The ATHENS week was established with the support of the European Communities SOCRATES Programme receiving an annual subsidy of 50 000 Euros from 1997-2001. Today, the Programme is mainly founded by contributions from the member institutions.
The ATHENS Programme is aimed at carrying out intensive specialization courses, given at each member institution during one or two defined periods ("Sessions") of the academic year (November and March), enabling students to attend one of the courses offered by the network universities during 7 days. This experience, in many cases, gives students the desire to carry out studies of a longer duration (MSc and PhD levels) at an institution different from their home institution and thus facilitates exchanges between students of the major European technological institutions.
The ATHENS week permits participants from different institutions to take short courses of a high scientific level and to mix with students of different nationalities and backgrounds. About 60 courses are offered at each ATHENS Session and cover a wide range of thematic, from engineering to social sciences. The objective is to give students a brief immersion in another European education system.
Each Session includes both 30 hours of scientific courses as well as 10-15 hours of "European Dimension" activities.
At the termination of an ATHENS Session, the home institution officially recognises the work carried out, according to the results obtained on an examination organised by the host institution and evaluated according to its proper system of grading. Each complete Session is worth credits. Each institution defines the number of credits given to the ATHENS courses (generally 2 or 3 ECTS credits). Students are asked to evaluate the course they attended by filling an on-line evaluation form at the end of each Session. Student evaluations help the Programme to develop. “European dimension” activities are organised to complement the course a student follows. The purpose is to permit ATHENS students to better know the course organising institution, as well as the European city where the course is held. Of special importance is the possibility to mix with students of different nationalities and backgrounds during these activities.
