Panagiotis Kaldis

Professor of Applied Economics and Marketing in the Department of Wine, Vine and Beverage Sciences of the School of Food Sciences at the University of West Attica, Greece and the first Rector of the University (1^st term: 2019-2023, 2^nd term: 2023- 2027). He was unanimously appointed by the Summit of Rectors of Greek Universities as a member of its Three Member Board for the academic year 2022-2023 and first Chairman (09/01-12/31/2022).

He graduated from the Ionideios Model High School of Piraeus (1977), has a degree in agricultural economics and development from the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece (1982), as well as a degree in pedagogical studies from the Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Greece (1984). He holds a PhD from the School of Business, Environment and Society, Coventry University, England (2003). He carried out post-doctoral research in the Sector of Economic Policy and State at the Department of Economic Sciences of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (2004). He is certified in “Open and Distance Education” by the Hellenic Open University, Greece (2017).

He was elected as the first President of the Research Ethics and Deontology Committee (REDC) of the University of Piraeus, Greece (2019-2022), as well as a regular member of the REDC of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece (2018- 2021), positions which he renounced due to his election as Rector.

He holds the title of Guest Professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China (2022) and of Distinguished Professor at Shenyang University, China (2019). Since 2014, he holds the title of Honorary Professor of the Guglielmo Marconi University, Italy.

He has been honoured with various awards such as the Certificate of Excellence in University Leadership from the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership/ICPEL, USA; Honorary Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership from Educational Leaders Without Borders/ELWB, USA; Lifetime Achievement Award from Cotsakos College of Business from the state William Paterson University of New Jersey, USA; Honorary Distinction from the European Commission of the Regions; Distinguished Academic Award from the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania; Honorary Distinction from the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, his Beatitude Hieronymos II; Honorary Distinction from the Bishop of Paphos, Cyprus Metropolitan Mr. Georgios; Honorary Distinction from the Supreme Confederation of multi-child Parents of Greece; Honorary Distinction from the National Sports Federation of Persons with Disabilities; Commendation from the Union of Attica Mayors; Honorary Distinction from the Association for the Development of West Athens (ASDA); Honorary Distinction from the Alumni Association of the Ionideios School of Piraeus; Education Award from the Academy of Greek Art Awards, etc.

He was the Deputy Secretary General at the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA), Greece (2009-2010). There he was appointed as the first Director of the National School of Public Administration and Local Government (ESDDA), organizing it ab initio, operating it for six years and offering four educational series (2004-2010). He was also a regular member of the Board of Directors and the Scientific-Educational Council (2004-2010), as well as President of the Educational Council of the Municipal Police Schools (2007-2010).

For three years, he participated as a regular member of the Board of Directors of the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) / DOATAP, Greece (2013- 2016).

Also, for six years, he was a regular member of the Governing Committee of the former higher education level Technological and Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands, Greece, having the institutional and scientific responsibility for a series of programmes and responsibilities (2004-2010).

For fifteen years (1990-2005) he worked as an educational and research staff at the Agricultural University of Athens, having also served as Director of Education (Studies) at the Vocational Training Centre.

He has participated as Collaborative Educational Staff in 16 postgraduate programmes in Greece and abroad, in various Universities, where he has supervised dozens of postgraduate theses and participated in relevant examination committees. He supervises doctoral theses at the University of West Attica, as well as at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is a member of three-member committees, as well as doctoral theses examination committees at various Universities.

At the University of West Attica, he was a member of the Research and Management Committee of the Special Research Funds Account and a member of the Council of the Vocational Education Centre (2018-2019).

In addition, at the former higher education level Technological and Educational Institute of Athens, Greece (2005-2018) held the positions of a Professor, Deputy Rector/President, Coordinator of the Committee for Academic Merging with the Applied Sciences University of Piraeus for the University of Western Attica, President of the Education and Research Committee, President of the Student Club, Founding Internship Manager, Sector Director, Department President, Deputy Director of the Faculty, Director of the Master’s Program, member of the Scientific Committee of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit, while he had also participated in various administrative and scientific committees, as well as being an elected full-time member of the Board of Directors of the Professors’ Union.

Furthermore, he was also a member of the Central Board of the Federation of Professors’ Unions of the former higher education level Technological and Educational Institutes of Greece.

In total, he has forty years of experience leading various significant administrative, educational and scientific responsibilities in the public and private sectors.

His current research interests include ecological and economic ecosystems in agriculture, applied economics, marketing and management (organizational and financial), sustainable development, tourism and culture. At the level of higher education, he has a recognized and extensive work in Greece and abroad.

Recent books where he has contributed to are: “Cultural Heritage Management and Contemporary Creation and Sustainable Economic Development” (Open Academic Resources), (with Douros, P.), Kallipos, Open Academic Publishing, Athens 2024, “Roads to Integrating Sustainability in School Leadership & Teacher Preparation Programs” (with Papa, R., Saiti, A. and Snodgress, F.), ICPEL and Call Edition, USA 2022, “Financial Management ” (with Arsenos, P.), Benou Publications, Athens 2021 and “Branding, Cultural Routes and Sustainable Development” (with Mitoula, R.), Papazisis Publications, Athens 2018.