The University of Western Macedonia and Deloitte agreed to form a framework of collaboration to connect the academic community with entrepreneurship, which they sanctioned by signing a memorandum of cooperation. The signing ceremony took place at the New Campus in ZEP of Kozani, in the presence of Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr. Stathis Konstantinidis.
Through the joint undertaking of initiatives and the implementation of various actions included in the memorandum, valuable synergies are expected to develop in the period 2024 – 2029, with multiplying and measurable results in the field of regional and local development.
Within the framework of the memorandum, various actions will be examined, like the co-organization of educational programmes aimed at the enhancement of knowledge and skills of human resources in matters of business administration, IT and programming, the support of the university’s postgraduate study programmes in IT, as well as opportunities for internships, applied research and employment for the students. Meanwhile, collaboration in research projects and programmes as well as the development and implementation of innovative actions are foreseen for the benefit of the local labour market.
After the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation, the Deputy Minister of the Interior and responsible for Macedonia and Thrace issues, Mr. Stathis Konstantinidis, stated: “On the 24th of November 2023, at our initiative, Deloitte visited the University of Western Macedonia in order to connect the two entities towards the development of the knowledge and skills of our university’s graduates. I am glad that this connection is validated and extended by the signing of a memorandum of cooperation. It is the government’s main goal to encourage and form communication channels between the entities that generate knowledge and those that create jobs. With our initiative we want to create job prospects for the graduates of the University of Western Macedonia and the region’s residents in the wide range of fields that companies like Deloitte extend to”.
At the same time, the Rector of the University of Western Macedonia, Prof. Theodoros Theodoulidis, stated: “The University of Western Macedonia follows targeted strategies of extroversion and networking with companies in order to create strong prospects for the absorption of our students in the labour market. The mutually beneficial cooperation with Deloitte promotes educational programmes and actions for the upgrade of the skills of the students and the citizens of Western Macedonia that meet the needs of the labour market in the post-lignite era and the digital transformation”.
Mr. Vasilis Kafatos, Partner of Deloitte and President of Deloitte Competence Centre commented: “We are particularly happy for the commencement of a significant collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia that is part of Deloitte’s strategic commitment for the continuous investment and utilization of the talent of our entire country. We have discussed and we are launching several initiatives aimed at the reskilling in cutting-edge technologies and the upgrade of the skills of students in accordance with the future needs of the labour market, as well as actions related to the professional employment and development of the human resources of the region”.
University of Western Macedonia
