Interest in uni more about the degree than a quality education

To be fair, the previous significant Education Ministry reform, under a PASOK government, concerning partnerships between Greek and foreign universities, didn’t yield substantial results. While representatives from 30 prestigious universities were afforded grand receptions accompanied by lofty declarations that “the Greek government prioritizes the internationalization of Greece’s tertiary education,” the outcome was underwhelming.

Similarly, on the occasion of the latest bill introduced by conservative Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, we’re met with comparable grandiosity regarding “the Sorbonne and Harvard expressing interest.” However, to date, the only university to have formally expressed interest is the University of Nicosia, alongside a private equity company which controls a private healthcare group, and they have already acquired land in the Elliniko suburb south of Athens to establish a medical school. Before the bill was drafted (30/01/2024), Kathimerini reported that “the University of Nicosia rector, Professor Philippos Pouyioutas, said that the launch date of the school will depend on the legal framework for the establishment of non-state universities, which is expected to be passed in Parliament.”

Let’s not harbor any illusions. The belated end of the state monopoly on higher education will likely echo previous scenarios. This is because both the government’s plans and the opposition’s objections fail to account for a fundamental factor. When Greece ended the state monopoly on TV and radio frequencies in the early 1990s, there was no market demand for the BBC. Similarly, there’s currently no significant demand for higher education. On the contrary, there’s a strong demand for university degrees, even within existing state universities. Consequently, there’s scant concern about the academic quality of universities, except for one aspect: ensuring the smooth conduct of examinations. Therefore, any private business in the realm of higher education, even if ostensibly nonprofit, will cater to existing demand. This mirrors the situation with the current nonprofit but largely state-run universities.

Real progress in higher education in Greece will only materialize when state universities truly operate as public institutions, which brings us back to the revision of Article 16

Every market liberalization and decentralization of power carries an inherent characteristic. Initially, negative consequences driven by human greed tend to manifest before positive outcomes emerge through entrepreneurial efforts within a regulated framework. Whether this framework is upheld rests on the Greek state apparatus. Challenges arising from liberalization persist when there’s a lack of political will to address them.

Therefore, we shouldn’t exaggerate or dramatize the bill concerning non-state, nonprofit university branches. However, it’s prudent to inquire about a doctor’s alma mater. As for the optimistic rhetoric surrounding the “upgrade of public universities through competition,” this appears overly idealistic. The experience with radio and television illustrates that the proliferation of private channels didn’t significantly impact state broadcaster ERT, neither positively nor negatively. ERT experienced periods of improved performance – in the early 2000s and presently – not due to competition but rather because Costas Simitis and Kyriakos Mitsotakis allowed the state broadcaster’s management to work with relative independence, fostering qualitative improvements.

Real progress in higher education in Greece will only materialize when state universities truly operate as public institutions, which brings us back to the revision of Article 16. Essentially, this would mean allowing existing universities to function without the constraints imposed by their legal status as public entities and without the extensive bills which are constantly voted only to be subsequently reviewed.