Welcoming Speech
DIMITRIS AVRAMOPOULOS, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship
Speakers
NIKOLAOS TOSKAS, Alternate Minister of Interior and Citizen Protection
Mr. Toskas was born in Athens on February 22, 1952. He is married and he has a son and a daughter. He speaks English fluently. Mr. Toskas participated in a resistance group during the dictatorship in Greece.
He graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy (1975), the War School (1991), and the National Defense School (1999). During his professional career, he has taught Military Tactics at the War School. For more than thirty (30) years he has served in military armored units in the regions of Evros, Macedonia, and the Aegean. He has also served in the Hellenic Army General Staff and in the National Defense General Staff at operational, intelligence, and defense planning.
In addition, he has graduated from the United States Army Armor School, while, also, he has served with the NATO’s International Military Staff (Brussels), being in charge of defense planning areas. He has served at the NATO Headquarters in Naples / Italy and in Sarajevo / Bosnia with the official task of intelligence evaluation regarding the Balkans, the Central Asia and the Middle East. He has served, as well, as Staff Office Director to the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, being responsible for the coordination of the Staff’s main activities, while he has been the commander of the 25th Armoured Brigade in Xanthi. Mr. Toskas has retired from military service since March 2005, having the rank of Major General.
Since 2006, he has worked with the defense sector of PASOK political party and since 2008 with ISTAME (Strategic and Development Studies Institute) as a member of the Scientific Committee on defense issues, while, since November 2009, he has served as Director of the Political Office of the Deputy Minister of Defense being responsible for military issues and resigned in June 2011.
From October 2011 till January 2015, when he was elected MP, he used to teach the lesson of ‘Military Strategy” at the Hellenic Military Academy, while, at the same time, he has been a member and coordinator of “PRATTO” Political Movement.
On January 25, 2015, he was elected MP with the “SYRIZA” political party. On January 27, 2015, he assumed the office of Deputy Minister of National Defense. On September 20, 2015, he was reelected MP with “SYRIZA” and on September 23, 2015, he was nominated Alternate Minister of Interior.
GENERAL MIKHAIL KOSTARAKOS, Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC)
General Mikhail Kostarakos was born in Thessaloniki in 1956. He graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy in 1978 as 2nd Lieutenant in the Artillery and commanded combat units of both Field and Air Defense Artillery (HAWK Missile system). As general Officer he commanded the Brigade level Command at CHIOS island, a Mechanized Infantry Division and the C’ Army Corps and NATO Deployable Corps Greece. He was assigned as Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff from 2011 to 2015.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council appointed him as the Chairman of the Military Committee effective from 06 November 2015.
He holds a Political Science degree from the Law Faculty of the University of Athens and a MsC in “Diplomatic and Strategic Studies”. He speaks both English and French. General Mikhail Kostarakos is married and has two daughters.
PIA STJERNVALL, Finnish Ambassador for Kosovo & Former Head of Mission of EUPOL Afghanistan (European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan)
Pia Stjernvall is the Finnish Ambassador for Kosovo. Earlier she worked as Ambassador for Civilian Crisis Management at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of MFA Finland. Prior to this post she was the Head of Mission EUPOL in Afghanistan after working as the Special Representative for International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) at MfFA Finland. Stjernvall has extensive experience in in Afghanistan and Africa in particular. She has worked, for ex-ample, as Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Finland in Kabul, as Finland’s Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in Nairobi, Kenya, and in the Embassies of Finland in Kenya and Hungary. She has a long experience working in conflict affected areas and she was essential for starting Finland’s twinning cooperation with Afghanistan on the UNSC 1325 resolution.
OVIDIU SIMINA, Training Manager at European Security and Defence College
Training manager within the European Security and Defence College (Brussels), where he acts as the front desk fort the ESDC flagship training “CSDP High Level Course” and organises the ESDC’s annual conferences, Mr Ovidiu SIMINA is seconded by the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he has been working since his graduation from the Police Academy in 1998. Between 2011 and 2015, Mr. Simina has been strategic planner in the General Directorate for Operational Management of the ministry, planning and coordinating from strategic point of view the deployment of MAI forces to missions and operations under EU, NATO, UN or OSCE. Before, he spent two years in Tokyo as home affairs attaché (police liaison officer) at the Romanian Embassy to Japan, acting as well as migration liaison officer in the framework of Regulation (EC) No.337/2004. His previous experiences are immigration and border police officer at the borders with Serbia and Hungary, legal adviser with the Legal Department of the ministry and personal adviser to the Secretary of State for liaison with the Parliament and European Affairs. Mr. Simina is Law graduate (Law Faculty, Police Academy, Bucharest), MA in High European Studies (School of High Comparative European Studies – SISEC, West University of Timisoara) and holds a PhD in Economics (West University of Timisoara). He is alumnus of the Romanian National College for Home Affairs (Strategic Management of Home Affairs, 2009) and has attended the 7th CSDP High Level Course 2011-2012 ‘Konrad Adenauer’ of the European Security and Defence College, the CEPOL course Senior Police Officer Planning and Command Course for Crisis Management (CEOPOL 52/2013) and the Higher Command Crisis Respond Operations Course (2015) of the Centre of Excellence on Crisis Management and Disaster Response (CMDR COE), Sofia. He holds the police rank of Chief Superintendent [OF-5]. Mr Simina has co-founded in 2006 the Timisoara Centre for Migration and Mobility Studies (SISEC) of the West University of Timisoara, Romania.
Colonel Richard COLEMAN, French Defence Attaché, Embassy of France in Greece
Born in Amsterdam, 1960, July the 25th. Joins the army in 1981, Cavalry. Attends the Saumur officers courses in 1986. First part of his career in battle tanks & RECCE units, in cavalry and Legion Etrangere regiments. Graduated in political sciences (IEP, Paris) and BA, English. His career takes an International orientation, as he is appointed as a staff officer, in charge of German French political-military relations & others European questions. Served at the national defense general staff before being assigned as Defense attaché in the French Embassy in Vienna (2003 2006). He then joined the Land Force Command as Plan section leader (G5) before being assigned in Berlin, as a coordination officer in charge of the European Union policy questions (Africa and Middle East). Back in National Defense General Staff in 2011, second in command of the bilateral bureau North. In 2012, appointed as chief of Armaments limitation bureau, follows up OSCE questions and Disarmament Conference in Geneva. Operational experiences in Africa (RCA, Chad, 1990), Middle East (Irak, 1992), Yougoslavia (South Krajina, 1993). Lately, he took part in a special observation mission in Ukraine (2014). Graduated of High military education of France (CID) and Germany (Fuhrungsakademie). Military training periods in the USA, the UK and Germany. Awarded with various national and foreign medals. Languages: English (bilingual), fluent in German, beginner in modern Greek. Married with Anne in 1984, father of 5 children.
GEORGE TSOGKAS, Rear Admiral (retd) Former NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center Commandant
Born in September 1964, Captain George Tsogkas joined the Hellenic Navy in 1982 and graduated from the Hellenic Naval Academy in 1986.
A surface warfare officer, Captain Tsogkas served as bridge watckeeper, communications officer, principal warfare officer, operations officer prior to assuming his XO tour on HS LEMNOS. In 1999 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and assumed his first command on the fast patrol boat HS TROUPAKIS (P-23). On completion his CO tour, he held several appointments as staff operations officer of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, SAWWO to CSNFM, Head of Comms Division of CINCHELFLEET, Staff officer of the OPS center and then Deputy Director of the transformation Directorate of the HNDGS. Captain George Tsogkas H.N. has attended the Naval Staff Officers’ Course in Athens in 1997 and the Supreme Joint War College in Thessaloniki in 2004. From 2006 to 2008 he was appointed as staff officer of the Hellenic Military Representative of the Military Committee at NATO HQ in Brussels. He was promoted to Commander in 2002 and assumed command of HS KOUNTOURIOTIS (F-462) on 25th August 2008 till 17th January 2010.
He was promoted to Captain in 2010 and from July 2010 till July 2011 was appointed as Director of Communication and Information Directorate of the Hellenic Navy General Staff and from 2011 to 2012 as deputy Director of naval training of the Hellenic Naval Academy. From 2012 to 2014 appointed as Deputy Hellenic Military Representative of the Military Committee at NATO HQ in Brussels, and from 2014 to 2015 Chief of the NATO section of the Defence Policy Directorate of the Hellenic Defence General Staff.
He was promoted to Commodore on 22 October 2015 and appointed as Director of Studies at the Hellenic Supreme Joint War College. On 8th March 2016 he was appointed as Commandant to Nato Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC), for 2 years. During this period NMIOTC designated by NATO/ESC division to be the leading organization for the “Biometrics In Support Of Naval Operations To Fight Piracy And Terrorism Project”. On 5th March 2018 he was promoted to Rear Admiral and he retired from active duty.
He is Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey USA, graduate with Master’s degree on Information Technology Management. He also holds diploma from NATO Defence College, ancient course 116. He is married to Mrs Emilie Wacker and they have two sons and a daughter.
Dr. Leandros MAGLARAS, Head of National Cyber Security Authority of Greece, General Secretariat of Digital Policy, Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media
Dr. Leandros Maglaras received B.Sc. degree in Electrical and Computer Enginering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1998, M.Sc. in Industrial Production and Management from University of Thessaly in 2004, M.Sc. and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Thessaly in 2008 and 2014 respectively and 2nd PhD in Industrial Network Security from Huddersfield University in 2018. He has participated in various research programs investigating vehicular and ICT technologies (C4C-project.eu, reduction-project.eu), sustainable development (islepact.eu, Smilegov), cyber security (cockpitci.eu, fastpass-project.eu) and optimization and prediction of the dielectric behavior of air gaps. He is currently head of the National Cybersecurity Authority of Greece and guest professor at De Montfort University in the UK He is the author of more than 80 articles in scientific journals and conferences and is a senior member of the IEEE.
PROF. SVEN BISCOP, Professor at Ghent University, Director of the Europe in the World programme at the Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels
Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop obtained his PhD at Ghent University, where today he is a Professor, teaching strategy and Belgian and EU foreign policy. In addition, he is the Director of the Europe in the World Programme at the Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels. In 2015, on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). He is a regular speaker at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels and at various staff colleges in Europe and America, as well as at the People’s University of China in Beijing, where he is a Senior Research Associate. He further serves as a Senior Research Fellow of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy and of the Baltic Defence College. He chairs the jury of the annual Global Strategy PhD Prize, awarded by Egmont, the ESDC, and the EU Institute for Security Studies. In 2017 he was awarded the order of merit of the Republic of Austria (Grosses Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste). Sven lives in Brussels with his husband Aberu, amidst a great many books, military paraphernalia, and chinoiseries. Unfortunately they travel too often to keep a cat.
MARTIN BALDWIN-EDWARDS, Visiting Senior Fellow at Middlesex University of London, External Expert of ICMPD Vienna & Former Director of Mediterranean Migration Observatory at Panteion University
Martin Baldwin-Edwards studied at the University of Manchester (where he was appointed Assistant Professor in 1993), the University of Athens and the University of Amsterdam. He has taught and researched in several UK universities, the European University Institute, Italy and Panteion University, Athens. His latest research is on the 2015 Mediterranean “migration crisis”, with a UK government ESRC grant for research in Greece and Italy. Publication of the research is forthcoming in a Special Issue of the Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies (edited by Baldwin-Edwards, Blitz and Crawley) with a personally-authored chapter on Libya and an Introduction addressing the EU’s deficit in evidence-based migration policy making. Older publications include Migration in the Southern Balkans (ed. with Vermeulen and Boeschoten: Springer 2015), Regularisations in Europe (ed. with Kraler: Amsterdam UP/European Commission 2009), Immigrants and the Informal Economy in Southern Europe (ed. with Arango: Routledge 1999) and The Politics of Immigration in Western Europe (ed. with Schain: Routledge 1994). He is also the author of 51 journal articles or book chapters and four monographs.
Over the lifetime of the Mediterranean Migration Observatory (1999-2014), Mr Baldwin-Edwards authored or directed expert studies for numerous international agencies (UNFPA, OECD, UNDP, ECRE, IOM, GCIM), for governments (Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Germany) and for leading research institutions (LSE Kuwait Programme; Free University of Amsterdam; Migration Policy Institute, USA; ISTAME, Greece; East-West Institute, Brussels). Since 2007, he has served as Senior Researcher for ICMPD, Vienna in a number of projects – most recently as one of two Experts advising the Interior Ministry, Turkey. He is currently also an Expert working for the European Commission – DG Migration and Home Affairs, and the Research Executive Agency.
AMY CARLON, Political Counselor of the U.S. Embassy Athens
Amy Carlon joined the U.S. State Department in 1999 and has worked in Asia, Europe, and Washington, D.C. to advance U.S. foreign policy interests. Amy began her current assignment as the Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in August 2016. Her previous overseas assignments include Jakarta, Indonesia; the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria; and Moscow, Russia. In Washington, Amy worked in the European Affairs Bureau on the Germany desk and in the NATO and OSCE office on regional political-military issues, in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on the East Asia and Pacific region, and in the Director General’s Office of Policy Coordination. Amy holds a BBA from the University of Oklahoma and a MPP from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
CHARALAMPOS PAPASOTIRIOU, Professor at Panteion University, Department of the International, European and Regional Studies, President & Director of the Institute of International Relations
Mr. Harry Papasotiriou is Professor of International Relations at Panteion University. He is, also, President of the University’s Master Programme on International & European Studies, as well as President & Director of the Institute of International Relations in Athens, Greece. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford and got an MA and a Ph.D. (1992) from Stanford’s Political Science Department. He is co-author of America Since 1945: The American Moment (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, second edition 2010) and has published several books and articles concerning the Balkans since the end of the Cold War, the War of Greek Independence, the Byzantine grand strategy, the American politics and foreign policy, as well as the role of the Diaspora in Greek foreign policy and international politics in the twenty-first century. In addition, Mr. Papasotiriou serves, also, as the Director of the Company of Social and Economic studies, participates at the Scientific Board of the Institute of Defence Analysis, is a scientific partner of the Institute of Democracy Konstantinos Karamanlis and partner of the National Defence School.
MARILENA KOPPA, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Department of European, International and Area Studies of Panteion University, former Member of the European Parliament, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
She is an Athens Law school graduate. She gained her Ph.D on Comparative Politics at Paris–X Nanterre University (1991). For years she worked as a special adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issues pertaining to European integration and enlargement. She has been a member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2014. She was the Coordinator of the S&D Group at the Subcommittee on Security and Defense and also Vice-chairperson of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She has been a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a substitute member of the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Human Rights. She was the rapporteur of the European Parliament “On the implementation of the CSDP based on the Annual Report from the Council to the EU on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (2013/2105 INI). She has published three books on South-eastern Europe: “A Fragile Democracy: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia between the past and the future” (Papazisis, Athens, 1994), «The minorities in the post-communist Balkans” (Nea Synora-Livanis, Athens, 1997), «The creation of states in the Balkans» (Nea Synora-Livanis, Athens, 1997). Her last book was on the Common Security and Defense Policy, “CSDP: the history, the institutions, the strategies” (Patakis, Athens, 2017).
Sotiris LIVAS, Associate Professor in International Relations, Ionian University
Dr. Sotirios Livas is Assistant Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting at the Ionian University. He holds a BA in Law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1989), an MA in International Development Law and Development Studies from Panteion University (1997) and a PhD in Law and International Relations from the Ionian University (2003). He has extensive legal experience, since he practices law since 1992, specializing in administrative as well as civil law and ADR. In addition, he has an outstanding academic profile and varied teaching experience having taught, among others, International Law, International Relations, and International Relations in the Middle East, Spanish Legal Terminology to undergraduate students and French and English Terminology of EU Texts and International Relations to postgraduate students. He is currently in charge of the Placements and Internships Scheme and he was head of the Spanish section of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting. He is a member of the “Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations” and the “Mobilities Research Institute”, while he participates in the Eurolect Observatory research project. He has published articles in international journals and edited volumes; he is the author of the monograph Globalization, Nationalism and Islam and the editor of the Greek-Spanish and Spanish-Greek Dictionary of Legal Terms.
ATHANASIOS DAGOUMAS, Assistant Professor at the University of Piraeus, Department International and European Studies
Dr. Athanasios Dagoumas is an Assistant Professor in Energy and Resource Economics and Director of the Energy & Environmental Policy laboratory at the University of Piraeus. He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, where he elaborated his PhD in Energy Economics. He is Member of the Board of the Cambridge Trust for New Thinking in Economics. He has more than 15 years of work and research experience in energy related issues, including working as a Senior Researcher at the University of Cambridge and as a Senior Energy Analyst at the Transmission System Operator and at the Electricity Market Operator in Greece. Moreover he was enrolled as a Special Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change in Greece. His extensive experience builds his capacity for an in-depth understanding of multidisciplinary aspects of the energy sector: economic, engineering, environmental and policy. He is keen on developing models for the energy system, the economic-energy-environment (E3) systems and the real energy markets.
ANDREW LIAROPOULOS, Assistant Professor at the University of Piraeus, Department International and European Studies
Dr. Andrew N. Liaropoulos is Assistant Professor in University of Piraeus, Department of International and European Studies, Greece. He also teaches in the Joint Staff War College, the Joint Military Intelligence College, the National Security College, the Air Staff Command College and the Naval Staff Command College. He earned his Master’s Degree in Intelligence and Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University and his Doctorate Diploma at Swansea University. His research interests include international security, intelligence reform, strategy, military transformation, foreign policy analysis, cyber security and Greek security policy. Dr. Liaropoulos is also a senior analyst in the Research Institute for European and American Studies as well as in Wikistrat Crowdsourced Consulting and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Information Warfare (JIW).
IOANNIS L. KONSTANTOPOULOS, Assistant Professorat the University of Piraeus, Department International and European Studies
Ioannis L. Konstantopoulos is Assistant Professor of International Relations & Economic Diplomacy at the Department of International and European Studies, School of Economics, Business & International Studies, University of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece.
Moreover, he lectures in the Joint Intelligence School of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Hellenic Air Staff and Command College and the National Security School of the Hellenic Police Academy.
He is a senior analyst in the Laboratory of Intelligence & Cybersecurity of the Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus, and in the Research Institute for European and American Studies (R.I.E.A.S.). Also, he is a member of the Greek Politics Specialist Group of Political Studies Association, U.K. and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Mediterranean and Balkan Intelligence (JMBI).
KLEANTHIS KYRIAKIDIS, Political Analyst (PhDc, MA, MS, MPA Harvard Kennedy School)
Kleanthis Kyriakidis is a Political Analyst and author. He holds three Masters’ Degrees, two from NPS (MS in Physical Oceanography and MA in Middle East Studies with Distinction) and a Masters in Public Administration obtained at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he was presented with the Lucius Littauer Award. His PhD to be defended this June is on Political Islam. He has published seven history and political science books, co-authored another six and more than 250 articles dealing with a wide scope of diverse contemporary issues mainly in American and Greek journals. He has taught to various Institutions, was a guest lecturer to Universities and Institutions around the Globe and has participated in 50 international conferences.
He has been a Senior Editor for the Harvard Kennedy School Review and is a member of the executive board of the Academy for Strategic Analyses. He is a member of the Scientific Board of Strategy International Institute and of the GEOPOL Institute. He is also a member of the European Consortium for Political Research, the International Political Science Association, the International Public Policy Association, the Hellenic Society of International Law & International Relations and the American Academy of Political Science.
Dr NIKOLAOS LAMPAS, Adjunct Lecturer of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Piraeus
Dr Nikolaos Lampas is an Adjunct Lecturer of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Piraeus, Greece. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Hellenic Military Academy and other military academies in Greece. He received his PhD from the University of Reading in 2016 where he studied under Professor Colin Gray. His research interests include, American Foreign Policy, the nexus between Terrorism and Migration, Elite Perceptions, Radicalization, and the Middle East. He has published articles in international peer-reviewed journals. His first book on the perception of U.S policy-makers regarding the threat of “Rogue States” will be published in Greek by Poiotita Publications in spring 2018. He is currently working on a new project regarding the causes of negatives attitudes of European societies regarding the threat of refugee flows.