Bio:
Prof. Ioannis Tsoukalas was born and educated in Thessaloniki, where he also started his professional carrier, he graduated in Physics and obtained his PhD from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He carried out postdoctoral research in the UK (Liverpool), France (Grenoble), Germany (TH Braunschweig), and USA (MIT, Boston). In 1986 he was elected Professor at the Department of Physics, where he served as its Head, three times.
His main research interests are in the field of solid state physics and technological materials. He has published a large number of articles in peer reviewed international journals, has written textbooks, has taught graduate and postgraduate courses, and has supervised 36 PhD theses.
From 1991 to 1993, he was responsible for the installation of the first LAN at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, covering 26 buildings. He was the Founder and first Head of the Department of Informatics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1995-1999). He has served as Vice-President of the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1999-2004) and President of the International Relationships Committee and of the Ethics Committee. At national level, he has served in the Executive Committees of “Information Society S.A.” and “Hellenic Data Protection Authority”.
From 2004 to 2008, he was the General Secretary for Research and Technology at the Hellenic Ministry of Development. From September 2008 he is Professor Emeritus at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and from June 2009 Member of the European Parliament.