works under construction and in operation. These firsthand experiences enhance the assimilation of essential knowledge acquired in the classroom.

Postgraduate students are trained directly at tunnel faces and portals of underground works and tunnels under construction in Peloponnese, Central and Northern Greece. They evaluate a wide range of engineering geological conditions in different environments and the corresponding uncertainties affecting underground works design. They apply their skills in real-world conditions, gain invaluable hands-on experience and give daily presentations on various topics.

Within the framework of the field trip, the following activities are carried out:

• Technical visits to major projects under construction (Mpralou Tunnel, Kleisoura Tunnel, underground works at Hellas Gold mines, the lignite mine of Prosiliou, underground and other projects of the Amphilochia pumping-storage system, Metsovitiko DEI projects, Sitara 1 & 2 tunnels, mining excavations, bridges and the northern section of the central road E65), exploration of a multitude of excavation methods, cross-sectional analyses, temporary support measures and the geotechnical challenges and solutions associated with them.
• A series of on-site classes and field exercises in the natural geoenvironment (~12-15 exercises) (e.g., quantitative characterization, rock mass classifications, preparation of engineering geological sections, simple calculations for estimating settlements and support measures, assessment of failure mechanisms, etc.). The range of geotechnical conditions across different geoenvironments and the associated uncertainties in the design of underground works are analyzed.
• Visits and the gathering of experiences from major underground works in our country, both under construction and in operation (Knimida, Kallidromo, Tempi, Platamon and Egnatia Highway tunnels).
• Students are divided into groups according to the technical aspects of the field trip and present each evening on the underground works they visited the previous day.

For the educational purposes of the field trip, specialized volumes are prepared and distributed to students, containing excerpts from studies, reports and published papers related to the projects being visited.

We would like to thank the companies TERNA S.A., AKTOR S.A., AVAX S.A., Hellas Gold S.A., Aegean Motorways, METE S.A., and OLYMPIA ODOS S.A. for the opportunity to visit their projects, as well as for their significant sponsorships.

Special mention and thanks for their significant help in organizing the field trip are due to the PhD Candidates from the Geotechnical Division, Themistoklis Chatzitheodosiou and Dimitris Pepas.

The scientific coordinator and leader of the educational field trip is As. Professor Vasilis P. Marinos of the School of Civil Engineering NTUA and President of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG). The trip was accompanied by Dr. Vivy Yiouta Mitra, from the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering.

Thank you banner of 7-day field trip(“Paul Marinos” field trip) for the MSc in Tunnelling Engineering of NTUA for the academic year 2024-2025

New Year Event at the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering, January 2025

The New Year Event of the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering took place with great success on Tuesday, January 28^th, 2025, with the participation of more than 80 members of the Department and the School of Civil Engineering.

During the event, the Vice Rector of Finance, Infrastructure and Development, Nikolaos Lagaros and the Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Eleni Vlachogianni addressed the event and the Director of the DTPE, George Yannis presented the 2024 Annual Report of the educational, research and scientific work of the Department.

Presentation

The Internship aims to strengthen, expand and upgrade the quality of the education of the students of the School of Civil Engineering of the NTUA. It takes place in public and private organizations and companies, dealing with activities that are within the profession of Civil Engineering. In this way, the Internship contributes to a more substantial connection of studies with the market, an element of particular importance for developing future Civil Engineers.

Specifically, the internship helps:

• To consolidate the students’ theoretical knowledge through the application in practice.
• Familiarizing the students with the reality of work and the working environment.
• Recognizing and promoting of the students’ skills
• Promoting a spirit of creative collaboration and teamwork with other disciplines that coexist in the workplace.
• To expand the fields of employment.
• To create a stable and two-way cooperation between the University and the market.
• In shaping professional ethics in students and the professionals of the future
• Enriching the subjects of dissertations.

The Internship is a 9^th semester course, that is implemented in the 10th semester during the months from May to October. The duration of the Internship is 2 months.