Charm offensive aimed at foreign universities

After the expected ratification of the bill on the establishment of non-state universities around the end of February, Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis is preparing to embark on a springtime tour of Western Europe and the US. 

Pierrakakis will highlight the prospects offered by the new law, as well as the financial tools available for collaborations between foreign and state universities. He will also present the institutional framework to institutions interested in establishing branches in Greece. Greek academics from the diaspora will play the role of "ambassadors."

The Greek minister also plans to attend the Annual conference and expo, in late May, of NAFSA, an international non-profit organization focusing on international partnerships and exchanges in education.

"Efforts are being made to develop dual undergraduate programs, summer schools and...