European, global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development
As regards tertiary education, Greek educational policy focuses on the removal of obstacles and the facilitation of academic, administrative staff and student mobility.
At national level, Greece has concluded bilateral and multilateral agreements with several countries in order to promote cultural and educational cooperation, while, at institutional level, all universities cooperate with foreign institutions, participating in programmes such as Erasmus+ and other European, regional or OECD programmes.
Primary educational policy of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs is to transform Greece from a country sending students abroad to an international destination, by upgrading the quality of studies in Greek higher education institutions.
International Hellenic University
The Hellenic International University seeks to be a pillar of excellence in education and research while casting emphasis on:
- internationalization,
- exploitation of research results,
- teaching and learning innovation,
- entrepreneurship
- and the University's connection with society.
The afore-mentioned University aims:
- to strengthen its contacts with the international academic community,
- to increase its participation in strategic alliance networks,
- to utilize its research infrastructure,
- to increase the mobility of the academic community,
- to create English-language Postgraduate Programs.
Within this framework, Greece has concluded bilateral and multilateral agreements with several countries to promote cultural and educational cooperation.
Foreign Language Courses
According to law 4692/2020, Universities may organize first cycle courses in a foreign language (Foreign Language Courses):
- which are part of the strategic planning of the Institution
- aim at promoting knowledge
- are governed by scientific coherence
- and meet conditions that guarantee a high level of studies.
The Foreign Language Courses are addressed exclusively to foreign nationals of countries inside or outside the European Union, who are graduates of upper-secondary schools or similar schools based abroad. If applicants have attended the last two grades of upper-secondary education or equivalent grades in a foreign country, they can present the appropriate school leaving that entitles them to be admitted to higher education institutions in the country where they graduate. Two or more Departments of the same or another University may organize a Foreign Language Course with a dual specialization, which lead to the award of a joint first cycle degree with a specialization in two different subjects.
Online language support in the Erasmus+ Programme
By signing the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education, higher education institutions are committed to providing all necessary support to participants who travel, including their language preparation. In order to support them, online language support is provided for all mobility activities. This is made available by the European Commission to eligible participants in order for them to improve their foreign language skills before and/or during mobility.
Lastly, undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes of Greek Universities reflect and promote the international and european dimension.
Undergraduate study programmes
Online access to all available undergraduate programmes of Greek Universities including those involving courses with a European and/or international dimension, is provided through the website "Study in Greece".
Postgraduate study programmes
Online access to all available postgraduate programmes including those involving courses with a European and/or international dimension, is provided through the website "Study in Greece".
An important effort is the "Study in Greece" action. It is an information portal on higher education in Greece. It aims at strengthening the international image of Greek HEIs for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Law 4653/2020 on the National Higher Education Authority includes provisions for strengthening the internationalization of HEIs upon proposals by the Higher Council. In addition, among the responsibilities of the Evaluation and Certification Council of the National Higher Education Authority is also the conduct of thematic evaluations of the degree of internationalization of each institution. Finally, among the indicators on the basis of which public grants are distributed to Institutions, one can find indicators related to the degree of internationalization.
Partnerships and networks
Erasmus mundus
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMD) aim to:
- foster quality improvements, innovation, excellence and internationalisation in higher education institutions (HEI)
- increase the quality and the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and supporting the EU's external action in the higher education field, by offering full degree scholarships to the best Master students worldwide
- improve the level of competences and skills of Master graduates, and in particular the relevance of the Joint Masters for the labour market, through an increased involvement of employers.
An EMJMD is a high-level integrated international study programme of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, delivered by an international consortium of HEIs from different countries and, where relevant, other educational and/or non-educational partners with specific expertise and interest in the study areas/professional domains covered by the joint programme.
All participating HEIs established in a Programme Country must be Master degree-awarding institutions. The successful completion of the joint EMJMD Master programme must lead to the award of either a joint degree (i.e. one joint diploma issued on behalf of at least two HEIs from different Programme Countries) or multiple degrees (i.e. at least two diplomas issued by two higher education institutions from different Programme Countries).
All the necessary conditions and information is contained in the Erasmus+ Program Guide which is published on the IKY website.
UNESCO chairs
University Twinning and Networking (UNITWIN) is a programme established in 1992 implementing a resolution of the 26th session of the UNESCO General Conference. The programme for UNESCO Chairs aims at promoting research and training as well as developing programmes in higher education through university networking and encouraging inter-university cooperation at an international level.
Today the programme counts 702 UNESCO chairs and 44 UNITWIN Networks in 116 countries.
The UNITWIN/UNESCO chairs programme covers a wide range of scientific fields, which constitute key priorities for UNESCO, including, among others, education, sustainable growth and issues related to water, biodiversity, climatic change, new technologies, human rights, gender equality and civilisations.
On Unesco’s website one can find information on the persons in charge of UNESCO chairs, the cooperations between universities and other institutions as well as the research conducted in each chair.
In Greece, the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO has established and supports the operation of the following 10 UNESCO chairs:
- UNESCO chair "Education on Human Rights, Democracy and Peace", Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- UNESCO chair "International Network of Centres for Aquatic – Environment for the Balkans for Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources and Dispute Settlement", Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- UNESCO chair "Natural Disasters in Geosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere", National Observatory of Athens
- UNESCO chair "Information and Communication Technologies in Education for Sustainable Development”, University of Crete
- UNESCO chair "The Management of Sustainable Development and Education in the Mediterranean", National Kapodistrian University of Athens
- UNESCO chair "Juvenile Medicine", Medical School of the University of Athens
- UNESCO chair "Human Rights, Democracy and Peace", Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
- UNESCO chair "Geophysics and Geological Risk Reduction", Department of Applied Sciences, Technological Educational Institute of Crete
- UNESCO chair "Preservation and Ecotourism of Ancestral and Delta Ecosystems", TEI of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
- UNESCO chair "Intercultural Policy for an Active and Joint Nationality", University of Macedonia.
Pilot programme on youth mobility (mediterranean office for youth)
The pilot programme on youth mobility, implemented through the Mediterranean Office of Youth which is comprised of 16 members, Greece included, was developed to promote attractive choices from the Mediterranean area. In this context, the programme promotes the development of joint study programmes with the participation of at least two higher education institutions of different countries, focusing on postgraduate and doctoral programmes of study.
Participation of greek educational institutions in the european union initiative entitled "european universities"
Through alliances of european universities, the European Union aims to improve the quality, the international competitiveness and attractiveness of european higher education and greek universities are selected on a strcit european basis to participate in these programmes.
These programmes play an important role, as they build collaborative relationships between academic communities and promote research and innovation. But, above all, they related to one of the primary conditions for the upgrading of our country's higher education, which is none other than its extroversion and its dynamic presence in modern education.
From 2019:
• The National Kapodistrian University of Athens participates in the alliance CIVIS
• The Agricultural University of Athens participates in the alliance CONEXUS
• Τhe Aristotle University of Thessaloniki participates in the alliance EPICURE
From 2020:
• The Hellenic Mediterranean University participates in the alliance ATHENA
• The University of the Aegean participates in the alliance ERUA
• The University of Thessaly participates in the alliance INVEST
• The Technical University of Crete participates in the alliance EURECA-PRO.
Miscellaneous
Especially as regards higher education, following the meetings of Bologna (1999), Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007) and Leuven (2009), Greece has started to place special emphasis on and become active in the Bologna principles implementation as regards the academic recognition of degrees, the credit accumulation and transfer between programmes of studies and higher education teaching process evaluation.
The Ministry of Education participates in the Bologna process aiming at contributing to the creation of the European Area of Higher Education. It also participates in the Copenhagen process, aiming at reinforcing transparency, recognition and quality in vocational education.
The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Centre for the Greek Language, the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, and the Hellenic Foundation of Culture reinforces and supports the operation and development of departments of Greek studies in important international universities in order to promote the country and its culture at international level. In this context, the "Greek Language Day" has been established.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reinforces cultural centres’ operation in foreign countries.
The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supports the Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice. The institution serves scientific and research objectives.
The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs co-finances and supports through the State Scholarships Foundation the operation of the European University Institute of Florence, the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education and the European Schoolnet.