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In the 1980s many young people came to the University of Patras to study, as did hundreds of others from all over Greece. The years passed. Nostalgia grew and they decided to meet where else but in the University of Patras, a place they always carry in their hearts.
Against the background of the constructed innovative Rio – Antirrio Bridge with its 4 pillars, each one for every 10 years since their graduation, civil engineers from all over the world gathered in our city after 40 years.
A very beautiful event full of emotion and memories was organized yesterday by the civil engineers who graduated four decades ago from the then newly established Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras in the auditorium of their building “Efthimios Mastrogiannis” with the president of the department, Professor Athanasios Triantafyllou, as guest.
Earlier in the conference center of the academic institution, the rector, Christos Bouras, welcomed and spoke to the engineers who attended in our city and who are active in Greece and abroad.
It was a different reunion to take stock and create strong bonds between them. The graduates of 1982 were together again to relive good old times from their studies in the university benches of the 1980s and their student life in a post-communist Patras, more picturesque, more evenly structured, full of the colours and smells of that era.
Matthoula Triantafyllou (Secretary General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs): The memories of that period came back
“The memories that dominate from those student years are primarily our way of life at that time and secondarily our studies. The companionship, the solidarity, the search for ideas and visions and our life together away from our families are probably the most beautiful memories I have of those years. At the level of studies, the memories that I keep are the collaborations with my fellow students, the joint study during the exam period, the pleasant moments of attending classes, the exams in the auditorium in Rio, the rigour in certain courses… All together, snapshots of a microcosm that I feel cultivated my search in the way of thinking, the organisation of my ideas, the pursuit of results, skills that I appreciate as a springboard for my later career.
The meeting with our fellow students after 40 years of separate paths was, in my opinion, a great challenge, arousing intense interest and enthusiasm and a great emotional charge. It was a great challenge because we were invited to meet again people of our generation who, each of us having followed a separate path, are also carrying a different culture from the one we knew 40 years ago. It was interesting and exciting because in a few hours we came into contact and communicated with many people with whom we have – even if loose – ties. Particularly emotional because, together with our fellow students, the memories of that period, the memories of vision, of hope, of beauty, came flooding back”.
Vassilis Tsikhrintzis (professor at the University of Thrace and NTUA): Lunches at Koukoutsis’ tavern in Rio
“My student years in Patras, 1977-1982, were of the best in my life. The age carefree, the friends, the taverns, the late nights at the station café and the breakfast of butter and honey at the dairy shop on Korinthou Street and then straight to class at 8:00. And lunches at Koukoutsis’ tavern in Rio.
But at the same time the hard work with our teams to finish our assignments and complete our studies. Our University, with one of the most beautiful campuses in Greece today, was then still in its infancy. There was only the Corinth Street Annex and in Rio the prefabricated buildings and Buildings A and B. I also remember the late nights at the photocopier of the University to make the first notes so that we could study.
Having only good memories of those years and trying to keep in touch with my fellow students and friends in an important year like this, 40 years after our graduation, we thought we should get together, remember the good old times and identify after so long where everyone is and what their path has been. I feel lucky for my studies at the University of Patras which were instrumental in my further career.
I met professors of high level, such as Mr. Atmatzidis, Beskos, Chatzitheodorou, Grigoropoulos, Antonopoulos and fellow students with dreams and goals who are now successful scientists and professionals. We owe a lot for this meeting to our friend Dimitris Plumbis who lives in the Czech Republic, who came up with the first idea and successfully organized the whole project. Our fellow student from Patras, Harris Vassiliou, also helped in the effort.”
Dimitris Plumbis (civil engineer active in the Czech Republic): lively friendships, intense confrontations
“I remember a School of Engineering in its infancy but full of energy and efforts to become better, a University pioneering in many fields, a new world of knowledge that opened up before me, strong friendships, lively debates, broadening the horizon of my interests, intense politicization, hope better certainty that tomorrow would be better. I remember a less developed but friendly and pleasant Patras, I remember economic difficulties but also an incredible optimism. It was a simpler world and a simpler time than today, with many, unsubstantiated, ‘certainties’ and clear dividing lines.
Attending the reunion, contrary to what most people think, is secondarily triggered by a desire to see old classmates in their current form. The desire is through the conversations, stories, and memories to “live” for a while, even if only imaginatively, the time of one’s youth, one’s pleasant and hopeful student life. 40 years after the days when we first met, we had the opportunity with our fellow students to talk much more about ‘then’ and less about ‘after’.”
Harry Vassiliou: As if it were yesterday.
“The aura of freedom of the third year of post-independence vibrated so strongly in the daily life of our student life that you can still remember it. Almost half a century ago, the newly established Department of Civil Engineering was beginning to stand on its feet, and we, on the strength of our recent success in the entrance exams, were just beginning to dream of a better tomorrow.
The thought of reconnecting, talking, collaborating and seeing many of my fellow students again moved me, and I decided to strive for the success of our reunion, now with the four pillars of the admired bridge in the background, four decades later. To discuss what of what we dreamed of then came true, what our lives are like now, now we have dreams for the future. It seems like yesterday!!!”
Source: https://pelop.gr/patra-panepistimio-politikoi-michanikoi-epestrepsan-sta-edrana-meta-apo-40-chronia/
In the 1980s many young people came to the University of Patras to study, as did hundreds of others from all over Greece. The years passed. Nostalgia grew and they decided to meet where else but in the University of Patras, a place they always carry in their hearts.
Against the background of the constructed innovative Rio – Antirrio Bridge with its 4 pillars, each one for every 10 years since their graduation, civil engineers from all over the world gathered in our city after 40 years.
A very beautiful event full of emotion and memories was organized yesterday by the civil engineers who graduated four decades ago from the then newly established Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras in the auditorium of their building “Efthimios Mastrogiannis” with the president of the department, Professor Athanasios Triantafyllou, as guest.
Earlier in the conference center of the academic institution, the rector, Christos Bouras, welcomed and spoke to the engineers who attended in our city and who are active in Greece and abroad.
It was a different reunion to take stock and create strong bonds between them. The graduates of 1982 were together again to relive good old times from their studies in the university benches of the 1980s and their student life in a post-communist Patras, more picturesque, more evenly structured, full of the colours and smells of that era.
Matthoula Triantafyllou (Secretary General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs): The memories of that period came back
“The memories that dominate from those student years are primarily our way of life at that time and secondarily our studies. The companionship, the solidarity, the search for ideas and visions and our life together away from our families are probably the most beautiful memories I have of those years. At the level of studies, the memories that I keep are the collaborations with my fellow students, the joint study during the exam period, the pleasant moments of attending classes, the exams in the auditorium in Rio, the rigour in certain courses… All together, snapshots of a microcosm that I feel cultivated my search in the way of thinking, the organisation of my ideas, the pursuit of results, skills that I appreciate as a springboard for my later career.
The meeting with our fellow students after 40 years of separate paths was, in my opinion, a great challenge, arousing intense interest and enthusiasm and a great emotional charge. It was a great challenge because we were invited to meet again people of our generation who, each of us having followed a separate path, are also carrying a different culture from the one we knew 40 years ago. It was interesting and exciting because in a few hours we came into contact and communicated with many people with whom we have – even if loose – ties. Particularly emotional because, together with our fellow students, the memories of that period, the memories of vision, of hope, of beauty, came flooding back”.
Vassilis Tsikhrintzis (professor at the University of Thrace and NTUA): Lunches at Koukoutsis’ tavern in Rio
“My student years in Patras, 1977-1982, were of the best in my life. The age carefree, the friends, the taverns, the late nights at the station café and the breakfast of butter and honey at the dairy shop on Korinthou Street and then straight to class at 8:00. And lunches at Koukoutsis’ tavern in Rio.
But at the same time the hard work with our teams to finish our assignments and complete our studies. Our University, with one of the most beautiful campuses in Greece today, was then still in its infancy. There was only the Corinth Street Annex and in Rio the prefabricated buildings and Buildings A and B. I also remember the late nights at the photocopier of the University to make the first notes so that we could study.
Having only good memories of those years and trying to keep in touch with my fellow students and friends in an important year like this, 40 years after our graduation, we thought we should get together, remember the good old times and identify after so long where everyone is and what their path has been. I feel lucky for my studies at the University of Patras which were instrumental in my further career.
I met professors of high level, such as Mr. Atmatzidis, Beskos, Chatzitheodorou, Grigoropoulos, Antonopoulos and fellow students with dreams and goals who are now successful scientists and professionals. We owe a lot for this meeting to our friend Dimitris Plumbis who lives in the Czech Republic, who came up with the first idea and successfully organized the whole project. Our fellow student from Patras, Harris Vassiliou, also helped in the effort.”
Dimitris Plumbis (civil engineer active in the Czech Republic): lively friendships, intense confrontations
“I remember a School of Engineering in its infancy but full of energy and efforts to become better, a University pioneering in many fields, a new world of knowledge that opened up before me, strong friendships, lively debates, broadening the horizon of my interests, intense politicization, hope better certainty that tomorrow would be better. I remember a less developed but friendly and pleasant Patras, I remember economic difficulties but also an incredible optimism. It was a simpler world and a simpler time than today, with many, unsubstantiated, ‘certainties’ and clear dividing lines.
Attending the reunion, contrary to what most people think, is secondarily triggered by a desire to see old classmates in their current form. The desire is through the conversations, stories, and memories to “live” for a while, even if only imaginatively, the time of one’s youth, one’s pleasant and hopeful student life. 40 years after the days when we first met, we had the opportunity with our fellow students to talk much more about ‘then’ and less about ‘after’.”
Harry Vassiliou: As if it were yesterday.
“The aura of freedom of the third year of post-independence vibrated so strongly in the daily life of our student life that you can still remember it. Almost half a century ago, the newly established Department of Civil Engineering was beginning to stand on its feet, and we, on the strength of our recent success in the entrance exams, were just beginning to dream of a better tomorrow.
The thought of reconnecting, talking, collaborating and seeing many of my fellow students again moved me, and I decided to strive for the success of our reunion, now with the four pillars of the admired bridge in the background, four decades later. To discuss what of what we dreamed of then came true, what our lives are like now, now we have dreams for the future. It seems like yesterday!!!”
Source: https://pelop.gr/patra-panepistimio-politikoi-michanikoi-epestrepsan-sta-edrana-meta-apo-40-chronia/