Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης) (AUTh) was founded in 1926, has 42 departments and faculties some of them unique in Greece, and hosts 95,000 students (bachelor) and 9,000 master and PhD students. Also, there is an interdisciplinary cooperation among schools and laboratories in joint projects. Moreover, many academic staff members cooperate with European partners for the implementation of joint projects. Some 250 AUTh labs have participated in EU projects, covering the entire range of scientific activities, from Environment, Biotechnology to History and Archaeology. All the above makes AUTh one of the biggest scientific employers nationwide.

AUTh has cooperated with over a thousand partners in the past three years (Universities, research centres and companies) within the framework of the 5th Support Framework. The Educational Programmes Section of the Department supports the implementation of the AUTh. SOCRATES Programme and the other European Educational Programmes (TEMPUS, LINGUA, JEAN MONNET etc.).
The Department of Archaeology includes 65 professors, undertakes 14 excavations and has about 2,000 undergraduate, master and PhD students. The Department specializes in different thematic aspects of archaeology, namely Prehistoric, Classical and Byzantine archaeology, but covers also other themes such as Bioarchaeology, Museology etc. The department has its own cast museum and organizes each year the meeting for Archaeological Works in Macedonia and Thrace.
The Laboratory of Prehistory AUTh is situated at the building of Old Philosophy School and supports two prehistoric excavations one in Toumba Thessaloniki and the other at Paliambela Kolindros. Techniques and analysis carried out at the lab include material cultural analysis (ceramic technology, archaebotonical - archaeozological), archaeometry and chemical analysis, as well as use of new technologies (GIS, interactive interpretation of data). There is an increasing interest for the dissemination of archaeology as a practice (archaeological events in newspapers, educational programmes) but also for museology and heritage management. In this framework European and national research projects have been implemented including Past, Temper and the Information Society.

In the framework of the ACE project, AUTh will more particularly participate in this themes : :
-Theme I: The significance of the past
"The making of a new past"
"Monuments and material culture of the past in forming identities"
The objective of this action is to study the contribution of archaeology to the construction of national identities to different social, religious and ethnic groups in contemporary Greece. The emphasis will be given to immigrants.
a. Formal Education: Study of the images and perceptions that school textbooks provide about Greek material culture and the way archaeological knowledge is used to construct cultural identities
b. Informal Education: The contribution of cultural institutions' educational programs into the creation of the cultural identity of various diversified groups

- Theme III: The archaeological Profession
Preparing the future archaeologists. The academic profile of Greek Universities.
An in deep survey and discussion of the role played of archaeological education in Greece, is going to take place in this field. Are archaeologists ready for their debut in archaeological practice with what they have gained after their four year course? Is archaeological knowledge close to archaeological reality? What goes on in other European countries? What is the impact for the society?

-Theme IV: Public outreach: Invitation to archaeology
Antiquities and the city.

The objective is to understand how antiquities and furthermore the significance anyone of us gives to the history or histories they produce, are experienced in everyday life in a conscious or subconscious way. Is going to examine the coexistence of antiquities in an urban context and how the notion of continuity historically reforms and influences the identity of the city as well as the cultural identity of its inhabitants.

The AUTh will organise and host a meeting in october 2010.