Thirty US unis in Athens forging ties

Representatives from 30 American universities – including top-flight schools like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Brown and Johns Hopkins – are in Greece these days exploring new partnerships and strengthening already existing ties with local institutions, thanks to an initiative launched in December 2019 by the Greek Education Ministry and the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the United States.

Starting last Saturday and running through Tuesday in Athens, the Pharos Summit 2022 provides delegates with the opportunity to “witness first-hand” the impact of “landmark reforms that encourage international cooperation in tertiary education and Greece’s readiness post-Covid to act as an international energy hub,” the head of the IIE, Allan Goodman, tells Kathimerini.

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The initiative seeks to forge long-lasting partnerships through joint study programs, degrees, research activities and publications, Education Minister Niki Kerameus explains. “The first signs are extremely encouraging,” she adds.

“More than half of the American universities taking part in the visit have already bolstered their existing partnerships, signed new ones or embarked on serious discussions with potential Greek partners,” confirms Goodman.

What’s more, an American expert has been commissioned to advise regional Greek universities on how they can tap into the international education market, according to US Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis. “Education is an intrinsic part of the US-Greece dialogue,” he tells Kathimerini, underscoring the Biden Administration’s commitment to deepening ties in this area.