At the IEEE GLOBECOM 2017 International Conference, held in Singapore, Prof. Panagiotis (Takis) Mathiopoulos of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens was honored with the "2017 Satellite & Space Communications Distinguished Service Award" of the Technical Committee for Satellite & Space Communications. The evaluation committee selected him, among five (5) other candidates proposed by the international scientific community, for his significant, prominent, multi-annual and internationally recognized research and development contribution to the broader field of wireless telecommunications systems and, in this particular case, and space communications.
Of particular importance is the fact that this award was awarded by the IEEE Communications Society, which is considered internationally as the most prestigious scientific body in the field of telecommunications. This international distinction recognizes, in the most prestigious way, the significant and high-profile scientific achievements and the contribution of Professor Takis Mathiopoulos to the science of satellite and space communications, which he has served since 1986.
It should be noted that it is the first time that this annual award, instituted since 2002, has been awarded to a Greek scientist.