The rich work produced at the Aristotle University was presented by the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Charalambos Feidas, at the Workshop on “The Internationalization of Greek Universities”, organized by the Standing Committee on Educational Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

The Workshop was held in the Senate Chamber of the Parliament, in the presence of the President of the Parliament, Mr.Konstantinos Tasoulas, the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, the Secretary General of Higher Education, Prof. Nikolaos Papaioannou, the President of the National Authority for Higher Education Prof. Pericles Mitkas, the members of the Committee and the Rectors of the Greek Universities.

The Rector of AUTH, Professor Haralambos Fidas, referred in his speech to the internationalisation of higher education, describing it as a “challenge of the immediate future”, stressing that “the excellence of an HEI at national level is no longer sufficient, as universities now compete with each other in the global environment“.

Mr.Fidas, among others, stressed “Internationalization of studies is not only the export of educational services, the geographical expansion of the activities of an HEI and the increase of its revenues, but the internal transformation of the institution itself towards an outward-looking international orientation in all its functions“.

Then, the Rector briefly presented the characteristics of the internationalisation of AUTH at the level of undergraduate and postgraduate studies, in research, in its participation in research and educational networks, in the development of educational and scientific relations and collaborations with foreign institutions, underlining that “Extroversion and internationalisation of studies and research at AUTH is a priority and an integral part of our strategy and identity, based on the particular dynamics it has developed in these areas“.

Finally, he stressed that the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki makes use of the opportunities offered by the institutional framework for higher education and is oriented towards even greater internationalisation by establishing new foreign-language undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study, new joint MSc programmes with well-established, renowned universities abroad, and strengthening international collaborations and participation in international research and educational networks and associations.