Sofia Zacharaki and Kimberly Gilfoil present a shared vision for the internationalization of Greek universities and the promotion of Greece as a global educational destination.

At the center of the government’s strategy for higher education and the strengthening of the international presence of Greek universities was the event held in Athens, where government officials, representatives of the academic community , and international stakeholders analyzed the new framework for internationalization and outward-looking engagement in higher education, with an emphasis on linking research, innovation, and economic development. A central focus of the discussions was the need to transform Greek universities into competitive, internationally networked academic institutions, capable of attracting students and research programs from abroad, while at the same time highlighting the opportunities offered by European funding instruments, new technologies and artificial intelligence to upgrade the country’s education and research ecosystem.

The country’s strategy for transforming Greece into a strong international education and research destination was highlighted at the event titled “Internationalization and Outward Orientation: Greece as the Academic Hub of the Future,” which took place in the Amphitheater of the National Gallery – Alexander Soutsos Museum on Wednesday, June 17, bringing together representatives of the government, the academic community, international organizations, and leading universities, as reported by ProtoThema.gr.

Zacharaki’s ambition

“Our ambition is for every young person, from anywhere in the world, to be able to say, ‘I chose Greece to study’” said Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, from the podium during the event.

The discussions focused on upgrading higher education, strengthening the international presence of Greek universities, the effective use of European funding instruments, and adapting the academic system to the challenges of artificial intelligence and the new digital era.

Opening the discussion on the future of higher education, the Minister of Education, Religion, and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, emphasized that the government’s goal is to make Greece a destination of choice for young people worldwide to pursue their studies.

As she noted, the country is working systematically to emerge as a regional academic hub with international influence, capable of attracting students from abroad while simultaneously strengthening Greeks’ confidence in domestic universities. “The goal,” he said, “is to create a more open, outward-looking, competitive, and international university that will generate knowledge, actively participate in European research networks, and contribute substantially to the country’s economic and social development.”

Presenting a report on the initiatives being implemented through the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the minister noted that 70 million euros have been allocated for the internationalization of Greek universities, 106.5 million euros for the “Universities of Excellence” program, €88.3 million for research excellence partnerships, 18.2 million euros for the development of digital research infrastructure, and 13.5 million euros for the Digital Student Registry and the modernization of the institutions’ administrative operations.

It also placed particular emphasis on the development of new foreign-language degree programs, joint and dual master’s degrees, as well as on strengthening international academic collaborations.

At the same time, he referred to student infrastructure, noting that, through public-private partnership projects, plans are in place to create 8,600 new beds in student dormitories over the next five years, primarily in regional areas. In addition, projects totaling 224 million euros have already been launched to renovate and improve the energy efficiency of 17 student residence buildings.

The American Perspective: Greece Among the Top Educational Destinations

The U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Gilfoyle, highlighted the country’s potential to become an international hub for education and knowledge exchange. She noted that Greece’s geostrategic location, combined with its high-level academic capabilities, constitutes significant comparative advantages.

As he noted, Greece already ranks eighth worldwide among the study destinations chosen by American students, while emphasizing that strengthening educational ties between Greece and the U.S. creates new opportunities for mobility, exchanges, and collaborations between the universities of the two countries, thereby strengthening the interconnection of academic institutions and mobility between the two nations.

Kostis Hatzidakis: Universities as Drivers of Growth and Innovation

The central message of the speech by the Deputy Prime Minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, was that higher education can no longer be viewed exclusively as a place of learning, but as a key pillar of innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.

The Deputy Prime Minister presented the opportunities opening up for Greece through the new European Competitiveness Fund for the period 2028–2034, with a total budget of 420 billion euros. As he explained, this is a completely different funding instrument from those of previous decades, as it will support initiatives in research, technology, and collaboration among businesses, universities, and research centers.

Based on population data, he estimated that Greece could claim between 8 and 10 billion euros from the new fund, an amount corresponding to roughly half of the current Recovery Fund. However, he clarified that the allocation will not be based on national quotas but on the quality and competitiveness of the proposals submitted.

In this context, he underscored the need for a shift in mindset within both the academic and business communities, emphasizing that the universities of the future —both public and private—will function as hubs for the production of knowledge, innovation, and added value for local communities and the national economy.

Mr. Hatzidakis also rejected claims of a funding gap following the conclusion of the Recovery Fund, noting that, according to European negotiations to date, Greece is expected to have 49.5 billion euros at its disposal during the next programming period, in addition to the lending instruments and resources that will come from the new Competitiveness Fund.

Referring to recent reforms, he described the evaluation of universities by the National Authority for Higher Education as particularly important, as well as the coexistence of public and private universities, which, he argued, fosters competition and creates new opportunities for the academic system.

He also made special mention of the institution of industry-based doctoral programs, which link university research to the needs of industry, while leaving open the possibility of developing corresponding industry-based master’s programs.

At the same time, he highlighted the progress made in attracting international students, noting that Greek universities have already established partnerships with American institutions, while students from China are choosing Greece to study ancient Greek literature. As he argued, there is even greater potential for growth through summer programs that could be hosted at university facilities in island and tourist regions during the summer months, when these facilities are otherwise inactive.

The Deputy Prime Minister also referred to the impact of the Recovery Fund, noting that its benefits were not limited to large enterprises but extended to tens of thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises and to critical areas of social policy, such as health and education. In particular, he highlighted funding for new health infrastructure, interactive whiteboards in schools, modernization projects in primary and secondary education, as well as outreach initiatives and the development of new graduate programs at universities.

Health as a Field of International Educational Development

For his part, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis presented a vision for transforming Greece into an international educational hub in the field of health.

As he argued, the country can leverage its comparative advantages to become a benchmark in the training of healthcare professionals, with a particular emphasis on nursing education. At the same time, he called for closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, arguing that non-state, non-profit universities can operate in a manner that complements the public system, thereby enhancing competition and the quality of education.

The minister also highlighted the opportunities created by artificial intelligence and data utilization in the health sector, noting that new technologies will transform both healthcare and education, without, however, replacing the human element.

Internationalization moves from theory to practice

Representatives of the academic community also discussed Greece’s potential to become an international hub for education and research.

João Breda of the World Health Organization emphasized that the country has what it takes to play a role not only at the European level but also globally. The dean of the Medical School at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Nikolaos Arkadopoulos, stressed that the internationalization of Greek universities is now a tangible reality, while the Vice Rector of the University of Thessaly, Chrysoula Laspidou, highlighted the importance of regional universities in creating ecosystems of knowledge and innovation.

Yale Professor Vasilis Vassiliou noted that collaborations between Greek and foreign universities, as well as joint graduate programs, are already yielding measurable results in research and education.

Artificial Intelligence and New Skills

A separate session of the event was dedicated to the transformation that artificial intelligence is bringing about in higher education.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Nikolaos Papaioannou argued that the internationalization of universities is inextricably linked to the use of new technologies. Yiannis Mastrogiorgios, Special Secretary for Long-Term Planning at the Office of the Prime Minister, pointed out that the high caliber of Greek scientific talent explains the growing interest of major international technology companies in investing in the country.

The Director of the British Council for Greece and Cyprus, Anastasia Andritsou, emphasized that artificial intelligence is already part of everyday life at universities, while Anna Batistatou, Rector of the University of Ioannina, noted that this development is fundamentally changing the way we perceive higher education.

For her part, Peggy Antonakou, Google’s Regional General Manager for Southeast Europe, pointed out that young people in Greece are among the most proficient users of artificial intelligence tools in Europe.

New Forms of Collaboration and International Bridges of Knowledge

The discussion concluded with an emphasis on new forms of international academic collaboration. Kyriakos Anastasiadis, Rector of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, highlighted the role of microcredentials as a tool for internationalization, while Sofia Zyga from the University of the Peloponnese underscored the contribution of regional institutions to attracting international collaborations.

Matthieu Abgrall from the French Institute of Greece presented joint Greek-French initiatives in the field of higher education, while Stefanos Gandolfo of the Athens Columbia Global Center emphasized that the internationalization of Greek universities has now moved from the planning stage to implementation.

Finally, regarding his participation in the collaboration program between the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the University of Cincinnati, Christos Argyropoulos, a Ph.D. candidate in Classical Studies at the University of Athens and a history teacher, Christos Argyropoulos, while Penelope Michaela Natsi, a student in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Athens and a member of the CIVIS Student Council, Penelope Michaela Natsi, highlighted the importance of student participation in European collaboration and research networks.

Christos Argyropoulos, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Athens, spoke about the benefits that young researchers gain from international collaboration programs, while University of Athens student and member of the CIVIS Student Council, Penelope Michaela Natsi, highlighted the importance of student participation in European research and academic collaboration networks.

Greece is striving to transition to a new model of higher education, in which internationalization, research, innovation, and links to the economy constitute the key pillars of development. As noted by those who participated in the event, with strong financial support, expanded international collaborations, and the utilization of new technologies, the country aims to claim a leading role on the global academic stage in the coming years.