International universities eye Greece amid constitutional debate
Ten prestigious international universities have expressed keen interest in establishing branches in Greece, according to Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis in an interview with the Proto Thema Sunday newspaper.
Pierrakakis reiterated the urgency of not awaiting the revision of Article 16 of the Constitution, asserting that “the government’s legislative initiative does not violate the Constitution.”
Additionally, Pierrakakis addressed the legality of certain colleges recognized by the European Union, which provide their students with full professional rights.
Universities in Greece are state-funded institutions where attendance has been free for decades. Their status is enshrined in the Constitution, with Article 16 expressly prohibiting the establishment of higher education institutions by private individuals. The government plans to institutionalize non-state universities via transnational agreements, using Article 28 of the Constitution to circumvent the ban [AMNA/Kathimerini]
