The mandate
Thursday’s debate in the Greek Parliament was highly revealing. Observers had the opportunity to witness two radically different perspectives on the mission of tertiary education – and, by extension, two different ideas about the country’s future direction.
One side strives to defend the status quo at Greek universities as it has taken root over the past decades. The other side is keen to overcome the norms of the post-1974 system. It envisages a different educational paradigm and it is putting forward a tangible plan to bring it about.
This is indeed a clash of political programs. And the parliamentary vote will effectively reflect the mandate given by Greek citizens in the last election.
