Hello,
We Are CIVIS Intergenerational Community
CIVIS Intergenerational Communities is a European collaboration between three universities in Salzburg, Madrid, and Athens working together to reduce ageism and build stronger connections across generations.
Ageism isn't just about how society treats the elderly. It shapes how we see toddlers, teenagers, and adults, too, creating divisions that limit understanding and solidarity. Our goal is simple: create spaces where people of different ages actually spend time together, get to know each other, and learn from one another. We co-design activities, courses, and community programs that bring together students, seniors, children, and everyone in between.
In Salzburg, we run a mixed-age university course "With All Your Senses" where regular students and 55+ learners explore how movement and perception change across a lifetime, together.
In Athens, university students meet regularly with seniors in care homes through music, movement, and oral health activities. High-school students also join in through games, crafts, and shared projects.
In Madrid, small intergenerational groups meet to exchange stories and perspectives on topics like work, care, and climate, turning conversations into concrete proposals for change.
Leading Team
Dr. Aspasia Dania
Dr. Boukje Habets
Carlos de Castro Pericacho
Head of Team Madrid
Head of the Project CIVIS Intergenerational Learning
and Team Athens
Head of Team Salzburg
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in Physical Education Teacher Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in teacher education, innovative pedagogies and curriculum design, professional learning communities, and (post)qualitative forms of inquiry, all with a focus on social justice. She is the Academic Coordinator of the CIVIS Intergenerational Communities Open Lab.
Senior Scientist
Researcher in biological developmental and educational psychology at the University of Salzburg. Head of the kids' lab Bhoch3, where she studies how children learn, grow, and make sense of the world around them.
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the UAM. He is interested in the social, political and environmental conflicts that
arise from the interconnection of productive territories within global
production chains.
Team University of Salzburg
Dr. Boukje Habets
Head of Team Salzburg
Senior Scientist
Researcher in biological developmental and educational psychology at the University of Salzburg. Head of the kids' lab Bhoch3, where she studies how children learn, grow, and make sense of the world around them.
Prof. Maria Tulis-Oswald
Professor of Educational Psychology
Specialist in motivation and learning. Her research explores how people navigate challenges in educational settings.
Prof. Susanne Ring-Dimitriou
Professor of Sport Science
Expert in physical activity, fitness, and health across all ages. She leads the Sport–Movement–Health research group and directs the Uni 55 PLUS program at the University of Salzburg.
Team Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM)
Dr. Emilia Aiello
Ramón y Cajal Researcher
Dr. Emilia Aiello is a Ramón y Cajal Researcher in the Department of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Her research interests focus on understanding the factors that generate and facilitate human agency in socially disadvantaged contexts, particularly among vulnerable groups, such as migrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities, with a special emphasis on the role of women within these communities.
Dr. Alba Taboada
Assistant Professor
Alba Taboada is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Autonomous University of Madrid, where she earned her PhD cum la. She has a BA in Sociology from Complutense University of Madrid and an MSc in Big Data Science from the University of Navarra. Her research combines sociology of knowledge, STS, and computational sociology, focusing on digital ecosystems, AI, hyper-surveillance, and surveillance capitalism. Additionally, she works as a data analyst, applying computational techniques to study large-scale digital phenomena.
Dr. Carlos de Castro
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in Sociology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. He holds a BA (2003) and Ph.D. (2010) from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at UC San Diego (2022) and a Visiting Researcher at London Metropolitan University (200). His research explores social, political, and environmental conflicts linked to global production chains. He serves as President of the Economic Sociology Research Committee of the Spanish Federation of Sociology and is a Board Member of the Economic Sociology Research Network of the European Sociological Association.
Team National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Dr. Aspasia Dania
Prof. Dr. Anastassia Kossioni
Head of Team Athens
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in Physical Education Teacher Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in teacher education, innovative pedagogies and curriculum design, professional learning communities, and (post)qualitative forms of inquiry, all with a focus on social justice. She is the Academic Coordinator of the CIVIS Intergenerational Communities Open Lab.
Professor of Prosthodontics
Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in gerodontology (geriatric dentistry), oral health in older adults, and medical and dental education, including interprofessional and lifelong learning approaches.
Dr. Ypatia Doussi-Anagnostopoulou
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in the Medical School at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in pathology and histology, with a focus on cancer research, as well as medical education and interdisciplinary learning. She is the founder of the non-profit organization Mission Anthropos, promoting health equity and social support initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Angela Yannicopoulou
Professor of Early Childhood Development
Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in children’s literature, especially picturebooks, and in the teaching of literature and literacy practices in early and primary education, including their social dimensions.
Dr. Chrysa Kouraki
Lab & Teaching Staff
Laboratory and Teaching Staff in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in arts-based education, including theatre pedagogy and creative approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood settings.
Dr. Lida Anagnostaki
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in developmental and educational psychology, with a focus on early childhood and issues related to special education and learning.
Dr. Kalliroi Papadopoulou
Associate Professor
Associate Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in developmental psychology with an emphasis on early childhood, including learning processes and educational practices in preschool contexts.
Dr. Olympia Agalianou
Lab & Teaching Staff
Laboratory and Teaching Staff in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in practical and experiential approaches to early childhood education, including curriculum implementation and classroom practices.
Dr. Maria Maraki
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in exercise physiology and nutrition, with a focus on the relationship between physical activity, metabolism, and health.
Dr. Gavriil Arsoniadis
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is interested in physical education pedagogy, motor learning, and the design of teaching programs in sport and exercise.
Dr. Stavroula Domali
Teaching Staff
Special Teaching Staff in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is interested in applied teaching methods and skill development in physical education and sport training contexts.