The Academic Advisοr is a faculty member of the Department, whose main task is to support and guide the first-year students, with the aim of the effective organization and successful completion of their studies.

The following table defines the Academic Advisors of the students for the Academic Year 2023-24.

Academic Advisors for Acad. Year 2023-24

Statement of Quality Assurance Policy

The Department of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management (DIGESE / DASCM), of the School of Applied Economics and Social Sciences (EOKE / SAESS) at the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA) is committed to providing top quality higher education to its students in the scientific fields of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management, as well as its effort to develop a creative research and work environment for its faculty. The commitment of the Teaching and Research faculty members (DEP), the Laboratory Teaching staff (EDIP), the Special Technical Laboratory staff (ETEP), the Special Teaching staff (EEP), as well as that of the administrative staff of the Department, for the continuous improvement of the teaching and research work, as well as the services provided, is a strategic choice of administration and responsibility.

The vision of DIGESE is to offer education and training of the highest quality within the domain of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management, with a view to research excellence, and the Department’s linkage with economy, entrepreneurship, and society, with a dedication on the principles of scientific ethics, accountability, sustainable development, and social cohesion.

The Quality Assurance Policy of the Department of ASCM is shaped based on its mission and aligns completely with the Quality Assurance Policy of the Agricultural University of Athens in the framework of the continuous assurance of high quality educational, scientific, research and administrative work, all identified by the international academic standards and especially those of the European Higher Education Area and in compliance with the Principles and guidelines of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE).

At the core of the Quality Assurance Policy of the Department are its above-mentioned vision and mission that seek:

1. The excellence, through the mastery of education, of its graduates.
2. The transfer and imparting of scientific knowledge to its students by designing and offering an appropriate Curriculum which involves student-centered teaching and research activities.
3. The development of scientists and professionals with ethical integrity, as well as communication and social skills.
4. The development of leadership and management skills among students.
5. The delivery of high-quality specialization that empowers its graduates in the face of present-day social, environmental, and economic challenges.
6. The promotion of the Department’s extrovert nature and constructive cooperation with academic, research and employers’ institutions and professional bodies.

The Department has adopted, and implements, a specific quality assurance policy, which is connected to the legal and regulatory framework governing the operation of the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA).

The Department’s Curriculum is in line with the research strategy of the Department in the cutting-edge disciplines of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management. Excellence constitutes the cornerstone of the Department, and all its activities aim at the design and continuous development of a modern and competitive, on an international level, Curriculum. The members of the teaching staff, in collaboration with the research and administrative staff, undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate students, as well as doctoral candidates, plan, design and implement the operations of DIGESE based on the maximum possible contribution to excellence, teaching, and research, and they reward it in any way they can. The basis for attaining excellence is cooperation among all parties involved, investment in new knowledge and technologies, monitoring social needs and responding to them (in areas and ways the resources and means available to the Department allow it to), systematic efforts towards the linking of the Department to the labor market and its needs, a systematic promotion of the international academic presence of the members of the Department, the continuous association of the Department with stakeholders of a social, cultural, economic, ecological, and institutional sector and nature, and a continuous effort towards improving working conditions, reducing bureaucracy (where such action is feasible), and speeding up decisions, both within the labor market and its related political (i.e., local government), and professional bodies.

Through the adoption, review, redesign, and redefinition of its quality policy, the Department is committed to achieving even higher levels of performance. In the light of this strategy, it will highlight values, standards, and examples, to contribute to the pursuit on the part of the entire Agricultural University of Athens of high-quality teaching and research results, and support the country towards a steady course of sustainable economic growth.

The Linking of Quality Assurance Policy to the Strategy of the Institution (AUA)

The Department of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management (DIGESE / DASCM), of the School of Applied Economics and Social Sciences (EOKE / SAESS) at the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA) has developed and implements a specific official Quality Assurance policy, which forms part of the institution’s strategy.

All internal stakeholders (i.e., the governance body and administrative staff, as well as all faculty members, teaching staff and the students of the Department) participate in the development and implementation of this policy, through the appropriate structures and procedures.

The Department’s policy for quality assurance and its strategy for delivering it are implemented through the Internal Evaluation Team (IET /OMEA) in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU/MODIP) of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA).

For the assurance and continuous improvement of the quality of the Department’s educational and research work, as well as the efficient operation and performance of its services, the Department complies with the Quality Assurance System of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA).

This policy mainly supports:

1. The organization of the internal Quality Assurance System of the Department.
2. The assuming of responsibility by the leadership of the Department and its sub-units, the members of the teaching, administrative and other staff, and the students regarding their respective roles in relation to quality assurance.
3. The safeguarding of academic principles, professional ethical conduct, and a policy of non-discrimination, as well as the encouragement of the involvement of third parties in quality assurance.
4. The continuous improvement of learning and teaching, research, and innovation.
5. The quality assurance of the Department’s Curriculum and its compliance with the specific standard of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAFHE / ETHAEE) - the former Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA/ ADIP).
6. The efficient organization of services and the development and maintenance of infrastructures.
7. The allocation and effective management of the necessary resources for the operation of the Department.
8. The development and rational allocation and distribution of THE Department’s human resources.

The main pillars supporting the Quality Assurance Policy of the Department, which is interconnected and aligned with the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) strategy, are the following:

1. The continuous reform and improvement of the Undergraduate Curriculum (UC / PPS) of the Department.
2. The enhancement of student-centered education within the design of the Undergraduate Curriculum (UC / PPS) of the Department.
3. The improvement of the output and performance of the Department’s students.
4. The reduction in the percentage of students who drop out of university or take too much time to complete their studies.
5. The enhancement of the multilevel research work conducted within, and by, the Department.
6. The production of more and significantly influential research papers and articles in international scientific journals, as well as in collective volumes and proceedings of conferences with judges.
7. The continuous improvement of the working conditions of the teaching, research, as well as administrative or other, staff of the Department.
8. The successful resolution of infrastructure issues (e.g., problems with building complexes and / or equipment).
9. The development of synergies not only with other Departments / Schools within the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA), but also with other universities, regarding undergraduate and postgraduate Curricula.
10. The enhancement of transnational cooperation programs providing for the mobility of students and teaching staff (e.g., the ERASMUS Program).
11. The enhancement of collaborations with other institutions, both foreign and domestic, the dissemination and enhancement of research projects and broader synergies, as well as the improvement of the output of research work.
12. The development of the extrovert nature of the Department and its interconnection with external stakeholders of a social, cultural, economic, ecological, and institutional character.
13. The recruitment of high-level faculty (i.e., Teaching Research Staff – TRS / DEP) members from Greece and abroad, in accordance with current legislation.
14. The contribution of the Department to the pursued cooperation of the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA) with the compilers of the global ranking lists of universities for the optimal promotion of the Department’s individual - and the AUA’s collective - quality on an international level.
15. The facilitation of the implementation of the Department’s administrative work.
16. The contribution of the Department to the pursued implementation of measures towards reducing the environmental footprint of the University resulting from its operation.
17. The creation of new - especially interdisciplinary and / or interdepartmental - Postgraduate Programs / Curricula (PPs / MSc).
18. The full use of alternative sources of funding (i.e., participation in international programs / projects, self-funded study programs, sponsorships / donations).
19. The improvement of the organization and delivery of Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Department.
20. The contribution of the Department to the policy of the Agricultural University of Athens (GPA / AUA) for continuous organization and implementation of activities directly and indirectly supportive of vulnerable social groups.
21. The development and utilization of a network of graduates / Alumni of the Department serving the Department’s academic and social goals.

1. Implementation of Quality Assurance Policy

For the implementation of the Quality Assurance Policy, the Department has established and operates:

1. Curriculum Committee, which recommends to the General Assembly of the Department the revision of the Undergraduate Studies Program, with the aim of its continuous adaptation to continuous scientific developments, to deal with and solve any problems during its implementation and to monitor and utilize developments in the respective relevant study programs of other national and international universities.
2. Internal Evaluation Group (IET /OMEA), which is responsible for a) the process of collecting and processing the quality data of the educational and research project, b) writing the annual internal evaluation report, c) supporting actions for continuous improvement of quality indicators.
3. Academic Advisor, who is a faculty member of the Department, is appointed at the beginning of each academic year and undertakes the guidance and support of first-year students during their studies.
4. Internship Committee, which is responsible for finding new internship positions in interested private and public bodies, evaluating the suitability of the bodies for the preparation of the internship and monitoring its smooth implementation as well as its contribution to the development of skills and abilities of the participating students in the face of modern social-environmental-economic challenges.