The Municipality of Thira in Santorini welcomed, for the second consecutive year, a delegation of students from the University of Florida as part of the educational program “Exploring Sustainability in Greece.”

The mission included 26 students accompanied by program directors and professors Bahar Armaghani and Michael Kung, as well as trip coordinator Konstantina Sypsi.

The delegation first met with the Mayor of Thira, Nikos Zorzos, and the President of the Municipal Council and Tourism Committee, where they were briefed on a range of local issues, including the island’s new tourism spatial planning framework.

According to the municipality’s announcement, discussions also focused on the municipality’s efforts and claims in the field of sustainable development, as well as prospects for expanding cooperation with the University of Florida.

The group also met with the President of the Port Authority Fund, in Vlychada, where they received updates on the operation of the island’s new maritime gateway.

In parallel, the students and program directors observed a coastal clean-up initiative carried out in Vlychada, visited the local diving site, and learned about the process through which plastics recovered from the sea are processed and transformed into new products within the framework of the circular economy.

The visit continued with an educational tour of the Agia Paraskevi Desalination Plant. Participants were given an in-depth presentation of the facility’s operation, including its technical systems and the process by which seawater is converted into drinking water to meet the island’s needs.

They were also informed about the wastewater treatment system and the potential expansion of treated water reuse for agricultural irrigation across the island.

As part of the visit, the program also made a symbolic contribution to the Municipality, donating a new projector for the Municipal Council chamber.