Greece has authorized the establishment of its first Transnational Education (TNE) campuses.

Last month, the Greek parliament approved a bill by a slim margin, permitting foreign universities to set up satellite campuses within the country, despite facing weeks of student protests against the legislation.

The recent legislation, despite facing opposition from students, aims to address the significant number of Greek students studying abroad and aims to internationalize higher education. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that with over 40,000 Greek students studying abroad, the legislation aims to provide opportunities for students to study in reputable international universities without leaving their home country.

Mitsotakis further highlighted the potential benefits of the bill, including relief for family budgets, attracting foreign investment, fostering competition in higher education, and creating new job opportunities. The legislation, set to be implemented in the academic year 2025/26, was passed with 159 votes in favor in the 300-seat parliament.

Opposition leader Sokratis Famellos criticized the bill, arguing that it would commodify higher education in Greece. Despite the legislation prohibiting charging students for Greek-taught undergraduate programs at state universities, concerns about privatization persist.

While the bill faced protests outside parliament, some believe that healthy competition between non-state universities, international campus branches, and Greek universities could benefit all parties involved. However, there are concerns about the graduation rates in Greek universities, with only half of enrolled students completing their degrees, according to the national higher education authority.

Papaioannou emphasized the government's intention to modernize the Greek higher education system by creating two complementary systems, one state-run and one non-state, that will interact synergistically. The goal is not to foster competition that undermines Greek state universities but to encourage creative interaction between the two systems.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Greece experienced significant emigration, with over 400,000 people leaving the country, including many university graduates. A 2019 survey revealed that 26% of emigrants held a degree, with 69% of master's and PhD students relocating mainly to European countries.

Since coming to power in 2019, Mitsotakis' government has pursued greater internationalization, including allowing some international language-taught master's programs. In July 2022, constitutional changes were made to permit universities to offer bachelor's programs taught in English.

Currently, Greek students often attend universities in Cyprus, but with the new legislation, it is anticipated that these institutions will be among the first to establish branch campuses in Greece. Papaioannou

‍Source: ThePIE news‍