The International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) successfully organised the Round Table Discussion on “Investing in Human Capital in the South East Europe: The dynamic role of women and the youth” on Tuesday 1 April 2014, at Amalia Hotel, in Athens.  

Opening the event, ICBSS Director General, Dr. Zefi Dimadama, thanked the honourable guests, the speakers and the audience, for their attendance and expressed her greatest honour for the support shown to ICBSS and its events. During her speech, Ms. Dimadama urged all policy actors, stakeholders, academia and the civil society, to invest in human capital with a view to strengthening economic and social structures in order to achieve development and sustainability.

Welcome address was delivered by Amb. Petros Panayiotopoulos, Director for Economic relations with SE Europe, CIS and BSEC of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who underlined the vital role of human capital towards economic and social progress, especially in relation to the current economic challenges. 

Keynote speakers Ms. Mika Ioannidou, President of the Hellenic Office of the European Women’s Lobby, Ms. Rebekka Pitsika, Chief Executive Officer of People for Business and Mr. Petros Aggos, Member of the Board of the Hellenic National Youth Council, emphasised the current challenges for women and the youth and addressed future perspectives for the empowerment of human capital in South East Europe and the wider Black Sea region. Amb. David Kereselidze, ICBSS Alternate Director General moderated the panel. 

The second part of the Round Table included an open discussion with the participation of Mr. Alexandros Costopoulos, Founder of Repower Greece and CEO at Foresight Strategy and Communications, Ms. Danae Bezantakou, President of iforU Greek Mentoring Network, Managing Director at Navigator Shipping Consultants Ltd and Mr. Marcel Cremer LLM, Attorney at Law - CIArb Accredited Mediator, who interacted with participants and shared good practices and inspiring stories of women and the youth investing successfully in innovative ideas despite the current economic challenges.

Former ICBSS Director General, Mr. Yannis Papanikolaou, the Representative of the Romanian Embassy Ms. Cristina Zamfirache, the academic and business community, policy stakeholders and researchers attended the event and had the opportunity to exchange views for the optimum investment in the development of human capital.