GREECE TO UNITED STATES
Education

Manolis Koutouzis (SUSI Secondary Educator 2006-2007) graduated from the University of Athens, Department of Primary Education, in 1990. He continued his studies in the United Kingdom, earning an M.A. in Organization, Planning and Management in Education in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Reading in 1995. His research and teaching focus on Educational Management and Leadership, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups, Schools as Learning Organizations, Evaluation in Education, and Teachers' Professional Development.

In 2006, Koutouzis participated in the Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) professional development program at the University of Illinois Chicago.

He describes his SUSI experience as unexpectedly transformative. What he initially understood to be an interesting postgraduate academic course proved to be much more: a 47-day journey that combined 30 days in Chicago with colleagues from around the world and 17 days of travel by bus across seven U.S. states.

The experience brought opportunities for friendship, mutual understanding, and the exchange of ideas across cultures. It challenged existing beliefs while providing new knowledge and skills, leaving a lasting impression on Koutouzis both personally and professionally.

His advice to younger scholars is to seize every relevant opportunity for international exchange and professional development, embracing the unexpected possibilities such experiences can bring.