02 - Greece - Ongoing debates and future developments

Constant improvement in the quality of the work done and the operation of higher education institutions, ensuring those conditions favouring the attainment of their goals and, mainly, strengthening the social efficiency of tertiary education are the main goals and priorities of the Policy on tertiary education.

The expansion of tertiary education continued via the establishment and operation of new departments in higher education institutions while, in the context of the policy on the development and co-ordination of lifelong learning, the operation of lifelong learning and training institutions under higher education institutions, aims to provide certified programmes.

In addition, a Committee has been set up by the Secretary General of the YPEPTH with a view to grouping and harmonizing laws on research in Greece so as to create a single legislative framework applying to all higher education institutes.

Moreover, an unofficial group of Deans was comprised under the aegis of the Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs, the work of which was the basis for recent Law 3459/2007. In the framework of the scheduled constitutional revision, the foundation of Private Universities in Greece is under consultation.

Higher Technological Education

In particular, in what concerns Technological Educational Institutes (TEI), measures have been adopted recently for the improvement of quality of the provided education, as well as for their academic identity and promotion. In this direction, regulations apply also to the staff, courses and technical equipment of the laboratories so as to be in line with European standards.

Concurrently, many TEI have started co-operating with Greek and foreign universities as regards the operation of postgraduate study programmes. This co-operation is in an initial stage and will expand over the following years. In the same context, the enhancement of research is supported by financing research groups in the TEI, which may be of inter-departmental/ multidisciplinary nature and carry out research on a wide range of scientific subjects.

Higher University Education

By Law 3549/07, which produces reforms in the institutional framework regulating the structure and the running of HEIs, an attempt is made to modernize and open up Greek higher education to international peer associations. Finally, a higher degree of autonomy is granted to HEIs as regards administrative and financial management.

Institutions:

Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (YPEPTH)

Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe

Date: 2009
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