18.00 – 18.30

Welcome - Official opening

18.30 – 20.30

Lifelong learning and rural development – keynote speeches
Chair: Sofoklis Sotiriou, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Greece

Kostas Tsolakidis
The Essence of Being Rural: Reality and Visions
University of the Aegean, Greece

Francesca Uccelli
Education In Peruvian Andean Communities: a Qualitative Approach to the Role of Family in Schooling
Instituto de Estudios Peruanos, Peru

Rory McGreal
Rural Development Using E-Learning: How Learning Technologies Can Help in the Adjustment to a Knowledge Economy
Athabasca University - Canada 's Open University , Canada

Ioannis Mandalas
Mastiha's Admirable Voyage: Turning Traditional Produce into a State-of-the-art Concept and Worldwide Business
MEDITERRA S.A. – Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association, Greece

21.00

Dinner - social event in Mesta

9.00 – 10.40

Understanding rural Europe and the related challenges for lifelong learning and local development
Chair: Franz X. Bogner, Centre of Math & Science Education, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Nikolaos Uzunoglu
Providing Broadband through Satellite: A State-of-the-art Response to Challenges for Lifelong Learning and Local Development in Rural Europe
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece

Iulian Manea
Connecting Traditions and Knowledge
Knowledge Economy Project PMU, Ministry of Information & Communication Technology, Romania

Seraphim Alvanides
Analysis of Fine Level Population Changes in Rural And Urban Greece: 1951 to 2001
Geography, University of Newcastle, UK

Karyn Morrissey
Spatial Microsimulation for Rural Policy Analysis in Ireland: A Review of Applications and Model Development
School of Geography, University of Leeds, UK & RERC Teagasc, Ireland

10.40 – 11.10

Coffee break

11.10 – 12.50

Rural school education and educators' training
Chair: Kostas Tsolakidis, University of the Aegean, Greece

Cristina Ghitulica & Nicoleta Litoiu
Innovative Lifelong Learning Approaches through the Romanian Rural Education Project
Rural Education Project Preuniversitary Education PMU, Ministry of Education & Research, Romania

Mario Barajas Frutos
Creating Virtual Learning Communities of Rural School Teachers
University of Barcelona, Spain

Anca Cehan
Two Distance Education Projects for Sustaining the Training of Teachers in Remote Rural Areas: the Romanian Experience
Department of English, “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi, Romania

Sofoklis Sotiriou & Pavlos Koulouris
Harnessing New Technologies to Providing Training and Support to Rural School Teachers
Ellinogermaniki Agogi , Greece

12.50 – 14.30

Lunch break

14.30 – 15.45

Governance of rural communities
Chair: Konstantinos Chrysagis, Zenon S.A., Greece

Dimitris Ballas
E-Government and Simulating Rural Regions: Towards Microsimulation-Based Socio-Economic Spatial Decision Support Systems
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK

Aine MackenWalsh
Community Action in Post-Socialist Lithuania:A Comparative Case-Study of Two Rural Villages
Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre, Ireland

Nikolaos Marianos, George Perris, Maria Lambrou & Ioannis Theotokas
Rural-eGov: Training SMEs of Rural Areas in Using e-Government Services
Department of Shipping Trade and Transport, University of the Aegean, Greece

15.45 – 16.15

Coffee break

16.15 – 18.20

Higher education in rural Europe
Chair: Dimitris Alimisis, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Greece

George Neofotistos
The Role of Regional Universities and Research Centres in Economic and Human Capital Development: The case of Crete
Physics Department, University οf Crete, Greece

Andrea Kelz
Pursuing Higher Education in the Heart of Europe
University of Applied Science Burgenland, Campus Pinkafeld, Austria

Kevin P. Heanue
Innovation, Education and Partnership in Peripheral Rural Ireland
Rural Economy Research Centre, Teagasc , Ireland

Adamantios Papastamatis
Adult Education in Rural Areas
Department of Education and Social Policy, University of Macedonia, Greece

Klaus Reich, Christian Petter & Kathrin Helling
ICT-Based Learning for Older Adults in Rural Areas: Risks and Chances for the Elderly
Institute for Future Studies, Austria

18.20 – 18.50

Coffee break

18.50 – 20.30

Lifelong learning in rural Greece – the local voices workshop
Chair: Pavlos Koulouris, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Greece
Introducing Speaker: Pavlos Kalogerakis, Director of the Secondary Education Local Authority, Chios, Greece

George Kapsalis
Pupils' Learning Experiences in the Primary Schools of the Greek Countryside
Schools Adviser, Chios' 2nd Area of Primary Education, Greece

Andreas Karakonstantis , Nikolaos Pouleres, Ioannis Gaisidis, Themistoklis Salasidis, Dimosthenis Kefalas, Panagiotis Katsalas
Laboratory Centre for Science of Chios: Its Contribution to the Promotion and Enhancement of the Experimental Teaching of Science in the Primary and Secondary Schools of the Chios Prefecture
Laboratory Centre for Science of Chios, Greece

Nikolaos Arakas & Alexandros Karvouniaris
Adult Education Centres: The Contribution of the Adult Education Centre of Chios to the Development of Rural Areas
Adult Education Centre of Chios, Greece

Flora Paparou
The Science Museum of Chios as a Challenge to Enrich the Scientific Cultural Life of the Chios Island Inhabitants
1st High School of Chios and Science Museum of Chios , Greece

21.00

Dinner - social event in Limenas

9.00 – 10.40

Approaches for learning and development in rural Europe
Chair: Rory McGreal, Athabasca University, Canada

Roni Aviram & Arik Segev
Lifelong Learning as Enhancing Empowerment and Well Being
The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Nikos Kontakis
Establishing an Eco-efficiency Analysis Program for the Area of the Aegean
University of the Aegean, Greece 

Michel Vidal
The Problem Solving Methods to Support Teacher's and Student's Lifelong Learning
Sup Agro Florac, Ministry of Agriculture, France

Dimitris Alimisis
Robotics-enhanced Constructivist Learning: the TERECoP project
School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Greece

10.40 – 11.10

Coffee break

11.10 – 13.05

Bridging the digital gap
Chair: Roni Aviram, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Dimitrios Katsigiannis
The HERMES Project: Bringing Satellite Broa
dband to Remote Greek Communities through SchoolsHellenic Aerospace Industry, Greece

Konstantinos Chrysagis
Rural Living Labs for the Collaborative Creation of Services Enhancing Rural Development by People Working and Living in Rural Areas: The C@R project
Zenon S.A., Greece

Katerina Christodoulopoulou, John Garofalakis & Andreas Koskeris
Creation of Telecenters to Support Learning, Entrepreneurship and Access to Information Society, in Isolated Areas: The TELEACCESS Project
Telematics Center of Western Greece, Research Academic Computer Technology Institute, Greece

Tacha Serif, Lampros Stergioulas & Gheorghita Ghinea
Interactive Services and Scenario Specifications for Satellite-enabled Education
Brunel University , UK

Ilias Siddiqui
Rural eLearning Initiatives for South Asia
Asian Coordination Bureau, World Youth Bank

13.05 – 15.00

Lunch break

14.30 – 15.00

Rural Wings application demo workshop

Evi Chryssafidou
Technology Enhanced Music Education in Remote Areas: Supporting the Teaching of Wind Instrument in Rural Areas through the Virtual European Music School (VEMUS)
Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Greece

15.00 – 16.15

Bringing and managing change – the community empowerment Rural Wings workshop (Part I)
Chair: Gabriel Dima, University Politehnica of Bucharest , Romania

Sofoklis Sotiriou & Pavlos Koulouris
The Role of Change Agents in the Rural Communities of the Rural Wings Project
Ellinogermaniki Agogi , Greece

Pat Gibbons
A Model to Strengthen the Community Voice in Ireland 's Local Development Process: The ADOPT Model
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, UCD, Ireland

Aine Macken Walsh & Loka Ashwood
Barriers to Change: Problematising the Interchange between Different Societal Groups and Contemporary Rural Development in Ireland
Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre, Ireland

16.15 – 17.00

Coffee break

Rural Wings application demo workshop

Madeleine Caroline Schleiss
WebRadio and WebTV: Giving a Media Voice to the Local Community
DBC WebRadio and WebTV , Switzerland

Bringing and managing change – the community empowerment Rural Wings workshop (Part II)
Chair: Mario Barajas Frutos, University of Barcelona, Spain

Adamantios Fyllas & Vassilis Ballas
The Educational Role of the Culture Association of a Remote Small Rural Community
Learning and Culture Association of Mesta, Greece

Thanos Yamas
Simulation Learning Experiences in Rural SMEs
Metisnet Ltd, Greece

19.00 – 21.00

Excursion

21.00

Dinner - social event in Karfas

9.00 – 11.00

Personal and professional empowerment in rural areas
Chair: Dimitris Ballas, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK

Franz X. Bogner
A Career Example from a Rural Remote School into a Professional Career
Centre of Math & Science Education, University of Bayreuth , Germany

Lily Mulhall
From Distance Learning to Blended Learning: The Development of E-learning Approaches and Methodologies to Address the Educational Needs of Dispersed Rural Groups and their Educators. A Case Study of V-learn.ie - the Virtual Centre of Academic Excellence in Rural Development
School of Biological and Environmental Science, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, UCD, Ireland

Nora Gikopoulou
Career Guidance in Disadvantaged AreasEllinogermaniki Agogi, Greece

Juan Manuel Gutierrez
Rural Development in Serrania de Ronda, Andalucia: Projects and Activities
CEDER, Spain

Lucrecia Aguiluz & Ricardo Arce
Creating a Cooperative of Proximity Services in Rural Areas: a Training Experience
PRODER, Spain

11.00 – 11.15

Coffee break

11.15 – 13.20

Empowering the farmer
Chair: George Neofotistos , Physics Department, University οf Crete , Greece

Manolis Stratakis
The YPAITHROS project
FORTHNET, Greece

Matina Kanaki
Hesiodos: Farmer's Lifelong LearningGeneral Secretariat for Adult Education, Ministry of Education & Univeristy of the Aegean, Greece

Vildan Serin
The Impacts of Education on Farmers' Income: A Survey Analysis
Department of Economics, Fatih University, Turkey

Tourism in rural and protected areas

Emmanouil Tsimitakis & Sofoklis Skoultos
Natural Heritage Resources for Tourism: Management and Promotion in the Region Of Epirus , Greece .
The IRIS Research Laboratory, University of the Aegean, Greece

Christian Petter , Klaus Reich & Kathrin Helling
Social Software and the Establishment of Virtual Communities of Practice in the Tourism Sector
Institute for Future Studies, Austria

13.20 – 14.00

Closing

14.30

Lunch in Limenas

RuraLEARN is co-funded by the European Commission, as an Accompanying Measure
of the Socrates Programme