HEPHAESTUS · Hellenic Philosophy, History and Environmental Science Teaching Under Scrutiny - He.P.H.a.E.S.T.U.S

The Programe of History, Philosophy and Didactics of Science and Technology originates from two initially complementary teams, the History and Philosophy of S&T Team 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. This goal is to be accomplished through state of the art research using an interdisciplinary approach. Since 2000, the team has developed into one of the most promising research teams in Southeastern Europe, as can be certified by the following achievements: The team has published two peer reviewed scientific Journals (in Greek and English), a regional Newsletter, 21 books (in Greek, English, French and Chinese) and has co-edited three special issues of international Journals and has published about 250 articles. It has completed 13 research projects with Greek and European partners, has created a prominent science Museum, has organized 14 Symposia and Conferences, organizes a summer seminar, has created a state-of-the-art website and has established an important international network. A SWOT report has identified the team as an excellent regional research unit, and has pointed the following main weaknesses: Unmobilized human resources, lack of experience in museology and public science communicating, lack of European strategic partnerships. In order to fully exploit its capabilities (human potential, science Museum) and therefore contribute through science and society activities to the regional sustainable development, the team plans: two way secondments with excellent European research units to establish twinning, recruitments, a series of conferences, workshops and seminars, equipment acquirement and dissemination and promotional activities using the capacities of the new science Museum.