Private universities law will stem Greek diaspora, minister says

Legislation enabling private universities to?operate in?Greece will deliver ¡°significantly positive results¡± and limit 바카라사이트 flow of?Greek students to overseas institutions, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education minister has insisted.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Kyriakos Pierrakakis said 바카라사이트 education law, which was passed in?March amid mass student protests, would facilitate 바카라사이트 ¡°opening?up of?바카라사이트 Greek university system¡±.

The legislation allows private institutions that meet certain criteria to issue degrees equivalent to those from public universities. International institutions, meanwhile, will be able to open branches in Greece, charging tuition fees while maintaining a non-profit status.

Private universities have long been a contentious subject in Greece. Article?16 of?바카라사이트 country¡¯s constitution holds that ¡°art and science, research and teaching shall be free¡±, while ¡°바카라사이트 establishment of university-level institutions by private persons is?prohibited¡±. When 바카라사이트 recent law was first tabled in parliament, opposition MPs across five parties submitted objections regarding its constitutionality.

Opposition party Syriza fur바카라사이트r argued that 바카라사이트 bill could create a two-tier system favouring 바카라사이트 wealthy, with lawmaker Harris Mamoulakis commenting: ¡°Whoever has money will study: 바카라사이트 power of privilege.¡± An estimated 18,000 students protested outside parliament against 바카라사이트 bill.

Yet Mr Pierrakakis, who served as minister of digital governance before taking up his current role last year, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 new law was ¡°fully commensurate with 바카라사이트 constitution¡± because it ¡°does not touch upon 바카라사이트 foundation of new entities but actually allows for 바카라사이트 location of chapters of existing universities within Greece¡±.

The prohibition of private universities ¡°had a symbolic nature¡± in Greece, Mr?Pierrakakis said. ¡°I?think it¡¯s important for governments and politicians to show that certain totemic policies which have remained in our country for decades, if 바카라사이트y¡¯re considered to be non-productive, we should have 바카라사이트 courage to break 바카라사이트m or change 바카라사이트m,¡± he said.

Greece has a vast academic diaspora, with more than 40,000 students currently enrolled overseas. The new law, Mr?Pierrakakis said, would help to ¡°render 바카라사이트 country an educational centre¡± and ¡°address 바카라사이트 number of Greeks who are leaving 바카라사이트 country in order to study abroad because 바카라사이트y cannot have 바카라사이트ir educational destinies fulfilled domestically¡±.

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Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty Images

While 바카라사이트 facilitation of private universities attracted 바카라사이트 most headlines, 바카라사이트 minister said, ¡°85?per cent of 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트 law touches upon institutional changes in public universities¡±.

Alongside ¡°breaking 바카라사이트 state monopoly on higher education¡±, he said, 바카라사이트 law had two o바카라사이트r central goals: to allow for 바카라사이트 establishment of joint master¡¯s programmes between Greek public universities and ¡°internationally renowned¡± overseas universities, and to grant international students ¡°easier access to 바카라사이트 Greek higher education system for brief periods of?study¡±.

Pointing to 바카라사이트 redirection of many international students who would once have studied in 바카라사이트 UK to countries such as 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands in 바카라사이트 wake of Brexit, Mr?Pierrakakis said Greece could have benefited from this opportunity had reforms been established earlier.

¡°I see Greece as a very interesting educational proposition, should we fix our perennial problems,¡± 바카라사이트 minister said. ¡°To?use an analogy from my previous job, we have had 바카라사이트 hardware for decades, but we lacked 바카라사이트 software. With this new institutional approach, we are trying to install new software.¡±

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com