Costly tribalism

There is no prefecture in Greece that doesn’t host a university department. 

It is to be expected that local communities will perceive the merger or abolition of a department as a sign of decline for the region. 

It is therefore the duty of lawmakers from these constituencies and local authorities to at least not incite reactions to those changes. 

It is their duty to explain that the public interest is not served by maintaining university departments where one enters with a low grade.

It will be a very difficult task. But it can no longer be postponed.