18/12/2025
A UNIQUE AND HUMAN-CENTERED COURSE ASSIGNMENT AND END OF SEMESTER CELEBRATION!
An excellent event took place on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the University of Macedonia's Indoor Sports Arena, featuring the students of the Services Marketing course and the beneficiaries of organizations that support vulnerable groups.
The event, which was organized as part of the course under the guidance of Professor Rodoula Tsiotsou, Director of the Marketing Laboratory (MarLab), began with a welcome from Ms. Tsiotsou and a greeting from the Chair of the Department of Business Administration, Professor Mr. Iordani Eleftheriadi. The floor was then given to the President of the "Talking About Autism" association, Ms. Julia Paraskevopoulou, the President of the association "Hellenic Society for the Protection of Autistic Individuals (HSPAI)", Mr. Pavlos Houzanas, the coordinator of the volunteers for the "Connect Thessaloniki" organization, Ms. Artemis Stefanidou, and the coordinator of the "Ypatia" organization's volunteers, Ms. Eleni Troupi, who presented the activities of their respective organizations.
The second part of the event included a presentation of the students volunteers' experiences from their participation in the organizations' volunteer activities, and a presentation of the beneficiaries' experiences from their interactions with the students-volunteers.
The most moving moment of the event was when the professor, Professor Tsiotsou, read excerpts from the students' weekly experience reports. During their volunteer work at the aforementioned organizations, the students felt joy, emotion, and satisfaction seeing children with autism smile and participate, while the interaction boosted their confidence and empathy. After the experiences, they reported feelings of fulfillment, optimism, and gratitude, recognizing the importance of patience and simple offerings. Additionally, the students highlighted how volunteer activities improved their communication and collaboration, while discussions with beneficiaries revealed "invisible difficulties" and social exclusion, broadening their perspective.
These experiences demonstrate how volunteering transforms, promoting personal well-being and social change.
The event concluded with a reception and the interactive workshop "Fabric Republic" by Iasis, where participants created Christmas ornaments from fabrics.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Marketing Laboratory (MarLab) and Houtos catering for their valuable support and hospitality, which were crucial to the success of the event.
