Education Minister Evripidis Stylianidis yesterday officially inaugurated the International Hellenic University in Thessaloniki, saying its chief role would be to attract students from the broader Balkan region but also to educate Greeks who will act as ambassadors of Hellenism when they continue their careers abroad.

“We see the university grooming professionals who will work abroad, transferring the Greek mentality and experience to Balkan countries but also attracting businessmen from neighboring countries to pursue their education in Thessaloniki and continue their business here,” Stylianidis told an audience of ambassadors and entrepreneurs.

With Greece leading the field in business investment in the region, it should also “make serious investments in the foundations for human and international relations which is the education sector,” Stylianidis said.

The university’s executive MBA course this year attracted dozens of Greeks, Albanians and Bulgarians.