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Aspasia has dedicated her life to education, language, literature, and culture. A Classics and Modern Greek graduate of the University of Ioannina, she went on to complete her PhD in Greek Literature, focusing on the poetry of Angelos Sikelianos, exploring his use of the metaphorical system in prose: how his imagery fuses nature, mysticism, and human struggle into a unified spiritual poetic vision.
Her conviction that language is the first gateway to globalisation was shaped in the classroom, where for many years she taught at Mandoulides Schools before moving into increasingly senior leadership roles. Since 2008, Aspasia has served as both Director and General Director of Mandoulides Schools, providing vision, consistency and a deep commitment to quality education. Esteemed for her organisational skills and resoluteness, she has been instrumental in developing holistic systems that promote collaboration and effective teamwork while maintaining a focus on academic rigour.
Alongside her leadership in educational institutions, Aspasia has been active in the broader literary and cultural world. She has worked as Editor and Publications Manager for leading publishers and for the National Book Centre of Greece as well as serving as Consultant for the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, one of Europe’s major literary events. She has frequently presented her philological research and spoken on literature, culture, and education at numerous international conferences and workshops.
She is contemporary in her teaching methods. She has been the driving force behind major educational and cultural initiatives. These include international student literature conferences, European Parliament simulations for young people, Art Competitions, and Smart Education Webinars, creating opportunities for thousands of students and teachers to engage with ideas and develop leadership skills.
Most prominently, she has organised the International Student Literature Conferences in cooperation with the Zografeion Lyceum of Turkey under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople since 2012, bringing together a total of more than 400 students and educators annually with renowned figures from literature and the arts in any given year.
The conferences have honored leading figures of modern Greek letters, including Alexandros Papadiamantis, C. P. Cavafy, George Seferis, George Vizyinos, Odysseas Elytis, George Theotokas, Antonis Samarakis, Yannis Ritsos, and Kiki Dimoula. The International Student Literature Conferences function on a multinational level, while simultaneously broadening the notion of interdisciplinarity and institutional academic collaboration. The discourse that takes place in them encourages active reading from an early age and creates communities where critical thinking is celebrated. Ultimately, the conferences breathe life into seminal texts in a plethora of ways: with interactive concepts—such as panel discussions and musical concerts—that are widely praised by the public for their originality. With a total of 30 schools participating annually, they are a resounding success.
Since 2015, she has been the Founder and Organizer of the “Art Competition”, a nationwide cultural initiative for high school students across Greece and the Greek diaspora, held under the official auspices of the Ministry of Education.
Aspasia’s philosophy is that meaningful learning goes far beyond the curriculum. Whether motivating students to read, helping them uncover hidden potential, or offering opportunities on international platforms, she seeks to broaden horizons and instill a lifelong love of learning. Under her leadership, Mandoulides Schools have become a beacon of innovation and dialogue, where culture and education intersect. She has the rare ability to translate vision into action via mobilizing students, educators, and institutions into vibrant networks of collaboration. By championing initiatives that connect local classrooms to global stages, she has redefined what it means to lead in education: not merely administering, but inspiring, cultivating, and transforming.