With strong attendance and keen interest from the academic and scientific community, the Scientific Symposium entitled “Introducing the New Era of Ageing Healthcare in a Digital World” was held on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, at the Amphitheatre of the School of Health Sciences of the Hellenic Mediterranean University.
The symposium brought together leading academics from Greece and abroad, who highlighted the urgent need for the immediate transformation of healthcare systems worldwide due to the rapid ageing of the population, as well as the decisive role of digital technology in shifting from disease treatment to integrated care and the promotion of healthy ageing. The potential of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, virtual reality, and ambient intelligence in supporting the health and psychosocial well-being of older adults was presented. At the same time, critical issues of ethical governance were discussed, so that technologies promote inclusion rather than exclusion.
The symposium also served as the official framework for the presentation of the new Joint Master’s Programme entitled “Innovative Technologies and Contemporary, Integrated Healthcare in Ageing.” The programme is implemented through the collaboration of three academic departments of the Hellenic Mediterranean University — Social Work, Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, and Electrical and Computer Engineering — as well as one of Europe’s most distinguished academic institutions, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon. This collaboration marks a high-profile strategic partnership in the field of healthy and active ageing. The Scientific Coordinator of the Programme is Argyroula Kalaitzaki, Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Social Work of the Hellenic Mediterranean University.
The aim of the Joint Master’s is to educate professionals capable of responding to the complex needs of ageing in an international digital environment, equipped with an interdisciplinary approach and knowledge of modern integrated and sustainable care models, digital innovation, and inclusive technologies for healthy longevity.
The Joint Master’s Programme is a significant achievement for HMU, reflecting its commitment to excellence, internationalisation, and academic innovation, while placing it at the centre of the European dialogue on promoting innovation in healthcare and healthy ageing. At the same time, it stands as vivid proof of what can be achieved when institutions, disciplines, and countries collaborate around a shared vision.
The entire project is funded under Subproject 3: “Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions’ Educational Services” of Project SUB2: “Universities of Excellence”, with code OPS TA 5180665, within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Fund “Greece 2.0.”
