Ministry freezes launch of 38 new academic departments

Greece’s Education Ministry has ordered the immediate suspension of plans to open 38 new university and technical college departments that had been announced by the previous leftist administration prior to the summer’s election period.

The ministry wants time to examine whether these departments, which were to go into operation within the next few years, are necessary and meet the required academic standards.

It accuses the previous administration of serving clientelist interests and vote-mongering ahead of the triple general, local and European elections, by announcing a slew of new academic programs and departments without setting specific standards, studying their purpose and viability and consulting with the independent Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency, which, by law, should be involved in such decisions.

The decision pertains to departments planned at the universities of Athens, Western Macedonia, Western Attica, Ionian, Patra, Ioannina, Peloponnese and Thessaly, as well as the Athens University of Agriculture, the International Hellenic University in northern Greece and the Hellenic Mediterranean University.