U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has joined Greek officials and international shipping leaders to inaugurate a new virtual-reality training laboratory at the Merchant Marine Academy on Chios, part of the island's Model Naval Vocational High School and Academy complex.
The ceremony, held alongside the traditional blessing marking the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, marks the latest expansion by the Maria Tsakos Public Benefit Foundation and its TEENS educational network in training Greece's next generation of seafarers.
The lab uses advanced 3D and virtual reality systems to simulate engine-room operations and safety scenarios, giving students hands-on decision-making practice in a controlled environment.
Foundation co-founders Captain Panagiotis N. Tsakos and Dr. Nikos P. Tsakos attended, along with Mr. Nikos Tsakos's wife, Silia Kritharioti-Tsakou.
Mrs. Guilfoyle was joined by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, former Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos, Greece's permanent UNESCO representative Ambassador Georgios Koumoutsakos, and Fotis Maggos, secretary-general for Aegean and island policy at the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy.
Organizers credited the American Bureau of Shipping and the International Maritime Employers' Council for their support in building the facility, and specifically thanked Mrs. Guilfoyle for backing the partnership.
The event underscores deepening U.S.-Greece cooperation in maritime education, as Greece continues to position its shipping sector — one of the world's largest merchant fleets — at the center of technological modernization efforts.