Grigoris Zarotiadis was born on the 23rd of February 1972 in Thessaloniki. He studied economics in Johannes Kepler University of Linz – Austria. During his PhD he spent a year in UMIST (University of Manchester – Institute for Science and Technology). Currently, he serves as a Full Professor in the School of Economic and he is the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, as well as a member of the Board of Governance in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). He is the President of the Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region (http://www.asecu.gr) and of the Institute for Social Studies “Dimitris Mpatsis” (http://www.ikempatsis.gr/). Besides, he is chairing the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Black Sea and Mediterranean Studies (https://ilabsem.web.auth.gr/) and the newly established Center for Social Research in AUTh. He is a member of the Leadership Council of SDSN Black Sea (http://sdsn-blacksea.auth.gr/). His research covers the fields of international economics, economic development and economic growth, having a plentiful record of international academic publications and relevant citations. Since 2000, he is an Independent, Non - Executive Member of the Board of DROMEAS S.A.