ACG 150

Paraskevi Papadopoulou, PhD

Professor, Biophysicist, Cell Biologist, Biomedical Sciences & Environmental Studies Programs, Department of Science and Mathematics | Deree-ACG

CONTACT INFO

+30 210 6009800 ext 1589

EDUCATION

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
PhD, Biology
1986 – 1993

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
BSc, Biology
1985

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
BSc, Biology
1979 – 1983

 

Research Area: Biomedical Science

Dr. Paraskevi Papadopoulou’s research interests focus on:

  • Structural and self-assembly of fibrous proteins of complex, physiologically important, biological tissues such as fish and insect chorion (eggshell) for the elucidation of the principles governing protein structure, function and interactions.
  • Use of TEM and SEM electron microscopy, freeze-fracturing and freeze-etching to visualize the fibrillar arrangement of chorion proteins in fish and insects and discern their architecture at molecular level.
  • Use of Biophysics methods such as laser-Raman, IR Spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and X-ray diffraction, for the elucidation of the principles governing protein structure, 3D folding, interactions and function.
  • Biochemical analysis of the chorion constituent proteins (PAGE electrophoresis).
  • Application of computer programs and use of algorithms, sequence alignment, periodicities and biological databases for the analysis of protein sequences and prediction of their secondary and tertiary structures.
  • Research on neurodegenerative diseases, genetic diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and cancer.
  • Environmental health issues, impact of climate change on public health, sustainability and research on green roofs.
  • Innovative ways of teaching and learning in Higher Education, in STEM and Medical Education, SDGs for STEM education.
  • Use of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Sciences.
  • Digital health, personalized medicine, and healthcare.
  • Global Burden of Disease Network (GBD) studies as a Senior Collaborator.

Biography

Dr. Paraskevi Papadopoulou is Professor of Biology for the Biomedical Sciences & Environmental Studies Programs. She has served as the Biomedical Science Research (BMSR) Team Leader @ Research, Technology, & Innovation Network (RTIN) (Sep. 2021-Aug. 2024).  She has served as Head, Department of Science and Mathematics and Director, Biomedical Sciences Program at Deree-The American College of Greece (2020-2023). She has coordinated the development of the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program at Deree-ACG (2017-2019) and has served as the Program Coordinator of the BMS program (2020). She has served as Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Mathematics at Deree-ACG (2008-2014). She made a significant contribution to the development of the Environmental Studies program and the Information Technology (IT) program at Deree-ACG (2010-12).

Her research work has been reflected in over 60 scientific articles, papers, and book chapters, as well as in 3 books. She has served as book editor and as manuscript reviewer in several high-impact journals. She serves as Associate Editor in Frontiers in Digital Health (Personalized Medicine) and as Frontiers Topic Editor in Frontiers in Digital Health (Ethical Digital Health). She also serves as a Review Editor and Reviewer in high-impact journals. She is a GBD Senior Collaborator for the Global Burden of Disease network. She teaches Introduction to Biology, Human Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, and co-teaches the Research Methods courses for the Environmental Studies and Biomedical Sciences programs.

2024: Applied and was selected to attend the BioMed-AI Summer School https://biomedai-summerschool.gr/, BioMed-AI International Initiative under the auspices of the Academy of Athens on “Biomedicine & Bioethics supporting responsible innovation in the era of Big Data & AI, 2nd edition”, Portuguese National Library, Lisbon, 11-13th September. Received a Certificate of Professional Education.

2023: Applied and was selected to attend the BioMed-AI Summer School https://biomedai-summerschool.gr/, BioMed-AI International Initiative under the auspices of the Academy of Athens on “Biomedicine & Bioethics supporting responsible innovation in the era of Big Data & AI,” Athens, 12-16 June 2023. Received a Certificate of Professional Education.

2022: Registered for the Graduate course and received a Certificate of Professional Education from ACG Professional Education and the Hellenic Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine (EL.E.F.I.) in ‘Leadership in Patient Safety Journey: Active Pharmacovigilance & Pharmacoepidemiology,’ October 24 – December 12, 2022. Funded by Deree-ACG.

2022: Registered for the Graduate course and received a Certificate of Professional Education from ACG Professional Education and the Hellenic Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine (EL.E.F.I.)  in ‘Leadership in Clinical Research: Striving for Ethics & Excellence,’ October 25 – December 13, 2022. Funded by Deree-ACG.

2022-present: Selected to serve as member of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Collaborator Network

2022-present: Appointed to serve as member of the Deree-ACG Health Sciences Research and Education Advisory Board’ (Chaired by Dr. T. Theoharides, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD)

2021: Registered for the Graduate course and received a Certificate of Professional Education from Tufts Center for the ‘Study of Drug Development – ACG Professional Certificate in Clinical Pharmacology, Drug Development and Regulation,’ 11 March – 24 March 2021. Funded by Deree-ACG.


ORCID ID

Google Scholar

Researchgate

Loop.frontiersin

Publications

Journal Papers – Select articles

[1] Papadopoulou, P.; Polissidis, A.; Kythreoti, G.; Sagnou, M.; Stefanatou, A.; Theoharides, T.C. Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Polyphenols Derived from the European Olive Tree, Olea europaea L., in Long COVID and Other Conditions Involving Cognitive Impairment. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 11040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252011040

[2] GBD 2021 Tobacco Forecasting Collaborators (2024). Forecasting the effects of smoking prevalence scenarios on years of life lost and life expectancy from 2022 to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021Lancet Public Health. 2024;9(10):e729-e744. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00166-X  P. Papadopoulou listed as one of its co-authors under (GBD 2021 Tobacco Forecasting Collaborators

[3] GBD 2021 Stroke Risk Factor Collaborators (2024). Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Neurology, Volume 23, Issue 10, 973 – 1003 P. Papadopoulou listed as one of its co-authors under (GBD 2021 Stroke Risk Factor Collaborators).

[4] Papadopoulou, P. & Lytras, M. (2023). Advancing precision medicine in medical education: Integrated, precise and data-driven smart solutions. Res. e202200131. https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.202200131

[5] Papadopoulou, P., Marouli, C. & Misseyanni, A. (2020). Sustaining Healthcare: Bridging Education with Biomedical and Healthcare Challenges. European Journal of Sustainable Development9(2), 211

[6] Papadopoulou, P., Galanopoulos, V. K. & Hamodrakas, S. J. (1996) Molecular and supramolecular architecture of the Salmo gairdneri proteinaceous eggshell during development Struct. Biology, 116:399-412

[7] Mensah, G. A., Fuster, V., Murray, C. J. L., Roth, G. A., & Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks Collaborators (2023). Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks, 1990-2022. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 82(25), 2350 2473.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.11.007  Listed as one of its co-authors (under Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks Collaborators).

[8] Fragkos, M., Choleza, M., & Papadopoulou, P. (2023). The Role of γH2AX in Replication Stress-induced Carcinogenesis: Possible Links and Recent Developments. Cancer diagnosis & prognosis, 3(6), 639–648. https://doi.org/10.21873/cdp.10266

[9] GBD 2019 IMID Collaborators (2023). Global, regional, and national incidence of six major immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019. EClinicalMedicine, 64, 102193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102193. Listed as one of its co-authors (under GBD 2019 IMID Collaborators).

[10] GBD 2021 Anaemia Collaborators. (2023). Prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity and cause, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021The Lancet Haematology. Listed as one of its co-authors (under GBD 2021 Anaemia Collaborators).

[11] Marouli C., Savvidou P., Koutsokali M., Papadopoulou P., Misseyanni A., Tsiliki G. and Georgas D. (2022). Plant Growth on a Mediterranean Green Roof: A Pilot Study on Influence of Substrate Depth, Substrate Composition, and Type of Green Roof. Sustain. Cities 3:796441.

[12] Papadopoulou, P., Marouli, C. & Misseyanni, A. (2020). Sustaining Healthcare: Bridging Education with Biomedical and Healthcare Challenges.European Journal of Sustainable Development9(2), 211.

[13] Misseyanni, A., Marouli, C. & Papadopoulou, P. (2020). How Teaching Affects Student Attitudes towards the Environment and Sustainability in Higher Education: An Instructors’ PerspectiveEuropean Journal of Sustainable Development,9(2), 172.

[14] Papadopoulou, P., Galanopoulos, V. K. & Hamodrakas, S. J. (1996) Molecular and supramolecular architecture of the Salmo gairdneri proteinaceous eggshell during development, Biology, 116:399-412. 

[15] Hamodrakas, S.J., Kamitsos, E. I. & Papadopoulou, P.G. (1987). Laser-Raman and infrared spectroscopic studies of protein conformation in the eggshell of the fish Salmo gairdneri. Biochim. Biopphys. Acta 913:163-169. PMID: 3593737.

 

Research proposal project funded under the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission

2022: Title: Engaging SDGs for Transformative Education and Enhanced Sustainability in Universities (ERASMUS+) SDG4U

Proposal prepared by Dr. S. Apostolaki and Dr. P. Papadopoulou in collaboration with our partners.

https://acg150.acg.edu/news/the-coes-joins-eu-erasmus-project-on-sdgs-in-higher-education/

https://www.uni-med.net/projects/sdg4u/

https://www.uni-med.net/news/promotion-of-civic-engagement-and-responsibility-to-enhance-the-educational-experience-of-young-students-launch-of-a-new-strategic-project/

Books

[1] Coedited and coauthored the book:

Papadopoulou, P., Marouli, C., & Misseyanni, A. (2019). Environmental Exposures and Human Health Challenges (pp. 1-449). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7635-8

[2] Coedited and coauthored the book:

Misseyanni, Anastasia & Lytras, Miltiadis & Papadopoulou, Paraskevi & Marouli, Christina. (2018). Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education: Teaching for Leadership, Innovation, and Creativity. Emerald Publishing Limited, Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK   DOI10.1108/9781787144873

[3] Coedited and coauthored the book:

Lytras, M. D. & Papadopoulou, P. (2018). Applying Big Data Analytics in Bioinformatics and Medicine (pp. 1-465). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-2607-0

Book Chapters

[1] Papadopoulou, P., & Lytras, M. D. (2025). Enhancing patient welfare through responsible and AI-driven healthcare innovation: Progress made in OECD countries and the case of Greece. In Next Generation eHealth (pp. 33–77). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13619-1.00003-9

[2] Lytras, M. D., Papadopoulou, P., Marouli, C., & Misseyanni, A. (2022). Higher Education Out-of-the-Box: Technology-Driven Learning Innovation in Higher Education. In I. Management Association (Ed.), Research Anthology on Service Learning and Community Engagement Teaching Practices (pp. 768-795). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-3877-0.ch042

[3] Papadopoulou, P. Lytras, M. (2021). Empowering the One Health approach and health resilience with digital technologies across OECD countries: the case of COVID-19. In Lytras, M.D., Sarirete, A., Visvizi, A. & Chui, K. T. In Next Gen Tech Driven Personalized Med&Smart Healthcare, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics for Smart Healthcare, (pp.225-241). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822060-3.00012-7

[4] Papadopoulou, P., Misseyanni, A. & Marouli, C. (2020). Current Environmental Health Challenges: Part I – Exposures and Research Trends. In Duca, G., & Vaseashta, A. (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Emerging Developments and Environmental Impacts of Ecological Chemistry (pp. 1-37). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-1241-8.ch001

[5] Marouli, C., Papadopoulou, P. & Misseyanni, A. (2020). Current Environmental Health Challenges: Part 2 – Moving Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Future. In Duca, G., & Vaseashta, A. (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Emerging Developments and Environmental Impacts of Ecological Chemistry (pp. 38-67).IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-1241-8.ch002

[6] Lytras, M. D., Papadopoulou, P. & Sarirete, A. (2020). Smart Healthcare: emerging technologies, best practices, and sustainable policies, in Lytras, M.D. and Sarirete (Ed.), Next Gen Tech Driven Personalized Med&Smart Healthcare, Innovation in Health Informatics, Academic Press (pp 3-38), ISBN 9780128190432. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819043-2.00001-0

[7] Papadopoulou, P., Chui, K. T., Daniela, L. & Lytras, M. D. (2019). Virtual and Augmented Reality in Medical Education and Training: Innovative Ways for Transforming Medical Education in the 21st Century. In M. Lytras, N. Aljohani, L. Daniela, & A. Visvizi (Eds.), Cognitive Computing in Technology-Enhanced Learning(pp. 109-150). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9031-6.ch006

[8] Papadopoulou, P., Lytras, M. & Marouli, C. (2019). Bioinformatics as Applied to Medicine: Challenges Faced Moving from Big Data to Smart Data to Wise Data. In I. Management Association (Ed.), Biotechnology: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 185- 209). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-8903-7.ch008

[9] Misseyanni, A., Lytras, M.D., Papadopoulou, P. & Marouli, C. (2018). Introduction in Anastasia Misseyanni, Miltiadis D. Lytras, Paraskevi Papadopoulou, Christina Marouli (ed.) Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education: Teaching for Leadership, Innovationa and CreativityEmerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, UK. pp.1-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78714-487-320181001

[10] Misseyanni, A., Papadopoulou, P., Marouli, C. & Lytras, M.D., (2018). Active Learning Stories in Higher Education: Lessons Learned and Good Practices in STEM Education, in Anastasia Misseyanni, Miltiadis D. Lytras, Paraskevi Papadopoulou, Christina Marouli (ed.) Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education: Teaching for Leadership, Innovation and CreativityEmerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, UK.pp.75 – 105. All co-authors after the first had equal contribution.

[11] Marouli, C., Misseyanni, A., Papadopoulou, P. & Lytras, M.D., (2018). A New Vision for Higher Education: Lessons from Education for the Environment and Sustainability, in Anastasia Misseyanni, Miltiadis D. Lytras, Paraskevi Papadopoulou, Christina Marouli (ed.) Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education: Teaching for Leadership, Innovation and Creativity, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, UK. pp.361 – 387.

 

Conference papers

[1] Papadopoulou, P., Apostolaki, S. & Misseyanni, A. (2023) Introducing Biodiversity, Climate Change and Justice to College Students: Using the Deree-ACG Forest as a Living Laboratory, ICERI2023 Proceedings, pp. 3803-3812. 13-15 November, 2023, Seville, Spain.

[2] Papadopoulou, P. & Apostolaki, S. (2023). Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence towards Reducing the Climate Change Impacts on Public Health. SafeAttica 2023 – 10th International Conference on Civil Protection & New Technologies, pp. 189-192. ISSN 2654-1823 25 – 27 September, War Museum, Athens, Greece. safeattica.com  www.safeattica.gr

[3] Apostolaki, S., Papadopoulou, P. & Papandreou A. (2023). Proposing a Holistic and Transformative Approach for the Promotion of SDGs in Higher Education Institutions. WSF 2023 The 10th World Sustainability Forum 14 September 2023 I Hybrid: Singapore, Basel, Toronto & virtual. DOI: 13140/RG.2.2.14294.63043.

[4] Papadopoulou, P. (2022). Teaching Lab Activities Effectively during Times of Disruption by Fostering Adaptive and Digital Resilience: The Case of College-level Introductory Biology during the COVID-19 Pandemic. EDULEARN22 Proceedings, pp. 8151-8160. 4-6 July, 2022, Palma, Spain. DOI: 21125/edulearn.2022.1927. Conference paper & virtual presentation

 

Special Issues, Reviews, Seminars and Workshops 

2023: DECODE: Complementary Skills Training Course 2, Seminars and Lectures

When: June 23, 2023 | 09:00 – 13:00

Where: 7th Level Auditorium, Deree-ACG, Gravias 6, Aghia Paraskevi

Organizers: Dr. Sofia Konstantinopoulou MD, FAAP, International Business Intelligence (I.B.I.) & Dr. Paraskevi Papadopoulou, Head, Department of Science and Mathematics & Director, Biomedical Sciences Program, Deree-ACG

Speech delivered: 10:30-11:30| Professor Paraskevi Papadopoulou: “The transformative power of A.I.: revolutionizing precision medicine and medical education.”

https://www.acg.edu/events/decode/

2023: P. Papadopoulou had an active participation in the event “Saronida Beach Cleaning” co-organized by the CoES and the Department of Science and Mathematics on the occasion of the World Environment Day in collaboration with Healthy Seas, Ghost Diving Greece, Sunday, May 28, 2023. Location: Saronida beach in Attika, Activity: Underwater cleaning; beach cleaning; educational activities for the public, Target Groups: Deree – Alba students; Pierce students and parents; open to public

https://www.acg.edu/events/saronida-beach-cleaning-2/

https://www.eventora.com/en/Events/BeachCleaning

2023: P. Papadopoulou planned and organized the ‘Workshop on academic writing in sciences

April 5, 2023, Events Hall. 14:30 – 17:00

Lectures were delivered by Dept Faculty (see link)

https://www.acg.edu/news-events/department-of-college-events-office-of-public-affairs/past-events

  • Papadopoulou delivered the following speech: 14:32-14:40 | “Academic writing in the era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the sciences field.”
  • Papadopoulou delivered the following speech: 14:50-15:00 | “Student support & resources on academic writing available for BMS and ES student.”

 2022: P. Papadopoulou participated in active roles in Climathon Agia Paraskevi, on November 18-19, 2022, CLIMATHON Agia Paraskevi, which took place at the ACG premises. See links: https://acg150.acg.edu/news/acg-participates-in-2-out-of-6-climathons-in-greece-for-2022/

https://acg150.acg.edu/events/coe-in-sustainability/coes-co-organized-climathon-agia-paraskevi-acg/

2022: P. Papadopoulou was invited by the organizing committee to present a workshop on November 2, 2022, at the 18th Assembly of the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA). P.  Papadopoulou talked about “The Synergistic Effect between Academia and Industry in Pharma Innovation: A Case from Greece.” See event announcement: https://www.acg.edu/news-events/news/biomedical-sciences-faculty-at-epsa/

2022: Participated in the 1st New European Bauhaus Festival in Greece at the Ellinikon Experience Park between 9 – 12 June 2022.

https://www.acg.edu/news-events/news/acg-first-new-european-bauhaus-festival/

2022: Participated as member of the organizing committee and as speaker plus presented a workshop on electron microscopy for the ‘WIBS: Women in Biomedical Sciences 2022’ event on June 18, 2022, at the Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens with the active involvement of Deree faculty.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-biosciences-2022

https://www.acg.edu/news-events/news/brfaa-event-women-in-biomedicalsciences/?fbclid=IwAR3GS6M86DNTOXwZjoV9p_9agL7__BcHBilXctDBqRdmvoDjfTO36chrRvQ

 

Editorial Roles (see CV for the specific reviews)

Serves as:

Evaluated manuscripts for refereed publications: >60 manuscripts

Manuscript Reviewer for:

[1]   Frontiers in Public Health

[2]   Frontiers in Education

[3]   Frontiers in Psychology

[4]   Frontiers in Physiology

[5]   Journal The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning

[6]   Journal Telematics and Informatics

[7]   Journal Virtual Reality

[8]   Journal Computers in Human Behavior

[9]   Journal Cleaner Production

[10]   Journal: Int. J. of Computational Complexity and Intelligent Algorithms

[11] Journal of King Saud University – Computer and Information Sciences

[12]  International Journal of Smart Education and Urban Society

[13] Helyion

[14] International Journal of Medical Informatics

[15] For Inderscience Submissions: Journal: Int. J. of Computational  Complexity and Intelligent Algorithms

 

Evaluated manuscripts as Guest Editor for a Special Issue

IJKSR: Volume 0, Issue 0, Article 1

 

Evaluated Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reports (see CV)

2023 Expert Reviewer of IPBES report:

P. Papadopoulou served as an expert reviewer for the thematic assessment report on  INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES AND THEIR CONTROL, See ANNEX V, List of expert reviewers, p886.

Citation:

IPBES (2023). Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Roy, H. E., Pauchard, A., Stoett, P., and Renard Truong, T. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7430682

 

Conducted professional workshops related to expertise 2017-2023:

[1] P. Papadopoulou, planned and organized the event World Wide Teach-in Climate and Justice. She delivered a speech titled:

Title: ‘Introducing Biodiversity, Climate Change and Justice to College Students: Using the Deree-ACG Forest as a Living Laboratory,’

Dr. Apostolaki and Dr. Misseyanni had also a major contribution to the event

Wednesday, March 22, 14:30 – 15:20, 6th level Auditorium, the Biomedical Sciences Program and the Environmental Studies Program, Department of Science and Mathematics, Deree-ACG

https://www.acg.edu/news-events/department-of-college-events-office-of-public- affairs/past-events/

[2] Presented, helped and coordinated some sessions of the Workshop held at Deree ‘Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA) Global Liberal Arts Alliance Workshop for Science and Engineering: STEM Faculty workshop, June 18 – 21, 2017.

a. Engaged Pedagogies I – Presented by Anastasia Misseyanni, I acted as a collaborator and coordinator of the workshop afterwards

b. Assessment of Student Learning: Presented some results of our team research on innovative ways of assessment and also presented a learning object I had developed

c. Sustainability and Action Research – Presented by Christina Marouli, I acted as a collaborator and coordinator of the workshop afterwards

 

Contribution to conference scientific committees

[1] Participated as a member for Conference Scientific Committee and as reviewer of DSAI’2020-22

a. International Conference on ‘Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion’

10th International Conference Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility Fighting Info-exclusion Submissions Reviewed http://dsai.ws/2022/

b. Proceedings published 2023:

https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/3563137

https://dl.acm.org/action/showFmPdf?doi=10.1145%2F3563137

9th International Conference ‘Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing    Accessibility Fighting Info-exclusion’

https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/3439231

[2] Helped organize as a member of the program committee and served as reviewer for the 12th-18th International Conferences, DisCo 2017-2023, Prague, Czech Republic http://disconference.eu/en/about-the-conference/