Malta Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (LISP)

Open online courses from the Hellenic Informatics Association

July 28, 2025
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The Hellenic Informatics Association (EIA) is one of the most important professional and scientific bodies in Greece, representing since 2000 the graduates of Higher Education Informatics. Headquartered in Athens, LTD aims to promote knowledge, innovation and professional excellence in the field of information technology, contributing to the development of the Greek society and economy.

It was founded with the aim of strengthening the role of information technology in Greece, through its institutional representation and the recognition of Information Technology as a science and a profession. According to its statutes, themain purpose of the LLC is to promote information technology in all sectors of society, such as the economy, public administration, health, education and culture, with a view to the country’s self-reliant development and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

It represents IT professionals institutionally in national and international bodies, promotes research and study of IT issues, and contributes to the formulation of relevant legislation. Through the collection and publication of statistical data, the elaboration of studies and the support of development programs, the LTD enhances the quality of life, the protection of the environment and technological progress, while promoting the restructuring of Computer Science studies and the connection of research with production.

Informatics literacy for all – Informatics modernisation in everything – Informatics production in our country!

At the same time:

works to sensitize society to the proper use of technologies, to eliminate technophobia and “digital illiteracy” and to promote the Greek language in technical terms,
inform the public through publications and events;
protects individual rights against misuse of personal data;
contributes to the free movement of ideas, peace and democracy;
promote the modernisation of public administration;
argues that “thedevelopment of IT is the result of systematic education and cultivation and is not due to any innate talents”.

Important moments of LTD:

Drafting and publication of the “Informatics ReviewStudy” (2006)
drafting and publishing the first “Codeof Ethics for Computer Science”in Greece, based on the international codes of ACM and IEEE (2016).
organization of the historically important tele-conference for its 20 years of operation in 2020, highlighting its contribution to education and society,
submitting a proposal (2025) for the creation of a National Chamber of Communications and Informatics, underlining the importance of involving specialists in decision-making on IT development and in the preparation and implementation of the country’s IT strategy;
the free publication, on a 3-monthly basis and in digital form, of the journal ‘Pliroforikos’ as early as 2009, happily reaching its 28th^issue in the second quarter of 2025);

creation of the podcast/vidcast series REBOOT, where every 2 weeks a new episode discusses issues related to developments in the field of Information Technology,
maintaining an active presence on social media , with more than 3 300 followers on Facebook, where it informs about its actions and initiatives and continues to promote information science, strengthening the position of professionals in the sector and contributing to Greece’s digital progress;
organisation since 2020 of open, free online courses on its own educational website.

The good practice of the Union’s Open Courses

One of the main actions of the EIA, as mentioned above, is the organisation of open online courses, which are offered free of charge to all, at no financial cost. Launched in 2025, the fifth course is a follow-up to a successful and well-received initiative, boosting the dissemination of information technology knowledge.

Courses cover a wide range of topics, from basic computer skills to specialized subjects, and are supported by a dedicated website that includes course files and programs. The initiative, available through the platform courses.epe.org.gr, confirms the EIA’s commitment to accessible and inclusive IT education.

What are the Open Courses of EPE?

This is a series of voluntary IT courses, delivered live via Zoom, free of charge and without formal prerequisites.

The rapporteurs are members of the LLC, all with an academic or professional background in Computer Science, and offer their work voluntarily, strengthening the social role of the profession. Emphasis is placed on the wide dissemination of information technology knowledge, with courses covering both technical and social and ethical issues.

The courses are open to everyone – from pupils, students and teachers, to citizens without specific knowledge of technology – and the trainings are informal (attestations of attendance are not provided). A course file is available on the website with free access to presentations and videos, classified into 9 thematic categories:

Artificial intelligence,
computer hardware,
Entrepreneurship;
Computer programming,
Software technologies,
Digital Creativity,
Internet technologies,
Robotics/Telecommunications Technologies,
History of Information Technology.

Why is this initiative good practice?

The EIA action is a model of good practice for the following reasons:

1. Free access to knowledge: Participation is free of charge and open to all, regardless of educational or professional background.

2. Social contribution of Informatics: The rapporteurs, academics or IT professionals, volunteer their knowledge and time, highlighting the ethos and responsibility of the profession towards society.

3. Combating digital illiteracy: The courses are designed not only for advanced executives or specialists, but also for ordinary citizens, and aim to familiarise them with technology.

4. Focus on topical and critical issues: The themes of the cycle touch upon areas such as: Ethics in Artificial Intelligence, Modern hardware technologies, Social and ethical dimensions of computing.

5. Utilisation of digital media: Fully online implementation reduces geographical and social barriers to participation.