About Us

Philip Benveniste is a shipowner and maritime professional with a strong academic background in Maritime Studies and extensive experience in the global shipping industry. His work combines strategic fleet management, maritime economics, and international shipping operations, reflecting a deep understanding of both the theoretical and practical dimensions of the sector.

He has developed professional expertise in areas such as maritime finance, chartering, fleet operations, and compliance with international safety and environmental regulations. His business activity includes investment planning in dry bulk and tanker vessels, oversight of vessel performance, and the development of long‑term collaborations with international charterers and maritime stakeholders.

Philip’s academic training in Maritime Studies has equipped him with a solid foundation in maritime policy, global logistics, and the regulatory frameworks that shape contemporary shipping. His professional interests extend to green shipping, digital transformation in maritime operations, and the evolving landscape of international maritime law.

He participates in industry conferences, professional forums, and educational initiatives, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and best practices within the maritime community.

Isidoros Pachoundakis is a member of the Governing Council. He completed undergraduate studies in Religious Studies at the Orthodox University College of Athens and in Political Science at Panteion University of Athens. He pursued Pre‑Doctoral (MPhil) studies in Sociology at Panteion University, specializing in Cultural and Religious Diversities, and continued his research at the doctoral level in the same field. He also holds a Professional Doctorate from Saint Thomas Polytechnic, with a specialization in the Management of Multicultural and Multireligious Crews in the Merchant Shipping Industry.

He serves as the Academic Director of Maritime Studies at the Center of Life‑Long Learning of the University of Patras, Greece. His academic engagements include appointments as Visiting Professor at several Greek public universities and at internationally recognized institutions such as Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Amsterdam, and CEARS–Marconi University.

His scholarly output includes the monographs Maritime Leadership (Ion Publications, 2017) and Cultural and Religious Diversities in the Merchant Marine Industry, along with more than thirty peer‑reviewed articles published in international academic journals.

Ayham Tehmaz is an academic professional with experience in higher‑education supervision, curriculum coordination, and research in religious and cultural tourism. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Academic Supervisor for the Mini MBA and MBA programs at St. Thomas Polytechnic, where he supported program delivery, faculty collaboration, and student guidance. Since 2019, he has also been a member of the institution’s Council, contributing to strategic planning and academic policy development.
His teaching background includes appointments as Visiting Professor at the University of Ioannina and the University of the Aegean, where he delivered courses on religious tourism and cultural tourism development, supported e‑learning activities, and evaluated student research work. Earlier, he contributed as a researcher at the Ethnographic Studies Centre in Athens, focusing on cultural tourism in the Balkans and the Middle East.
Ayham’s academic foundation includes a Professional Doctorate in Strategic Management and Policy from St. Thomas Polytechnic, along with studies in religious and cultural diversity and tourist enterprise management. He has completed specialized training in topics such as cultural diversity, public relations, maritime resources management, and sociological research methods. His scholarly output includes co‑authored publications on religious tourism and development policies of religious tourism with the University of the Aegean and the University of Ioannina.

Efstratios Spyrou is a Member of the Council. He studied Maritime Economics at the University of Piraeus and continued with postgraduate studies at the same university.

He holds a Professional Doctorate from Saint Thomas Polytechnic in the field of Ship Economic Operation. He has taught for many years at public and private universities and institutes in Greece and abroad, including Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Piraeus, and the University of the Aegean.

He has also been invited as a keynote speaker at the University of Barcelona. He has participated in research related to the shipping industry and has authored educational and scientific material for Greek public universities, where he served as Academic Director of Maritime Studies, such as the University of Macedonia, the University of the Aegean, the University of Piraeus, and the University of Ioannina.

Today, he is the Academic Director of Maritime Studies at the Center of Lifelong Learning of the University of Patras.

Teemu Lehtinen is an experienced professional in European public affairs, regulatory compliance, and strategic communication, with more than two decades of work across the European Union. His career spans senior leadership roles in Brussels, including positions within major international consulting firms and public institutions. His expertise lies in EU policy processes, regulatory frameworks, governance, and cross‑border institutional cooperation.

Throughout his career, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, regulatory authorities, and public organizations on EU legislation, compliance strategies, and crisis communication. His professional background includes serving as CEO of Edelman Public Relations Brussels and as Executive Vice President of Communication Effect, as well as consulting on EU affairs in Brussels for more than a decade.

His work reflects a long‑standing commitment to European governance, ethical regulation, and the advancement of international cooperation.

Fotios Mastrogiannis is an accomplished maritime professional whose career reflects a strong blend of operational experience, technical competence, and a deep commitment to safety and performance within the global shipping industry. Having developed his expertise through years of service in demanding maritime environments, he has built a reputation for reliability, disciplined leadership, and a thorough understanding of vessel operations and regulatory frameworks. His work spans key areas of shipboard management, compliance, and crew coordination, where he consistently contributes to the smooth and efficient functioning of maritime operations.

Fotios complements his practical background with advanced academic training, holding a postgraduate degree from the University of Southampton, one of the world’s leading institutions in maritime studies. This academic foundation enriches his professional perspective, enabling him to approach operational challenges with analytical precision and a strong grasp of contemporary industry developments.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his professionalism, his ability to collaborate effectively across multicultural teams, and his dedication to maintaining high standards of safety, seamanship, and operational integrity. His combination of hands‑on maritime experience and advanced academic preparation positions him as a capable and forward‑thinking contributor to the modern shipping sector.

George (Capt.) Papanelopoulos is a Master Mariner and senior maritime education leader whose career bridges seagoing expertise, academic direction, and corporate training management. With fourteen years of service at sea and progressive responsibility on the bridge, he built a strong operational foundation that later shaped his work in maritime safety, crew development, and institutional leadership. He holds both an MSc and an MPhil in Shipping Management, combining practical seamanship with advanced academic insight into the complexities of the global maritime industry.

In his professional career, he has served as Head of the Vetting, Training and Development Department at Cyprus Sea Lines Co. Ltd, where he oversees crew competence, safety culture, and performance standards across the fleet. His work focuses on elevating operational excellence through structured training pathways, rigorous evaluation, and continuous professional development. Parallel to his corporate role, he has been Academic Director of Saint Thomas Polytechnic, guiding the academic strategy, curriculum design, and international positioning of one of the region’s emerging maritime education institutions. Previously, as Training Director, he played a pivotal role in establishing advanced maritime training centers equipped with state‑of‑the‑art bridge, engine, and cargo simulators, contributing significantly to the modernization of maritime education and the alignment of training with real‑world operational demands. He is also an active speaker in international conferences, including Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East and the CSN Crewing Conferences, where he addresses themes such as future skills, digital transformation, welfare, and sustainability in the maritime sector.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his ability to connect seafaring experience with academic rigor and organizational leadership, shaping the next generation of maritime professionals through a blend of practical insight, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence.

Theologos Karagiannis is a dedicated maritime professional whose career combines strong operational understanding with a deep commitment to maritime education and the development of future seafarers.

Having built his expertise through years of engagement with the shipping industry, he is recognized for his disciplined approach, his solid grasp of shipboard operations, and his ability to translate complex maritime concepts into clear, practical knowledge. His professional path reflects a consistent focus on safety, seamanship, and the evolving demands of modern maritime practice. Today, he serves as a Professor at the Merchant Marine Academy of Crete, where he plays a central role in shaping the academic and professional formation of cadets.

Through his teaching, he brings together real‑world maritime experience and structured academic insight, offering students a balanced and rigorous foundation for their future careers at sea. Known for his professionalism, clarity of instruction, and commitment to high standards, Theologos Karagiannis contributes meaningfully to the advancement of maritime education in Greece, preparing the next generation of officers with the knowledge, discipline, and mindset required for a demanding and rapidly changing industry.

Dimitris Karydas is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Department of Sociology, School of Economics and Political Sciences. He holds a B.A. from Columbia University (1978) and a Dr. Phil. from the University of Oxford (1983).

He has taught as a visiting academic at the Humboldt University of Berlin, offering courses in social theory and modern social philosophy. He has also taught at Saint Thomas Polytechnic, where he delivered the course Intercultural Relations of Merchant Marine.

At NKUA, his teaching focuses on sociological theory, social and political philosophy, and the epistemology of the social sciences. He is affiliated with the Laboratory of Social Theory and serves as the Department’s ERASMUS Programme Coordinator.

His research interests include modern social and political philosophy (Hegel, Marx, Adorno), the epistemology of the social sciences, cultural theory (Weber, Benjamin, Critical Theory), sociology of art, and philosophy of religion.

Jungki Mihn is a Professor in the Department of China Studies at Inha University, specializing in modern Chinese literature, East–West knowledge exchange, and visual culture in late Qing China. He earned his Ph.D. in Chinese Literature from Seoul National University in 1999 and completed advanced studies at Soochow University between 1996 and 1997.

He has served as Assistant Professor at Anyang University (2000–2004) and as Associate Professor and Professor at Inha University since 2004. His publications include books such as The Cultural Landscape of Writing in Modern China and Reading China at the Boundary of East and West, as well as numerous articles on Chinese society, intercultural translation, and pictorial media.

Fluent in Korean, Chinese, and English, he is active in international scholarly exchange and has delivered a guest lecture at Saint Thomas Polytechnic as part of the Seoul Maritime Forum.

Kyeongyoon Woo is a PhD candidate in Ancient History at Macquarie University, focusing on Maximus the Confessor and his Neoplatonic intellectual background. He completed a Th.B. and M.Div. at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, graduating summa cum laude with the University President Award, and later earned an M.Res. at Macquarie University, receiving the Patricia Geidans Prize for the best thesis in Early Christian and Jewish Studies.

His research has been published in Religions (Q1), and he has presented at major international conferences including the Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society, St. Andrew’s Patristic Symposium, and the International Conference on Patristic Studies in Oxford. He has taught Latin Grammar at PUTS and delivered invited methodological lectures for postgraduate theology students. He has also contributed as moderator and translator in academic forums.

Additionally, he delivered a lecture within the Seoul Maritime Forum of Saint Thomas Polytechnic, expanding his engagement with interdisciplinary and international academic communities.

Choi Jungsup is a scholar specializing in Western and Japanese Sinology, Eastern–Western cultural exchange, and Chinese classical literature. He earned all his academic degrees at Yonsei University in Seoul, completing his BA in 1994, his MA in 1997, and his PhD in 2010.

His career reflects a steady engagement with Chinese studies and intercultural scholarship: from 1997 to 2000 he served as a full‑time Chinese language instructor at the Korean Naval Academy in Jinhae, later continuing his academic path as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju from February to September 2020. Since October 2020, he has been an HK+ Research Professor at Anyang University, where he contributes to research on cultural and intellectual exchange across East Asia.

As part of our collaboration within the Seoul Maritime Forum, he also delivered a lecture at Saint Thomas Polytechnic, further extending his international academic engagement.

Professor Lee is a scholar of Chinese language and literature whose academic path reflects a sustained engagement with both classical and modern Chinese textual culture. He earned his BA in Chinese Language and Literature from Yeungnam University in 1999, followed by an MA from Seoul National University in 2002, where he completed a study on the Suoyin interpretation of Honglou meng under the supervision of Professor Kyungho Seo. He continued his doctoral studies at Seoul National University, receiving his PhD in 2019 with a dissertation titled A Study on Dianshizhai Pictorial: The Curious Modernity and Historical Pseudomorphosis, advised by Professor Hyung-jun Jeon.

Since 2019, Professor Lee has been teaching at Seoul National University as a lecturer, offering undergraduate courses such as “Elementary Chinese” and “Understanding of Chinese Classics,” as well as a graduate seminar on modern Chinese literature. In parallel, he also lectures at the University of Seoul, where he teaches “Images of China,” “Advanced Chinese Reading,” and “The Practice Reading of China’s Current Affairs in a Foreign Language,” contributing to both foundational and advanced Chinese studies curricula.

His research has appeared in respected academic journals, including his 2023 article “A Study of the Illustrations of Manyou suilu: Representing Unexperienced Places” in Chinese Literature, and his 2020 study “Allusions (典故) and Chinese Modernity” in Chung Kuk Hak Po. In addition to his academic work, Professor Lee collaborated with Saint Thomas Polytechnic within the framework of the Seoul Maritime Forum, further extending his scholarly engagement into interdisciplinary and international contexts.