Athens, Greece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the opening of a University of Nicosia campus in Athens can help transform Greece into a global education hub, as he and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides inaugurated the new campus.
Inauguration and education policy
Mitsotakis praised his government’s decision to legalise the operation of private universities in Greece, saying it had “decided to take [a] big step”. He said the government envisaged modern units with high standards, infrastructure, care for students, studies linked to the labour market, and a focus on future changes, including those brought by artificial intelligence.
Opportunities for students and international ambitions
Mitsotakis said the arrival of foreign private university campuses in Greece has created more opportunities for young people who wish to study but do not want or cannot afford to go abroad. He said the move could help turn Greece into a regional and potentially global education centre, attracting students initially from the Balkans, Europe and the Middle East, and later from India, the United States, the Far East and Africa.
Constitutional change proposal
Mitsotakis said he hopes to amend article 16 of Greece’s constitution, which guarantees education free of charge, describing such a change as providing an institutional basis for these initiatives. He said Greece is an exception in Europe due to strict constitutional restrictions on higher education services and said it is time to consider article 16 for revision to remove uncertainty over the operation of such institutions.
Cyprus education sector and University of Nicosia
Christodoulides highlighted Cyprus’ education sector as a significant part of the Cypriot economy with strong prospects, and said his government is investing more in education and training. He said the University of Nicosia has about 14,000 students from 100 countries, and added that it will soon be in other European capitals, with Cyprus’s support.
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