Constantine Carathéodory
Constantine Carathéodory (1873 - 1950) was a Greek mathematician with pioneering contributions to the theory of functions of a real variable, the calculus of variations, measure theory, and thermodynamics. His work also includes important results in theory of boundary correspondence and conformal representations.
(Carathéodory museum, in Greek)
Department History
The University of the Aegean embodies the concept of a 'university network', i.e. a network of academic schools and departments dispersed over six islands of the Aegean Archipelago: Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Syros, and Lemnos. The University is the continuity of the famous mathematician Constantine Carathéodory's vision for the establishment of an Academic Centre in insular Greece. The challenge of academic and administrative decentralization has resulted in new approaches in academic practice, and has enhanced the sense of cooperation within the Aegean academic community.
The early years
Having just signed the Peace Treaty of Moudros (17/30 October 1918), Greece was assigned control of the Smyrna area, responsible for maintaining stability and peace in the wider region. Within this context, Constantine Carathéodory - Professor at the University of Berlin at the time - proposed the establishment of a new University. While Greece was negotiating the normalisation of its authority over the Smyrna zone, the Carathéodory elaborated on a proposal for creating a new University in Greece, that was to be named Ionian University on the 20th of October 1919.
Birth of a new University
Carathéodory argued that Athens, being the only educational centre in the area at the time, could not adequately deal with the growing needs of the eastern part of the country. He alternatively proposed three possible administration centres for the new university, namely Smyrna, Thessaloniki, and Chios. The Government decided upon establishing the Ionian University in Smyrna, Asia Minor on 1 December 1920 (in today's city of Ismir, Turkey), and Carathéodory undertook the task of coordinating the initial efforts.
The first plans included the establishment of Academic Schools which would promote the development of the area as a key spot for the overseas Hellenism. When it was almost in operational state, the University was already considered by peers as of equally high standards as other well-known European Universities. Unfortunately, the Ionian University never opened its doors to students due to the Asia Minor Disaster in 1922.
The University of the Aegean
The University of the Aegean (UoA) is the continuity of Constantine Carathéodory's initial vision. Re-established in 1984, it is one of the newest Universities in Greece, housing more than 15 Academic Departments. The central administration of the University is located in Mytilene Lesvos, while various Departments have been established in Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Syros, and Lemnos. Being dispersed over various islands, UoA constitutes a university-network covering all prefectures of the Aegean archipelago.
The University of the Aegean is develops new inter-disciplinary scientific domains, which adhere both to the needs of the Greek and global community, as well as to students' requirements for high-quality studies combined with excellent career prospects.
The Department of Marine Sciences
The Department of Marine Sciences (DMS) was established in 1997 in the city of Mytilini as part of the School of Environmental Sciences. Situated at the eastern part of the Aegean arhipelago, DMS is the only university Department in Greece that offers Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. degrees on Oceanography and Marine Science.
Today, DMS stands at the forefront of Greek marine research through observation, theory, modelling and technological innovation, as well as international collaborations with leading marine research institutes.