Time up for degree change
Greece is likely to end up in the European Court of Justice, as a deadline requiring member states to recognize the professional qualifications of students graduating from private colleges that cooperate with foreign universities expires this week. The Education Ministry has yet to adopt this EU guideline due to strong opposition from the university community, which sees it as a first step in placing tertiary education off limits to lower-income groups. According to industry sources, there are some 25,000 students that have graduated from Greek colleges since 1989 and are waiting for professional recognition. Education Ministry officials are expected to meet with the Hellenic Colleges Association next week over the issue but it was not clear whether any time frame will be outlined for possible changes.
