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04-26-26 Sofia Zaharaki: Public and non-state universities complementary and collaborative will give Greece the opportunity to become an international educational hub
Now is the right time to speak more structured systematically and convincingly about the consolidation of our country as a regional in the first phase and then - why not - an international hub for Higher Education emphasized the Minister of Education Religion and Sports Sofia Zaharakis in the context of a discussion at Forum of Delphi entitled Greece: An emerging educational hub.
The Minister underlined that the upgrading of the public university the extroversion through the foreign language programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate level the joint postgraduate degrees and the operation of non-state universities function in a complementary way and form a strong and promising framework for the emergence of Greece as an educational hub of Higher Education.
Sofia Zaharaki made a special mention of the firstplans to link Greek universities with institutions abroad not only through foreign language programs and joint masters degrees but also through student mobility programs. Today 74 joint postgraduate programs of Greek universities with foreign universities are in the evaluation phase while at the same time the National Higher Education Authority is evaluating 10 applications for the operation of branches of foreign universities from institutions such as the University of Sunderland Georgetown University and the University of Essex.
Sofia Zaharaki absolutely agreed with the position of the Managing Director of the University of Nicosia Antonis Polemitis that Greece has clear comparative advantages for attracting international students using examples such as that of Cyprus. Greece has an important opportunity at a critical time. I am very optimistic. But we must ensure better everyday conditions for students academics and staff. Shouldnt MsWe will not back down from strengthening security and regularity in the Greek university. I tell you boldly I do not consider normality when a university building is vandalized. When a school is occupied. I do not consider normality a hearth broken. Yes to internationalization but we will not stop fighting for safer quality spaces that reflect this quality that the academic part of universities has he concluded.
The Minister noted that the perspective ofof Greece to make Greece an educational hub rests on four main axes. Specifically
1. Stable funding: For 2026 a grant of around 120 million euros is foreseen for the operation of the institutions while overall higher education funding has increased by 1.5 billion euros since 2019.2. Infrastructure and student care: The projects to upgrade and create new student residences restaurants and laboratories exceed 220 million euros - why did internationalization not happenwithout quality of life. 3. Human resources: Universities are strengthened with new faculty positions and greater flexibility so that they can respond to a more demanding international environment. 4. Connecting with the economy and skills of tomorrow: Through European initiatives such as STEP - the new European Platform for Strategic Technologies - higher education is being boosted with around EUR25 million. In this context internships are supported for approximately 3000 students annuallys as well as lifelong learning programs. We are responsible for ensuring a quality student life connection with research and the labor market for the children of either the expatriate community or students from abroad who will want to study in Greece emphasized the Minister. And he continued: Our degrees are very strong but we must ensure better everyday conditions in our universities. This is a priority set by our Government and the Prime Minister.
The Minister ehe particularly pointed out the need but also the political will for the State in cooperation with the universities and the business world together to offer students who will choose Greece for studies reliable options for joining the labor market and career. Sophia Zaharaki finally recognized as critical the need to adapt University programs to the needs arising from the impending changes at work due to the introduction of ArtificialIntelligence.
Earlier moreover the Minister of Education speaking in a debate with the general title: From Education to Production: The New Bet on Skills referred to the educational policies aimed at strengthening the new skills of children but also the coupling of research and innovation with the needs of businesses.
Sofia Zaharaki noted that public education is in the process of incorporating major technological changes and changing the skills that arenecessary for the new generation. The Minister particularly highlighted the changes in the content of studies the inclusion of multiple textbooks from 2027 noting that IT textbooks have already changed in High School and that the training of teachers is progressing not only in the new curricula but also in artificial intelligence.
He also mentioned the modernization of equipment with interactive whiteboards robotics sets and new tools for general and special education. We have to talk with orsense of equality he stressed pointing out that the technological transition also concerns children in special or hard-to-reach schools and is linked to social justice and cohesion.
Sofia Zaharaki underlined that digitization and artificial intelligence must be combined with skills such as critical thinking resilience adaptability collaboration creativity and problem solving. We want to make children stronger versatile resilient and to understand that the new conditionits change and critical thinking.
He also referred to the strategy for training and lifelong learning for the period 2025-2027 as well as the operation of regional and central vocational education and training councils so that decisions on new specialties and structures take into account the needs of loca
