Members of the Programme

Senior Researchers

Efthymios Nicolaidis (Director of research, NHRF, director of the HPDST team).
Constantine Skordoulis (Professor Dpt of Education, University of Athens, HPDST senior collaborator)
George Vlahakis (PhD history of science, researcher HPDST)
Yannis Karas (Honorary director of Research, honorary associate researcher HPDST)
Dimitrios Chassapis (Assistant Professor Dpt of Education, University of Athens, HPDST senior collaborator)

Junior researchers

Stefanos Assimopoulos (Physicist, PhD, associate researcher HPDST)
Anthimos Chalkidis (Physicist, PhD in ICTs use in Education-Virtual Reality, associate researcher HPDST).
Maria Drakopoulou (Primary School teacher, PhD science education, associate researcher HPDST)
Catherine Karela (PhD history of science, associate researcher HPDST)
Ioannis Parkosidis (PhD in Educational Technology, associate researcher HPDST).
Ploutarchos Psomiadis (Physicist, PhD science teaching, associate researcher HPDST)
Ioanna Stavrou (Primary School teacher, PhD communicating science, associate researcher HPDST)
Constantine Tabakis (Physicist, Master of Science, PhD in history of Science, associate researcher HPDST)
Maria Terdimou (PhD history of science, associate researcher HPDST)

Scientific - Technical staff

Maria Darmou (Master in communication and management, scientific collaborator HPDST)
Yannis Bitsakis (Master of Physics, Master of history of science, scientific collaborator HPDST)
Nikos Matsopoulos (Master in science, master in communicating science, scientific collaborator HPDST)

PhD students

Mandrikas Achileas (Primary School teacher, PhD student)
Aristotelis Gkiolmas (Master of Physics, PhD student).
Dimitris Mantzouridis (Physics' teacher, Secondary education, PhD student)
Loukia Prinou (Biologist, PhD student)
Grigoris Spyliopoulos (Mathematician, PhD Student}
Artemisia Stoumpa (Informatics High School teacher, PhD student)
Athanasios Velentzas (Physics' teacher, Secondary education, PhD student)
Takis Lazos (Physics' teacher, Secondary education, PhD student)

Aims of the programme

The Programme of History, Philosophy and Didactics of Science and Technology (HPDST) originates from two initially complementary teams, the History and Philosophy of S&T Team and this for the Didactics of Science. The merge was brought through the acknowledgment that there is a strong need for science to be reestablished in society and engage its stakeholders.

In history and philosophy of science and technology, the Programme specializes in the study of the spreading of science from advanced scientific and technological regions to regions under scientific and technological development and also to the study of Greek language science from late antiquity until today.
In didactics of science, the Programme, based on the experience brought by history and philosophy of science and technology explores new ways of science teaching and communicating science with the public.

More specifically, in history and philosophy of science the HPDST aims to:

a) Exploring the channels through which European scientific thought concerning the natural and applied sciences passed into Greek (and Balkan) scholarly circles, the degree of penetration of such thought, the degree to which new knowledge was assimilated among such circles, the degree to which these currents of thought were accepted by society at large, and the extent to which these trends found technical application.
b) Examining the influences, diachronically, of Ancient Greece and Byzantium and, synchronically, of contemporary Europe on the formation of Modern Greek scientific thought.
c) Identifying the new type and identity of scientific thought created by contact with European science and reactions thereto (16th-20th c.).
d) Examining the role played by the Greek communities in the regions controlled by the Ottoman Empire regarding the dissemination of the European scientific and technological knowledge and the influence of this dissemination on all levels of the local societies..
f) Studying the influence of Greek language science on Eastern European countries, (for instance the influence of Byzantine scientific tradition on Russia).
g) Studying the technological and scientific modernisation of the independent Greek state as an example of European integration through science and technology.
Emphasis is placed on gathering and recording scientific and technological data, such as building up a database of scientific archives and a database and a virtual Museum of scientific instruments. The HPDST is developing science exhibitions and has developed the new Museum of Astronomy and Earth Science with which it has established a strategic partnership. The HPDST has also developed twinning with the Education Department of the University of Athens.

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