The foundation of a research institute aiming at the study of the particular issues related to the physical and man-made environment of mountainous areas is dated in 1993. In this year, by decision of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) Senate and successive decisions of its rectors, as well as by subsequent decisions of the Senate, the Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Center (M.I.R.C.) was founded. Professor Dimitris Rokos was the first chairman of the Scientific Committee of M.I.R.C. In 1994 the Municipality of Metsovo donates a plot of land, near to the main entrance of the town, for the construction of M.I.R.C.’s buildings. Within the next years the funding for the construction of M.I.R.C.’s facilities is included in the 3rd European Community Support Framework. A special architectural competition was organized by NTUA, in order to select the best design solution for the building complex. The construction works were completed in 2005. In the same year the operation of M.I.R.C. begins with partial staffing. In 2008, the MSc programme “Environment and Development of Mountainous Areas” of the NTUA starts to operate in Metsovo, in the facilities of M.I.R.C. This is the first “decentralized” postgraduate programme of NTUA, since it is organized out of Athens and the only MSc programme in Greece that focuses on mountainous areas. In 2015 M.I.R.C. is established as Inter-departmental Laboratory of NTUA, with its headquarters in Metsovo. The director of the Inter-departmental Laboratory and Coordinator of the MSc “Environment and Development of Mountainous Areas” is Dimitris Kaliampakos, Professor in the NTUA. A research unit is operating at the historical building complex of NTUA in Patission Street, Athens, in order to support the activities of M.I.R.C.
