Public Greek Universities collaborate with Yale, Harvard, Sorbonne, and Columbia – 74 programs to launch in 2026-27

The readying signifier for caller joint postgraduate programs (Joint oregon Dual Master’s degrees) betwixt Greek nationalist universities and renowned planetary institutions is good underway. A full of 74 programs person secured backing support and are being developed to motorboat successful the 2026–2027 world year.

Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Nikos Papaioannou, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA):

“This is simply a large betterment that enhances the presumption of Greek universities connected the planetary representation of higher education. It creates caller opportunities for our students and academics and positions Greece arsenic a hub for high-level studies successful Southeastern Europe.”

Papaioannou emphasized that the announcement of backing support for these associated postgraduate programs is simply a clear motion of the government’s commitment to investing successful knowledge, outward engagement, and planetary designation of Greek higher education.

“With enactment from the Recovery and Resilience Fund and the National Public Investment Program, we secured astir €94 million to money 74 caller and innovative programs linking Greek institutions with apical universities worldwide — from Yale and Harvard to Columbia and the Sorbonne,” helium added.

“Universities of Excellence” Initiative

He noted that this effort, nether the task “Universities of Excellence,” confirms that higher acquisition is simply a strategical priority for Greece:

“We are investing successful quality capital, showcasing the capabilities of our universities, and creating conditions that not lone forestall endowment from leaving the state but really pull it. Internationalizing higher acquisition is not conscionable argumentation — it’s a imaginativeness for a Greece that leads successful cognition and excellence.”

Challenges Ahead

Christos Michalakelis, President of Study successful Greece (a nationalist involvement institution promoting Greek higher acquisition abroad), stated:

“The state’s strategical enactment for associated postgraduate programs intelligibly shows the volition to internationalize.”

However, Greek universities look organizational and logistical challenges, including choky timelines and the request to conscionable funding disbursement criteria from the Recovery Fund.

Out of the €94 cardinal budget, €80 million comes from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and €12 million from the National Public Investment Program (to screen VAT).

Concerns from the Academic Community

Sources from the world assemblage voiced concerns to AMNA implicit whether each Greek institutions volition negociate to:

• Finalize agreements with their planetary partners successful time.
• Complete the program certification process via the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE).

Another cardinal situation volition beryllium the timely promotion of these programs to attract planetary students. Michalakelis stressed:

“A coordinated effort to beforehand each English-language undergraduate and postgraduate programs is necessary, particularly present that Greek institutions are entering a highly competitory planetary acquisition landscape.”

Study successful Greece offers Greek universities a comprehensive work package to assistance amended outreach, appeal, and the recruitment of planetary students.

Example: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) & Yale

One of the programs already successful precocious readying is simply a Dual Master’s betwixt NKUA and Yale University titled “Environmental Science and Global Public Health”.

Nikos Thomaidis, Deputy Chair of NKUA’s Board and world pb for the program, told AMNA:

• By May 31, 2025, each approved programs indispensable submit a certification file to HAHE.
• To statesman successful September 2026, exertion calls should beryllium issued by June 2026.
• However, NKUA is readying earlier promotional activities to pull students successful time.

This dual program volition admit students simultaneously astatine some universities successful the archetypal year. In the second year, students volition survey astatine the partner institution.

There volition beryllium scholarships for students admitted successful Greece, providing incentives to apply.

NKUA volition judge up to 30 students, with a quota of 20 from the EU and 10 from non-EU countries.

Each associated programme volition person its own guidelines and quotas, peculiarly distinguishing betwixt European and planetary students.

Other Notable Collaborations (starting successful 2026–27)

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki & Harvard University: Personalized Medicine successful Multifactorial Eye Diseases via Interdisciplinary Approaches
• Democritus University of Thrace & Sorbonne Université: Industrial Catalysis and Sustainable Energy
• Panteion University & Columbia University: Global China
• University of Western Macedonia & Boston University: Craniofacial Engineering
• Agricultural University of Athens & University College London: Nutrition and Sustainability
• Technical University of Crete & ETH Zurich: Sustainable Infrastructure Technology and Innovation for the Future
• University of Thessaly & Columbia University (NY): Humanitarian Action and Inclusive Governance of Public and One Health Challenges
• National Technical University of Athens & Heidelberg University: Cultural Heritage Landscapes and Design
• University of Ioannina & Imperial College London: The Microbiome successful Health and Disease

Additional spouse universities include:

• King’s College London
• George Mason University
• State University of New York
• University Paris VIII
• York University
• Ludwig-Maximilians University
• Sibelius Academy
• Beijing Language and Culture University
• Cyprus University of Technology

Greek Public Universities & Number of Collaborations

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – 12
• University of Ioannina – 7
• University of the Aegean – 6
• Democritus University of Thrace – 5
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) – 4
• Ionian University – 4
• University of Macedonia – 4
• Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) – 3
• University of Crete – 3
• University of Thessaly – 3
• University of the Peloponnese – 3
• Agricultural University of Athens – 3
• University of Western Macedonia – 3
• Hellenic Mediterranean University – 3
• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) – 2
• University of Patras – 2
• Harokopio University – 2
• International Hellenic University – 2
• University of Piraeus – 1
• University of West Attica – 1
• Panteion University – 1