Universities to be upgraded but numbers reduced

Education Minister Costas Arvanitopoulos has underlined that “upgrading public universities is a top priority”, while at the same time saying that Greece has too many universities – 40 for a country of 11 million people – and needs to consolidate or merge institutions to reduce costs, writes A Papapostolou for ANA-MPA.

Arvanitopoulos said the upgrading of state universities will be promoted through a recently amended law that will improve the institutions’ administration, although it is being fiercely fought by professors and students who don’t want the changes.

Referring to the prospect of private universities finally being recognised by the Greek state, he said their operation depended on a revision of Article 16 of the Constitution that has constantly been set aside by successive governments, although Greece is in violation of European Union law by not accepting degrees from private institutions for graduates to be employed by the state.
Full report on the Greek Reporter site