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/Joint Summer School between the University of Western Macedonia and Columbia University

🌍⚡ Excited to announce the launch of the joint Summer School between the University of Western Macedonia and Columbia University, in collaboration with Columbia Global Center Athens titled “The Evolving Climate and Energy Landscape in Greece”, taking place in Kozani, Western Macedonia, on 18–22 May 2026.
This collaboration represents far more than an academic initiative. It is a meaningful international bridge between a region experiencing one of Europe’s most complex energy transitions and one of the world’s leading universities 🌐
For the University of Western Macedonia, this partnership carries special importance:
🔹 Strengthening the internationalization strategy of our University
🔹 Positioning Western Macedonia as a living laboratory of Just Transition and regional transformation
🔹 Creating new pathways for knowledge exchange, joint research, and academic cooperation
🔹 Connecting local realities with global scientific dialogue and innovation
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At a time when Western Macedonia is redefining its future beyond lignite, welcoming students and academics from Columbia University to the heart of Greece’s transition region is both symbolic and strategic. Through lectures, field visits, and interdisciplinary collaboration, participants will engage directly with the technical, social, environmental, and governance dimensions of the energy transition.
The programme combines engineering, sustainability, policy, innovation, and place-based perspectives, while highlighting the evolving role of our region within the broader European and global energy landscape 🌱⚙️🏛️
A sincere thank you to all resarch associates at Energy Transition & Development Transformation Laboratory – ENTRA Lab, collegues, academic staff, institutional partners, and contributors from both universities who worked intensively to make this initiative possible 🤝
Western Macedonia is not only observing the energy transition.
It is actively shaping the international dialogue around it 🌍
📍 Kozani | May 2026
📚 Field visits • Lectures • Interactive projects • International collaboration
🚍 From coal regions to future energy systems

School agenda can be found here: Agenda