The spotlight is Professor Georgia Garani, University of Thessaly, Greece.

The University of Thessaly, seated in the city of Volos, lies in northern central Greece and borders the regions of Macedonia to the north, Epirus to the west, Central Greece to the south, and the Aegean Sea to the east. It has campuses in the cities of Larissa, Karditsa, Trikala and Lamia. The university was founded in 1984 and is organized into eight schools, 37 departments and 71 postgraduate study programs. It is home to approximately 37,000 undergraduate students and 4,500 postgraduate students, with a teaching and research staff of 844.

Dr. Georgia Garani, a native of Larissa, is Professor in the Digital Systems Department of the Faculty of Technology. She has a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and a master’s degree in Advanced Computing from the University of London. Her PhD dissertation, ‘A Temporal Database Model using Nested Relations’, was completed at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Garani has been a visiting professor at the School of Information and Multimedia Technology at the University of North London and for several years she worked at the London Science Museum.

She has published many research papers and participated in a number of European and community research projects. She is also a peer reviewer of international scientific journals and conferences proceedings. Her main research interests are in the areas of software technology, spatiotemporal and nested databases, trajectory data warehouses, distributed data warehouses, cloud computing, and big data.

Oracle Academy: How did you become involved with Oracle Academy?

Georgia Garani: Naturally, I knew Oracle when I was completing my own university studies — how can one not know the world leader in database technology! Then, when doing my PhD in London, I designed and organized an Oracle database seminar for executives of small and medium enterprises, held at the University of North London, where I worked as an adjunct professor for a while.

After my studies, in fact 13 years ago, I was invited by the Oracle Academy team in Greece to join a week-long seminar in Vienna. As a result, I qualified as Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate. Since that time, I have completed 120 hours of professional development based on Oracle Academy.

But the bond with Oracle Academy really began at that Vienna training, which was a wonderful experience, and I am still in touch with some of the colleagues I met there. Following from that I steered the University of Thessaly into becoming an Oracle Academy member.

Oracle Academy: What parts of the curriculum do you use in your classes?

Georgia Garani: My main topic is databases, for which I draw on Database Design and Database Programming with SQL. I also teach cloud computing and use the resources of the Oracle Academy Cloud Program. Oracle APEX is another offering that I make use of.

Oracle Academy: Does anyone else at the university use Oracle Academy resources?

Georgia Garani: I am the only instructor teaching databases. But there is a Java course running in another department using Oracle Academy’s Java Foundations curriculum. I am hoping to get other colleagues to follow suit. Oracle recently gave a seminar at our university to introduce Oracle Academy, and I was invited to talk about my 15 years of database-focused teaching. The participating faculty members were encouraged to take advantage of these powerful teaching resources made available free of charge. So, there is now a framework in place.

Oracle Academy: What classes do you teach?

Georgia Garani: It’s a four-year Digital Systems Department degree course covering databases, data warehouses, software engineering, and information systems. The undergraduates are aged 18 to 22 and there is a master’s for people in their mid- to late twenties, already in jobs, combining postgraduate studies with work. We have face-to-face classes along with lab sessions, and all students are free to work on their own using the Oracle Academy Member Hub.

My classes follow the Oracle Academy Database Design and Database Programming with SQL course, which is extremely well structured, for both theory and practical exercises. At the start of each semester, I tell students to study the first chapters, take the quizzes, and then immerse themselves in the subject.

I split the course into two equally sized halves: database design; and database programming using SQL. Students get to analyze complex business scenarios and create a conceptual representation of an organization’s information using Entity Relationship Modeling. Then they learn how to create a physical database using SQL.

I also introduce them to Oracle APEX low-code development platform, which we use for running SQL queries, implementing databases, and building simple database apps.

The course culminates with a final year project that challenges students to design, implement, and demonstrate a database solution, followed by the graduation exam.

Oracle Academy: What practical exercises do you assign?

Georgia Garani: For the hands-on lab work I use both Oracle Academy examples, projects, and exercises and also scenarios that I create. Last semester, for example, we built an airline database containing planes, airports, tickets, schedules, and customers. The goal is that graduates leave the university prepared for the type of real-world situations they will encounter in their careers.

Oracle Academy: And in what way do you use Oracle Cloud?

Georgia Garani: The Oracle Academy Cloud Program provides free access to a rich set of learning resources, including tutorials, hands-on labs, and guided projects. I use it to provide students with insights into the Oracle Autonomous Database and critical areas such as cloud security, data protection, and regulatory compliance.

Oracle Academy: What about professional certification?

Georgia Garani: The university awards Oracle Academy completion certificates, validating their database design and programming skills. Oracle certifications are recognized in the industry and can provide a competitive edge in the job market. The completion certificate, including Oracle Cloud skills, counts highly on their resumés.

I do not prepare them for the Oracle Professional Associate exams, but I do stress to them how important they can be; some have sat the OPA exams post-graduation. Students today try to have as many skills and certificates as possible to be competitive.

Oracle Academy: Are there any other parts of the curriculum on your roadmap?

Georgia Garani: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Leaning with Java is something in which I am very much interested. I have not had time to investigate that content, but it’s definitely part of my future plans. I am convinced it will be of huge benefit — for my students and for my own professional development.

Oracle Academy: Thanks. Can you share with us your overall takeaways around Oracle Academy?

Georgia Garani: For me, attending that Vienna training session 13 years ago was a breakthrough. Now the database curriculum underpins all my classes. The slides, quizzes and projects are highly valuable for setting learning objectives, and for selecting the most appropriate content. The teaching methodology allows me to efficiently deliver lessons, facilitate discussions and assess student progress. Last but not least, the teacher has access to Oracle experts for solving questions they may not be able to immediately answer. The entire process makes for an enjoyable classroom environment, playing a critical role in student engagement, understanding, and overall achievement.

Oracle Academy: And outside of research papers and teaching, what other enjoyments do you have?

Georgia Garani: Loads! For one, I love travelling and exploring unfamiliar places. I have been to most countries in Europe, but there are still more to get to know. I have visited some North Africa countries, as well as Singapore and Thailand. What’s more, Thessaly University has the advantage of being in the Erasmus International Mobility program. We get to host quite a few students from abroad and last week we welcomed one from Madagascar. I am planning to take a trip to the capital Antananarivo before long.

Apart from that I am very into active sports. I play tennis and badminton, and I am learning padel. For fitness I do gym, yoga, and pilates.

But, the most exciting thing right now is, wait for it, the aerial hoop! I have started to take classes. It resembles a hula hoop, but suspended from the ceiling, spinning and swinging. Takes my mind away from databases, although you could equate it to the cloud!

Thank you, Professor Georgia Garani, for your passion for Oracle Academy and for preparing your students to make a positive impact.