Four key figures in Greek higher education gathered at John S. Bailey Library of DEREE – The American College of Greece last month for a two-hour discussion on public vs. private universities, one of the hottest topics in Greece for the past two decades.
Vassilis Papazoglou, a professor at the Athens Polytechnic University and general secretary of the Greek Ministry of Education, Thanos Veremis, a professor emeritus of Athens University and former head of the Education Council, Vasso Kinti, an ACG alumna, associate professor of the University of Athens and key figure in the university reform movement, and Nikolaos Tatsis, a professor emeritus of the University of Athens and former professor at DEREE, described and discussed the challenges of higher education in Greece and the attempts to rationalize the system by abandoning the «public-only» of the past few decades. (See video of the entire conference [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOK0gdEU7aU&context=C44d2ae4ADvjVQa1PpcFMkn1sb-1awTflXuuGYbIRSCHGEg4e_Y9s=] in the Greek Language)
The panel was moderated by veteran journalist Fivos Karzis, an influential voice in educational and cultural matters.
In his opening comments, ACG President, Dr. David G. Horner, used the analogy of the Illinois higher education system. The state of Illinois, which has a population approximately the same as that of Greece but has made different choices in matters of higher education, has managed to become a center of excellence in the field (Dr. Horner’s presentation, also part of the video, is in English).
The event was attended by an audience if about 300, including many ACG students, faculty and administrators. A lively discussion ensued that included top constitutional law professor Nikos Alivizatos, who was among the attendees.