Who we are

A team of experts qualified in the development and management of digital solutions for open and social learning

Web2learn co-founders

Katerina Zourou

Katerina Zourou, Ph.D, is a recognized researcher in the area of digital (language) education, having produced a research book, journal special issues, and several peer reviewed papers (full list). She is regularly invited to give invited talks or join expert panels.
Katerina is the Director of Web2Learn and gives lectures at masters level (University of Grenoble Alpes, France, and Hellenic Open University, Greece).

Research publications available on Google Scholar

Ongoing projects

• Co-initiator and partner of HEIDI project “Digital Actions at HEIs as a catalyst for social change in the COVID-19 crisis” (2021-2023)
• Co-initiator and partner of eCHOing “Recovery of cultural heritage through higher education-driven open innovation (2022-2024)
• Co-initiator and partner of LibOCS “University libraries strengthening the academia-society connection through citizen science in the Baltics (2022-2024)
• Co-initiator and partner of The GLAMers project”Enhancing GLAMs through youth engagement during the COVID-19 crisis. (2021-2023)
• Co-initiator and partner of INOS “Integrating open and citizen science into active learning approaches in higher education” (2019-2022)

Full CV and publications and list of invited talks (last update: June 2022).

Ended projects funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe

• Partner of successful Erasmus+ projects: CATAPULT (KA2 Adult learning), MOONLITE (Higher education), CRETE (Higher Education), IPEN (Capacity Building), Web2LLP (VET).
• Expert for Council of Europe’s “Education Portal for Online Learning”  (ORD).
• Member of Elang “digital literacy for the teaching/learning of languages” supported by the Council of Europe/ECML.
• Co-initiator and member of GraDAna “Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Iranian HE Graduates through Data Analytics”.
• Technical expert of the EACEA study “The impact of ICT and new media on language learning”. Available in English, French and German.
• Project initiator and manager of the network LangOER “Enhancing teaching and learning of less used languages through Open Educational Resources (OER).

Invited talks (selection)

1. (2021) Digital activism: challenges and opportunities for language learning” University of Juväskylä (Finland), Department of Language and Communication Studies. April 11, More.
2. (2021) Supporting the digital transformation of a Higher Education institution: The example of Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas, Cuba. Invited by the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (inSTEC), University of Havana, Cuba.
3. (2019). A critical review of social networks for language learning beyond the classroom. Shanghai, Shanghai International Studies University, December 8.
4. (2018). Crowdsourcing in language learning and teaching: “small” languages’ achievements. Reykjavik, University of Iceland, March 9.
5. (2014). “Social media for communication purposes of Erasmus projects”. Invited by European Commission’s EACEA to give a presentation to the coordinator’s meeting of the EC-funded Erasmus projects. Brussels, January 23. (slides)
6. (2013). «Open Education: multilingual, user driven and glocalised». Invitation by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to join the dedicated foresight workshop on the development of a common vision of the Future of Open Education. Seville, April 29-30.
7. (2013). Médias sociaux et apprentissage des langues: quelle(s) nouveauté(s)? Colloque ALSIC, Montpellier, 12-13 December (slides)
8. Member of the European expert team representing the European Union at China-EU conference on multilingualism, Beijing 1-2 December, 2012, during the EU-China year of Multilingualism (Invitation).
9. (2011) “Social networks and language learning in Europe”. 2011 EU-China Multilingualism Conference, Brussels,  May 19 (With Claudia Albanese, Mikkel Strørup). Programme.
10. (2010). Web 2.0 and how it affects development of language resources, materials and methods: perceptions by media and publishing houses. Invited by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taichung, Taiwan, May 6, 2010.
11. (2010). Tellecollaboration and Web 2.0 tools in educational contexts: exploring boundaries between formal and informal learning. Invited by National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan. May 14, 2010.

An example of highly cited paper.

Connect with Katerina on LinkedIn, Twitter and Slideshare.

Alexandros Kalamantis

Alexandros is the co-owner of the company and one of its founding members. He studied electronics and telecommunication systems in Thessaloniki. He currently works on ICT and digital technologies. He supervises Web2Learn projects from a technological point of view, namely the technological suitability of learning and training solutions.

Alexandros is engaged in iPEN, GraDAna, MOONLITE, Web2LLP and ExplOERer projects.

Web2learn associates

Kateryna Boichenko

Kateryna has a background in entrepreneurial consulting and international economic research (PhD). She is the Head of the Master’s Programme in Business Economics at Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman. Kateryna has experience in projects related to raising entrepreneurial spirit, inclusive growth and integrated development. A significant part of her research interests are innovations, Data Science, smart business models, European identity, citizenship and values, social responsibility of educational institutions.

Kateryna contributes to the Baltics4UA and Welcome! projects.

Sotiria Fate

Sotiria Fate is expert in digital education, with emphasis on intercultural and art-based education. Sotiria holds a Master’s degree awarded by the Department of Philology of the University of Ioannina. She has a vivid interest in the field of learning of first/second/foreign languages and she has also been trained in the fields of Intercultural and Special Education.

Stavros Samiotis

Stavros Samiotis works as a research collaborator in the field of language education, capacity building and academia-civil society coooperation.  With background in linguistics, Stavros earned his BA in Medieval Greek philology and his MA in theoretical linguistics from the University of Ioannina, Greece. He is mainly interested in the areas of syntax, semantics and language-contact phenomena. He has participated in (Horizon 2020) iReed project as a data collector and analyst.

Stavros contributes to AGILE and BOLD projects

Sofia Terzi

Sofia Terzi holds a BSc in Computer Science and a MSc in Information and Communication Technologies. She is a PhD student at AUTH researching eGovernment supported by blockchain technology. Currently she is occupied as a Computer Scientist at Web2Learn under the BlockAdemiC project [The Operational Program “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation” (EPAnEK)]. She has previously participated in many H2020 projects spanning various domains, including DIAS [vehicle security], TOKEN [eGovernment], Pop-Machina [Circular Economy], Dataports [ports interconnection], eFactory [supply chain], DELTA [energy] and PLANET [energy].

Aris Dimitriou

Aris works as a collaborator in the preparation and management of transnational projects. He has a background in International and European Economic Studies (BA at the University Of Macedonia in Thessaloniki).

Aris supports the team in ideation, implementation and evaluation of projects Web2Learn is involved in.

Stefania Oikonomou

Stefania Oikonomou is a political scientist (BA, MA, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). Stefania has a vivid interest in exploring forms of citizen engagement as they are manifested through (emerging) digital technologies (i.e. hackathons, digital activism, citizen science). Stefania is knowledgeable in science communication and networked interaction. Her latest venture is a PhD in science, technology, and society studies.

Stefania is involved in CitSci4ALL, GreenVETers, LibOCS and eCHOIng projects.

 

Mariana Ziku

Mariana (MA, MSc, Ph.D. candidate) specializes in the area of cultural informatics and digital heritage. She participates in Research & Development projects on crowdsourcing, artificial intelligence and data analysis in the fields of digital culture, intangible cultural heritage and cross-border arts and culture supporting open GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums).

Mariana participates in the CitizenHeritage, HEIDI, and BlockAdemic projects

Joseph Terzis

Joseph Terzis is a software developer (Informational Management studies at the International Hellenic University). He has gained experience in the field of software interoperability by working for a private sector company where he had the responsibility to develop and maintain a custom application including interconnecting various databases and data sources. He worked also in telecommunications industry, where he was assembling cabins and running and installing the operation systems at them. Joseph is highly motivated and his current ICT research interests are Software Interoperability, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

Joseph is engaged in the BlockAdemic project.

Anna Skowron

Anna holds a Master’s degree in English Philology from the University of Opole, Poland. Since 2009, she has been an academic teacher specialising in the use of digital technologies in language learning and teaching. Her research interests part from new technologies in language learning and teaching are: open licenses and openness in education. Currently, she is involved in various projects where she acts as an online content creator.

Anna is involved in IPEN, CRETE, INOS and Catapult projects

Giulia Torresin

Giulia holds a Bachelor degree in oriental languages and cultures (Arabic & Turkish) from the University Cà’ Foscari of Venice and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris. She has also studied law (LL.B.) at the Sorbonne University. Giulia worked for over a year as European project management assistant at the University of Luxembourg, where she organized and managed all activities (project application, implementation and finalization) related to Lifelong Learning Programme projects as well as research projects funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme and the European Space Agency.

Giulia is engaged in the LangOER, ExplOERer , INOS and Catapult projects.