Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the Eugenides Foundation

On Friday, 16 October 2026, in the presence of Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, and President of the Eugenides Foundation, Mr Leonidas Dimitriadis-Eugenides, the Director of the B΄ Branch of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Rear Admiral Panagiotis Papageorgiou HN, and the Governor of the Eugenides Foundation, Professor Ioannis Golias, former Rector of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) and the Eugenides Foundation.

The purpose of the Memorandum is to strengthen scientific education and make use of modern technological capabilities through the exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise between the two organisations. The aim is for military service to constitute not only a period of service to the country, but also an opportunity for young people to acquire knowledge and skills that will accompany them throughout their professional and social lives.

The cooperation provides for the implementation of joint educational initiatives, with an emphasis on training and skills development, as well as familiarisation with modern technological applications. Areas of focus will include cybersecurity, training programmes in cross-cutting technical skills, precision agriculture technologies, among others.

During the ceremony, Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, expressed his particular satisfaction with the launch of the cooperation, highlighting the Eugenides Foundation’s longstanding and substantial contribution to scientific knowledge, education, training and the advancement of technological literacy in Greece.

The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff stressed that the agreement represents the institutional expression of the shared commitment of two organisations with different missions but a common direction: to work together to advance knowledge, technical training and innovation in the public interest.

As he pointed out, “the effective defence of our country does not depend solely on equipment and infrastructure; above all, it requires highly trained personnel equipped with knowledge, skills and adaptability.”

For his part, President of the Eugenides Foundation, Mr Leonidas Dimitriadis-Eugenides, thanked the Hellenic National Defence General Staff for its hospitality and cooperation, noting that a Memorandum has genuine value when it leads to sustained cooperation and tangible results.

The President referred to the Eugenides Foundation’s 70 years of contribution to educating young people in science and technical knowledge, noting that, despite changes in the means available and the needs of society, the Foundation’s core mission remains unchanged: to make knowledge accessible and to help the country’s young people acquire the tools and skills they need.

He also emphasised that the Armed Forces are called upon to operate in an environment in which technology is evolving rapidly and demands are increasingly high, making education and skills development particularly important.

The Governor of the Eugenides Foundation, Professor Ioannis Golias, former Rector of NTUA, referred to the Foundation’s capacity to contribute its experience and expertise to the design and implementation of educational initiatives, as well as to the dialogue surrounding scientific developments and emerging technologies.

Professor Golias stressed that the success of such a partnership will be measured by the extent to which military service contributes not only to the fulfilment of the duty of conscripts and Armed Forces personnel to their country, but also to their personal and professional prospects. “This, after all, is what the power of education and training should ultimately be: to create opportunities that do not end when a programme or period of service is completed, but continue to generate value throughout a person’s life,” he noted.

The Memorandum will remain in force for three years, with the possibility of renewal by mutual agreement, and will be implemented on the basis of good faith, mutual respect, transparency and compliance with the applicable institutional and regulatory framework governing both organisations.