A new student's guide to services and facilities at AUTh.

The University maintains an extensive network of libraries and reading rooms across its campus and throughout the city. As the CESE programme is coordinated by the School of Mechanical Engineering, the Mechanical Engineering library will be among your principal academic resources, complemented by the central reading rooms and a number of specialist libraries in Thessaloniki.

Library of the Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Library is co-located with that of the Department of Civil Engineering, on the ground floor of Building E10, next to the Hydraulics Building. It serves the entire academic community — faculty members, research and teaching staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and visiting researchers — and is overseen by a Library Committee supported by the Department's librarian. Its collection covers the full range of mechanical-engineering subjects, with particular emphasis on the undergraduate curriculum, postgraduate programmes and ongoing research.

Reading rooms

The Central Student Reading Room is open daily from 08:00 to 02:00, offering extended quiet hours for independent study. Departmental libraries across the Schools of Engineering and beyond provide additional study spaces subject to availability. Full details are published by the AUTh Library & Information Centre at lib.auth.gr.

Other libraries in Thessaloniki

Beyond the University, students may also use a number of specialist and public libraries in the city, including the Library of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), Central Macedonia (49 Megalou Alexandrou Street); the Municipal Library of Thessaloniki; the Library of the Society for Macedonian Studies; and the libraries of cultural institutions such as the British Council, the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute.

On enrolment, every student receives an Institutional User Account — your university identity. It provides a single, unified username and password used across all of the University's electronic systems and academic applications, so it is the first thing to activate when you arrive.

Through this account, all AUTh students gain access to a personal email address, web hosting, the campus wireless network, and a range of software and computing resources. A full directory of digital services is maintained at it.auth.gr/services.

Computing facilities

The Computer Islands of the Faculty of Engineering, located on the ground floor of Building D, provide networked workstations available to all students, with priority given to diploma-thesis and doctoral candidates. They may also be used for classes and seminars, subject to the rules posted on the Department's website.

Academic identity card

All undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students of Greek higher-education institutions are entitled to an academic identity card, which for eligible students also serves as a reduced-fare public-transport pass (the Special Ticket Card). Applications are submitted online at academicid.minedu.gov.gr. Students on exchange programmes are also eligible.

Online courses (e-learning)

The University's e-learning platform hosts electronic course materials for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, supported by the Digital Governance Unit and the Library & Information Centre. Access is available to AUTh members and certified collaborators at elearning.auth.gr.

The University places considerable emphasis on student wellbeing, providing confidential support for personal, psychological and health-related matters, alongside dedicated services for students with disabilities and those in vulnerable circumstances.

Counselling & Psychological Support Centre (KESYPSY)

KESYPSY offers free and confidential individual and group counselling to students. Its support encompasses adjustment to university life, stress and anxiety, interpersonal and family relationships, and personal wellbeing more broadly. The Centre is located on the ground floor of the Lower University Student Club, within the Health Service area (Offices 5 and 8).

Social Policy & Health

The Committee on Social Policy & Health works to ensure accessibility for all members of the university community, with particular attention to students with disabilities. Its measures include training for visually impaired students in the use of assistive technology, Braille printers in selected libraries, textbooks with vocal rendering, and a dedicated bus service. The Committee also organises voluntary blood-donation events twice a year, in November and April.

Observatory of the Academic Course of Students

The Observatory supports students who belong to sensitive social groups — including students with disabilities, international students, minority, expatriate or repatriated students, and those facing temporary or emergency health problems. Students may contact the Observatory Committee or their Department's Study Advisors for assistance at acobservatory.web.auth.gr (stud-observ@ad.auth.gr · 2310 995360).

University life extends well beyond the lecture hall. AUTh actively encourages students to contribute to their community and to develop leadership and intercultural skills through volunteering and student-led organisations.

Volunteer Committee

The Volunteer Committee promotes a culture of volunteering across the University, supporting meaningful initiatives connected to student life, the environment and social contribution. Volunteer Networks are being established within each School, each coordinated jointly by a faculty member and a student. Further information is available at volunteering.auth.gr (2310 996713 · 2310 996708).

AIESEC

AIESEC is an international, student-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to leadership development, cultural understanding and peace. Founded in 1948, present in Greece since 1956 and active at AUTh since 1991, it operates across 100 countries and some 1,100 universities. Through its international internship programme, third- and fourth-year students — and graduates within two years of completing their studies — can live and work abroad for periods ranging from two months to a year and a half.

For more than twenty years, the University's Study & Career Liaison Office has supported students and graduates in their academic and professional development. It is the natural first point of contact as you begin to think about postgraduate study, internships and your career after graduation.

Its services include:

• Information and guidance on postgraduate studies in Greece and abroad.
• Scholarships and endowments.
• Individual career counselling.
• Entrepreneurship workshops.
• Career days and networking events.
• Job and internship postings.

Full details, along with current opportunities, are published at career.auth.gr. International work experience is also available through the AIESEC internship programme described above.

University Student Club (A.P.I.)

The University Student Club provides a broad set of welfare services to enrolled students, including food services, housing, medical care, a reading room and canteen, and artistic and sporting activities. Information is available at pfl.auth.gr or by telephone on 2310 992602.

Sports Centre

The University Sports Centre runs exercise and athletic programmes for students, staff and graduates of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Programmes and facilities are listed at gym.auth.gr.

Use of University facilities & equipment

Students may use University facilities and equipment to meet the requirements of their curriculum, in collaboration with the teaching staff. Access to spaces managed by a particular Department requires that Department's approval.

Finding your way

Two resources are especially useful in your first weeks. The Survival Guide, issued by the Directorate for the Coordination of Academic Units, gathers essential information for navigating both university life and the city — see studentguide.auth.gr. The Department of Studies, in turn, provides authoritative information on the University, its Schools, services and study programmes, and handles matters relating to international students (dps.auth.gr).

Thessaloniki is Greece's second-largest city and a major hub for Northern Greece and the Balkans. It is known for its vibrant student life, its rich cultural scene and its lively character — a welcoming and walkable place to spend your studies.

Getting around

The city is served by fast and convenient public transport, including the OASTH bus network and the Thessaloniki Metro. Routes, timetables and fares are published by each operator.