The graduation ceremony for the Joint Postgraduate Program “Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism” took place on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., in the Third Auditorium of the School of Theology. The MSc program was established in the 2020–21 academic year by the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as the lead department, and the Department of Organizational Management, Marketing, and Tourism at the International University of Greece, as the collaborating department. This is an innovative and pioneering program that takes an interdisciplinary approach to two fields: religious and theological knowledge, and its management in the context of tourism and administration.
In attendance at the event were the Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports; His Eminence the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki; the Dean of the School of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; and the Chairs of the two departments, the Director of the MSc Program, faculty members of the Master’s Program, graduates, their relatives, and friends. The ceremony was presided over by Ms. Zoe Kopaila, Head of the Secretariat of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, Professor Nikolaos Papaioannou, extended a warm greeting. He expressed his satisfaction with the constructive collaboration between the two partner departments of two of the country’s leading universities. Referring to the MSc Program, he praised the choice of subject matter, which highlights the ancient Greek ideal of linking theory and practice. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that combines social theology and Christian culture with tourism. In his capacity as a professor and former rector of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Mr. Papaioannou congratulated the School of Theology and its departments for their outreach efforts. Finally, he noted that the program, thanks to its exceptional faculty, creates the appropriate academic conditions for in-depth study of religious and pilgrimage tourism, while describing the graduation ceremony as a “celebration of knowledge, a celebration of Greece.”
His Eminence Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki emphasized that dialogue and coexistence with others are inherent to the nature of theology—the science of sciences—as is its collaboration with other academic disciplines. At the same time, he expressed his joy, as this particular Master’s program is the result of this partnership between the two collaborating departments of the two universities in Thessaloniki. Furthermore, he highlighted the program’s value for the local Church, as well as its contribution to promoting the holy pilgrimage sites of Thessaloniki—a city dotted with sacred places that we all have a duty to highlight. In closing, he extended his heartfelt wishes and gave his paternal blessing to the Director and the teaching staff of the Program, as well as to the graduates and their families.
The Dean of the School of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Protopresbyter Athanasios Gikas, praised the fruitful inter-institutional collaboration between Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the joint degree Addressing the graduates, he congratulated them on the successful completion of their studies. He emphasized that the knowledge and skills they have acquired open up both professional and emotional horizons, allowing them to discover the roots of our culture and tradition. In closing, after thanking the Program Director and the faculty of the participating departments, he wished the graduates every success, urging them to use their degrees to promote Greece’s religious monuments and culture internationally.
Ms. Kopaila read the greeting from the Dean of the School of Economics and Management at DIPAE, Professor Fotios Kilipiris. Professor Kilipiris expressed his appreciation for the successful collaboration between DIPAE and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Addressing the graduates, he emphasized that the completion of their studies marks a milestone of persistent effort for the students. He highlighted the dynamic growth of religious tourism in Greece and called on the graduates to showcase this wealth through scholarly knowledge and responsibility. In closing, after warmly thanking the Program Director, the faculty and administrative staff, as well as the students’ families, he wished the graduates every success in their new endeavors, urging them to always strive for excellence and integrity.
In his remarks, the Chair of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Apostolos Kralidis, emphasized that graduation marks the completion of a demanding academic journey and, at the same time, the starting point of a new path. On this path, the knowledge acquired must be transformed into creative action, professional responsibility, and social contribution. As he pointed out, religious and pilgrimage tourism lies at the intersection of faith, history, art, cultural heritage, and local development, which is why the management of pilgrimages requires scientific training, respect, and sensitivity. In closing, he expressed his gratitude to the faculty members of the two collaborating departments. At the same time, after warmly congratulating the graduates and their families, he emphasized that their diploma represents not only a personal achievement but also a responsibility toward science, society, and our cultural heritage.
Warm congratulations were also extended by the Chair of the partner Department of Organizational Management, Marketing, and Tourism, Professor Panagiotis Kassianidis. Mr. Kassianidis noted that the program offered graduates the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of religious tourism and to effectively combine theory with practice. At the same time, he highlighted the fruitful collaboration between the two departments and the high caliber of the faculty’s work. In closing, he urged the graduates to serve their field of study with love and dedication.
Concluding the opening remarks, the Program Director, Professor Soultana Lambrou of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, emphasized in her speech the profound spiritual and historical dimensions of religious tourism. As she pointed out, people’s journeys to holy sites have, throughout history, stemmed from an inner need to experience the sacred. The historical continuity of this need is documented by sources such as the Byzantine satire “Timarion” (12th century), which describes the mass influx of pilgrims from various ethnic groups to Thessaloniki for the Feast of Saint Demetrius. He emphasized, in fact, that in modern times this tradition is not merely an economic activity, but serves as a bridge of culture and a spiritual outlet in the face of the current social crisis. Ms. Lambrou, referring to the graduate program—an interdisciplinary collaboration between Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the International University of Greece—praised the high quality of the program and its faculty. He emphasized that the program provides specialized theological knowledge relevant to the interests of pilgrimage tourists, combined with top-level tourism training in the niche field of religious tourism. He made special mention of the generation of new knowledge derived from the graduates’ master’s theses. In closing, he emphasized that the graduation ceremony marks the culmination of the students’ intensive efforts to balance their studies, work, and family life. The speech concluded with warm wishes for the graduates for a blessed, creative, and successful professional career.
Finally, the valedictorian, Anna Mamatsiou, a graduate of the Department of Primary Education at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, who emphasized that the graduation ceremony serves as both a reflection on and a celebration of the completion of a demanding and creative course of study. She began by expressing her emotion at finally meeting her fellow students in person, as their studies had taken place remotely. In analyzing the subject of their studies, she approached religious tourism not as a mere tourist activity, but as a complex social, cultural, and spiritual phenomenon that connects traditions and historical memories, highlighting places of worship as repositories of cultural heritage. At the same time, he praised the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which combines knowledge of theology with the principles of marketing and tourism. She then expressed her gratitude to the professors for their academic guidance, to the two universities for the high standard of education, as well as to the students’ families for their unwavering support through the challenges of their studies. In closing, she emphasized that knowledge is a lifelong journey and called on her colleagues to engage with society with integrity, respect for intellectual pursuits, and a spirit of service. In fact, drawing on a saying by Elder Ephraim of Arizona, she likened the graduates to a small flame capable of illuminating the world, urging them to use their knowledge to promote and highlight the Orthodox Churches and monasteries.
This was followed by the presentation of commemorative gifts to the graduates by His Eminence the Metropolitan, the Dean, the Chairs of the two Departments, the Director, and members of the Program’s Academic Committee and faculty members. The event was simultaneously streamed online via the YouTube channel of the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where it is available at the following link:
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