"The Laboratory of Demographic and Social Analyses (LDSA) was established in 1998. It serves the educational needs of the Department at undergraduate and postgraduate level and carries basic and applied research in Demography and Urban Sociology. More specifically, the studies and surveys it carries out focus on the analysis of demographic and social data for the needs of spatial planning.

LDSA specializes in demographic projections-previsions as well as in the development of analysis, methods and techniques so as to accurately describe existing situations and ascertain the determining factors regional and urban change. The study of demographic and social trends and their impact at national and regional level represents its core research activity. Finally, in this context, it tends to focus in the analysis of demographic trends in South-eastern Europe, giving particular emphasis to the study of migration, minorities and regional inequalities

In its short period of existence, the LDSA has been equipped with the essential hardware and software (servers, work stations, storage means, scanners etc) for its operation. It also possesses a library with 500 volumes on Demography, Statistics, Thematic Cartography and Balkan issues.

Over the past few years, and taking into account the experience of its staff and collaborators, LDSA has been oriented towards applied demographic analysis, the development of an analysis and management database software, and an automated cartography of the results. Significant specialisation has been achieved in the development of friendly to the user database management tools, statistical analysis of demographic and social data, and applications of Geographical Information Systems with emphasis on thematic cartography and the Internet. All these activities have educational, research and operational dimensions.

Within the framework of the Laboratory, Master dissertations as well as Ph.D. theses have been and are being elaborated. Furthermore, every year it organizes seminars, lectures and meetings in its fields of interest, with the collaboration of significant scholars and researchers from Greece and abroad."

Source: Self-entry in April 2007.