04-05 2021 18:31
wrote:
His lectures were something to look forward to. Not only because Costis was a captivating lecturer but because they were sophisticated and rigorous and distilled the essence of his courses the way he designed them. His courses, overall, were the playground of the student mind; they were structured but not rigid. They were evolving semester after semester and student to student as Costis took great pride when his students expanded the boundaries. He was, indeed, setting the goals but also providing the stimuli not only to achieve the goals but also to re-examine them or exceed them. He managed to strike the right balance.
Thanks to Costis, I had a comparative advantage in my post-graduate studies even in seemingly unrelated courses like political science, sociology and history where, however, data analysis was still present. I am sure that his recommendation letter made a huge impression to the interviewers for my first job and it was definitely the skills from his CS 201 and CS 301 back then with which I earned the appreciation of my colleagues.
Meeting him outside any educational context, all of the above would come as no surprise as Costis was a wonderful friend, a kind and gentle person with unique intellectual clarity and complexity, open, fun and with diversity of interests. An engaging interlocutor and original thinker. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to tell him all this and that if I ever was to produce any scientific work of some importance, it would be thanks to, dedicated to or in collaboration with him.
During all these years, we would meet and part wishing so long until the next time.
And I would always think that we, his ex students and now friends, were so lucky to have met him and so privileged to hold him as the last barricade against our own ignorance. Throughout the years, we would calm ourselves with the thought that we could always resort to him to reset the clock and catch-up with our intellectual maturing process from where we left it. And now, we are somewhat like the Disciples: in absolute grief. But left with nothing to preach.
04-05 2021 18:31
wrote:
His lectures were something to look forward to. Not only because Costis was a captivating lecturer but because they were sophisticated and rigorous and distilled the essence of his courses the way he designed them. His courses, overall, were the playground of the student mind; they were structured but not rigid. They were evolving semester after semester and student to student as Costis took great pride when his students expanded the boundaries. He was, indeed, setting the goals but also providing the stimuli not only to achieve the goals but also to re-examine them or exceed them. He managed to strike the right balance.
Thanks to Costis, I had a comparative advantage in my post-graduate studies even in seemingly unrelated courses like political science, sociology and history where, however, data analysis was still present. I am sure that his recommendation letter made a huge impression to the interviewers for my first job and it was definitely the skills from his CS 201 and CS 301 back then with which I earned the appreciation of my colleagues.
Meeting him outside any educational context, all of the above would come as no surprise as Costis was a wonderful friend, a kind and gentle person with unique intellectual clarity and complexity, open, fun and with diversity of interests. An engaging interlocutor and original thinker. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to tell him all this and that if I ever was to produce any scientific work of some importance, it would be thanks to, dedicated to or in collaboration with him.
During all these years, we would meet and part wishing so long until the next time.
And I would always think that we, his ex students and now friends, were so lucky to have met him and so privileged to hold him as the last barricade against our own ignorance. Throughout the years, we would calm ourselves with the thought that we could always resort to him to reset the clock and catch-up with our intellectual maturing process from where we left it. And now, we are somewhat like the Disciples: in absolute grief. But left with nothing to preach.
