The third session of the 2025–2026 LSE Athens Lectures Series took place on Thursday, 28 May 2026, in the Great Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) main building at the Propylaea. The series is jointly organised by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the NKUA Department of Business Administration.
The event attracted a strong turnout from the academic community, students, and representatives of the public and business sectors.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Simona Iammarino, Professor of Applied Economics at the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) and Visiting Professor in the LSE Department of Geography and Environment.
Speaking on ‘Critical Raw Materials in the EU: Autonomy, Technological Transitions and Economic Growth’, she highlighted the key role of critical raw materials for the European economy, the challenges associated with technological transition and green growth, and the importance of European strategic autonomy in an evolving global context.
Acting as discussant, Anthony Bartzokas, Professor of Economics, Director of the International Economics and Development Laboratory (NKUA, Department of Economics), and Research Associate at LSE, reflected on the contemporary economic and geopolitical dimensions of the issue.
Opening and chairing the session were Aristeidis Samitas, Professor of Finance, Vice-Rector for Finance and Development, and Director of the MSc in FinTech at the University of Athens, alongside Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus – Hellenic Observatory, and Professor in Political Economy at LSE.
Among those in attendance were Dimitris Kenourgios, Member of the University’s Governing Board and Professor of Finance; Giorgos Dotsis, Chair of the Department of Economics; Louka Katseli, former Minister and Emeritus Professor; Panagiotis Petrakis, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Centre of Planning and Economic Research and Emeritus Professor; Gigas Hardouvelis, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Greece; Dimitris Tsitsiragos, Chair of the Board of Directors of Alpha Bank; George Katrougalos, former Minister and academic; Panos Tsakloglou, former Minister and academic; Loukas Tsoukalis, President of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy and Emeritus Professor; as well as representatives of the shipping community and the British Embassy.
The event reaffirmed the strong partnership between LSE and the University of Athens, highlighting their shared commitment to fostering scholarly dialogue on key issues in economics, development, and the changing international landscape.
The LSE Athens Lectures Series continues to promote the exchange of knowledge and international academic collaboration, bringing leading voices from the global research community to Athens.
