From 15 to 19 June 2026, the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) hosted the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) ‘PolyUnderstanding: Polycrisis, Fragility and Resilience’, organised within the framework of the CIVIS European University Alliance and the PolyCIVIS network. More information about the programme is available at https://civis.widening.eu/offering/46/2194.
The programme brought together 27 students and 20 academic tutors from 12 universities across Europe and Africa, alongside six internationally recognised experts from national and international organisations. Together, they explored the concept of polycrisis – the interaction and mutual reinforcement of multiple contemporary crises, including climate change, social inequality, forced migration, environmental degradation, geopolitical tensions and economic instability – within a genuinely interdisciplinary learning environment.
The week in Athens was the in-person phase of the wider Blended Intensive Programme, which began online on 4 May and concluded on 29 June 2026 with the submission and presentation of participants’ final assignments.
The academic programme began with an exploration of the theoretical foundations of polycrisis, led by Professor Malte Brosig and Dr Faith Mabera (University of the Witwatersrand), who examined its implications for public policy and international governance.
Attention then turned to healthy cities, urban resilience and social equity through lectures and workshops delivered by Professor Alessandra Battisti and Dr Livia Calcagni (Sapienza University of Rome). A particular highlight was the ‘Climate Walk’ through the historic centre of Athens, during which students carried out field observations of the urban microclimate and developed proposals for more sustainable and resilient urban environments.
The following day focused on environmental vulnerability and resilience. Students took part in the interactive ‘Fish Banks Game’, facilitated by Professor Juan Esteban Malo Arrazola and Dr Fátima Franco-Múgica (Autonomous University of Madrid), exploring the challenges of collective natural resource management and sustainable development.
The programme also featured lectures by ProfessorAhmadou Aly Mbaye (Cheikh Anta Diop University), who examined climate change, livelihoods, conflict dynamics in the Sahel and employment challenges across Africa. Participants were introduced to the C.I.V.I.S. Sustainability Challenge by Professor Maria Daskolia and Dr Naya Grillia (University of Athens), while the award-winning ThermeCO-Campus initiative, developed by the NKUA Ecosphere team, was also presented.
On the final day, Professor Panayotis Tsakonas examined the security challenges facing Greece in an era of interconnected and overlapping crises. The programme concluded with the ‘Fragiles vs Resilients’ interactive simulation game, designed and facilitated by Associate Professor Dimitris Gouscos, Coordinator of the PolyUnderstanding BIP and Co-Leader for Communication and Dissemination of PolyCIVIS. Through successive rounds of strategic thinking and informed decision-making, students developed shared poly-solutions to complex, interconnected crises, demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and collective approaches to problem-solving.
Alongside the academic programme, participants had the opportunity to explore Athens and discover its rich history and cultural heritage. They also contributed to the production of a new PolyCIVIS podcast series, featuring conversations between students and experts, together with discussions on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding polycrisis.
The programme demonstrated the value of collaboration between universities in Europe and Africa, while reaffirming the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ commitment, as an active member of the CIVIS European University Alliance, to advancing innovative education that promotes international cooperation and interdisciplinary approaches to today’s most pressing challenges.
Read below the students’ reflections on their experience.
Catalina Saioc – University of Bucharest
‘The PolyUnderstanding BIP challenged me to look beyond the boundaries of my own discipline and think more systematically about today’s interconnected crises. Beyond the academic content, the opportunity to engage with colleagues from different countries and backgrounds made the experience especially valuable and inspiring. I also had the opportunity to moderate a PolyCIVIS podcast with Professor Malte Brosig and Dr Faith Mabera, discussing the governance and international dimensions of polycrisis. The conversation offered valuable insights that complemented the programme’s interdisciplinary approach’.
Stefano Trento – Autonomous University of Madrid
‘For me, participating in this programme meant gaining access to a new way of understanding reality. Drawing on the knowledge shared by the professors and the contributions made by my classmates, I was able to build a body of knowledge of great value. Also, it was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to participate in the podcast episode alongside two outstanding professionals, Alessandra Battisti and Livia Calcagni. Their reflections on the challenges facing urban design – not only from a technical perspective but also from a multidimensional approach – are an invaluable contribution to the discussion about what kind of cities we want for the present and the future. Thus, far from seeing it as an ending, I believe this programme represents the beginning of a new field of interest that I can continue to explore in greater depth’.
Ana Manolescu – University of Bucharest
‘Truly a unique experience. Never have I reflected on a matter through the lenses of so many different communities which are affected by it. Meeting people from all around Europe and Africa in this context can give you such an encompassing view of the polycrisis in action and of how interconnected and similar our issues are, despite the physical distance between us (and despite the various stereotypes surrounding us, which unjustly minimise our problems). The new information I have gathered here already feels essential to the way I will be thinking about local and global issues from now on’.
Ana Sofya Dyadyk – Aix-Marseille University
‘This BIP was a highly enriching experience that allowed me to learn many interesting and valuable things. I also had the opportunity to discover the city of Athens, its fascinating historical monuments, and its museums. Overall, it was a memorable and rewarding experience’.
Espérancia Ahouangbe and Sofiatou Samaké – Aix-Marseille University
‘Students travelled from a deliberately wide geographic spread that put African and European readings of crisis into direct conversation rather than treating them as separate case studies […]. The agenda matched that ambition. Training opened with the conceptual framework of polycrisis itself, its implications, its challenges, its dynamics, and the emerging research into poly-solutions, before experts from Greece, Italy, Romania, Senegal, South Africa and Spain led a run of focused sessions […] Polycrisis is not a subject anyone finishes studying in a few days. What Athens offered instead was a method, and the students now carry it home to seven countries, ready to test it against problems that were never going to stay confined to one discipline, one border or one campus’.
PolyUnderstanding BIP
Physical Teaching Week Programme
Monday, 15 June – Friday, 19 June 2026
Department of Communication and Media Studies
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Monday, June 15, whole day (9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm local time)
Understanding the Global Polycrisis: The Basics
Malte Brosig
Professor of International Relations, Head of the Dept. of International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand
https://www.wits.ac.za/people/academic-a-z-listing/b/maltebrosigwitsacza/
Polycrisis: Beyond a mere buzzword – Implications for Policy & Practice
Faith Mabera, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-mabera-phd-831aba20/
Tuesday, June 16, whole day (9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm local time)
PolyUnderstanding the Healthy City: Equity, Urban Health and Regeneration in Times of Interconnected Crises
PolyUnderstanding the Healthy City: Workshop Activity
Alessandra Battisti
Full Professor of Technology of Architecture, Sapienza Università di Roma
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandra-battisti-611478151/
Livia Calcagni, PhD
Research Fellow, Sapienza Università di Roma
https://www.linkedin.com/in/livia-calcagni-1548531b4/
Wednesday, June 17, whole day (9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm local time)
Applied cases of fragility and resilience in environment and ecology
The Caladeros Game
Juan Esteban Malo Arrazola
Profesor Titular de Universidad del Departamento de Ecología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Research Group on Ecology and Conservation of Terrestrial Ecosystems (TEG)
https://www.uam.es/ciencias/facultad/dpto-ecologia/juan-esteban-malo-arrazola
Maria Fátima Franco Múgica
Profesora Contratada Doctora del Departamento de Ecología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Research Group on Ecology and Conservation of Terrestrial Ecosystems (TEG)
https://www.uam.es/ciencias/facultad/dpto-ecologia/fatima-franco-mugica
Thursday, June 18, whole day (9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm local time)
Climate Change, Livelihoods and Conflict in the Sahel
Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment in Africa
Ahmadou Aly Mbaye
Professeur titulaire, Département d’Analyse et Politique Economiques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD)
https://annuairechercheurs.ucad.sn/ahmadou.mbaye
Thursday, June 18, afternoon (4pm-5pm local time)
The CIVIS Sustainability Challenge: Students Learning and Action in Times of Polycrisis
Maria Daskolia
Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Education, NKUA, Deputy Head of the Dept. of Educational Studies, Director of the Environmental Education Lab, WP9 Leader of the CIVIS European Universities Alliance
Naya Grillia
Postdoctoral Researcher, Environmental Education Lab, Dept. of Educational Studies, NKUA
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Naya-Grillia
ThermeCO-Campus by NKUA Ecosphere: CIVIS Sustainability Challenge 2026 3rd award
Maria-Eleni Zygorodimou, Undergraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Economics, Symeon Moschidis, Postgraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Business Administration, Angeliki Papagianni, Postgraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Physics, Lefteris Papadiamantis, Undergraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Agricultural Development, Agrofood and Management of Natural Resources, Eva Fragkou, Postgraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Educational Studies, Thanos Yiavis, Postgraduate student, NKUA Dept. of Law, NKUA Ecosphere team members
Friday, June 19, morning (9am-1pm local time)
Greece’s Quest for Security in an Age of ‘Poly-crises’. What Lies Ahead?
Panayotis Tsakonas
Professor of International Relations, Security Studies and Foreign Policy Analysis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://see.pspa.uoa.gr/the_team/academic_staff/professor_panayotis_tsakonas
Friday, June 19, afternoon (2pm-6pm local time)
fragiles vs. resilients: a polycrisis game
Dimitris Gouscos
Associate Professor of Digital Communication, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, PolyCIVIS Communication & Dissemination Co-leader, PolyUnderstanding BIP Coordinator
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitris-gouscos/
Ahmadou Aly Mbaye
Professeur titulaire, Département d’Analyse et Politique Economiques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD)
https://annuairechercheurs.ucad.sn/ahmadou.mbaye
Marina Tomara, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NKUA Dept of Communication and Media Studies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-tomara-87b08349/
Alexandra Nakou, PhD
Research Fellow, NKUA Dept of Communication and Media Studies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-nakou-0b141030/
Photo & Video credits: Katerina Christopoulou
