HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVES
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The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. As all other Greek universities, it is a self-governed legal entity of public law and all major policy issues are determined by the Ministry of National Education and Religion. Retaining its academic autonomy, it fully respects the constitutionally secured right to everyone for a free education. This is possible because it is funded by the state. Moreover, It is progressively succeeding to benefit from its property and legacies, as well as from the funding of research projects with national and international partners. All funds are invested into the management and operation of educational, research and cultural programmes, into student and staff services and grants.
With a student body of about 68.500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, over 2.100 members of academic staff and approximately 1.000 administrative and secretarial staff and specialised personnel, the University of Athens aims at excellence in both teaching and research in a significantly varied range of disciplines.
The Faculties and their respective Departments, functioning within the 9 larger academic units entitled Schools, as well as a number of independent Faculties offer a wide range of undergraduate courses, leading to a Diploma equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree (Ptychio in Greek), after a minimum of four years of studies. Moreover, intra- and inter-Departmental programmes offer an expanding range of taught and research-based postgraduate degrees.
Facilities for academic work and research are growing fast, but because of the poor ratio between academic staff and students in many Departments, presently, the possibilities for individualized attention to students and project work are limited, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. The number of Greek and foreign students to be admitted as full-time students each year is determined by the Ministry of Education, but Faculties and their academic staff decide on the number of European students on mobility programmes each semester. Actually, international students are welcome in the University of Athens and, in recent years, the number of non-Greek nationals studying in the various Faculties has increased. Some of them are enrolled as full-time students in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, while others are exchange students, studying at the University of Athens for one or two semesters and participating more or less actively in its academic life and in the rich cultural life inside and outside the university. Indeed, many foreign but also Greek students feel it is a privilege for them to be living in the historic and cosmopolitan city of Athens, and to be studying in a university that has maintained its tradition and prestige for 180 years.
Source: National Kapodistrian University of Athens
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