The "Athens EU Model" was a four-day simulation of two EU institutions, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers. The three EU models organized from 2015 to 2018 were held every March/April at the Department’s premises. 168 Greek and foreign (EU and non-EU) graduate and post-graduate highly-qualified and motivated students participated. These students were selected among 300 students who applied to participate. Participants were assigned the role of EU Commissioners and Council Ministers, promoting their policy positions and negotiating on a contemporary EU policy issue. The first Athens EU model focused on “EU energy and climate policy”. The second model on “The post-Brexit prospects”, and the third model on “The prospects of the accession of the Balkan states”.

The “Athens EU Model” Guidelines were distributed electronically to all participants three months before the beginning of the simulation. They included reading material, literature and rules of simulation. One month before the simulation, participants attended three preparatory lectures with total duration of 9 hours, delivered by well-known experts and academics. The lectures focused on the institutional processes, negotiation techniques and simulation agenda. During the preparatory lectures, students prepared and submitted their position paper. At the end of each Athens EU Model, students drafted a document, and presented the outcome of the negotiations of each EU institution (EU Council and European Commission).