L’Aquila Greeks want to leave
Some 250 Greek students who were studying in the central Italian town of L’Aquila, struck by a deadly earthquake in April, have come together to request that they be allowed to continue their degrees at Greek universities. «Lots of buildings have been destroyed and the university labs are deserted,» Evangelia Polythodoraki told Kathimerini. «We have been advised to try and contact professors via mobile phone.» «The Italians want to keep the university open because otherwise the town will be deserted,» said Haris Kotronis. «They want to give the impression, for political reasons, that the town is operating normally but the infrastructure has been destroyed.» The Greek students, most of whom are studying medicine, have asked the Greek government to allow them to transfer back to regional universities in Greece. More than 200 people, including Greek student Vassilis Koufolias, were killed in the April quake.
