The President of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, and the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking the beginning of a new strategic partnership between two of Greece’s oldest and most distinguished public institutions. The agreement establishes a broad framework for collaboration in education, research, student placements, evidence-informed policymaking, and initiatives that promote democratic values and civic education.
The signing ceremony was also attended by the University’s Vice-Rectors, Professors Stathis Efstathopoulos and Christos Karagiannis, as well as Emeritus Professor Dimosthenis Asimakopoulos, former Rector of the University and member of the Scientific Council of the Hellenic Parliament, who also serves as Special Adviser to the President of the Hellenic Parliament.
The partnership is designed to foster long-term cooperation through joint initiatives that will strengthen the links between academic expertise and democratic institutions while supporting projects of significant scientific and societal value.
Under the Memorandum, the two institutions will work together on a wide range of activities, including collaborative research projects and educational programmes, as well as conferences, seminars, public lectures and workshops; the exchange of expertise and scientific knowledge; and joint studies on parliamentary democracy, public policy, law, digital governance and social cohesion. The agreement also provides for joint participation in national and European funding programmes.
A key element of the partnership is the expansion of opportunities for students at the University of Athens to gain practical experience through placements and educational activities within the Hellenic Parliament. Students will be able to contribute to research, archival and educational projects while gaining first-hand insight into the workings of parliamentary institutions. The collaboration will also extend to the use of the Parliament’s digital resources, joint initiatives in digital transformation and technological innovation, and coordinated communication activities to showcase the outcomes of the partnership. In addition, the University of Athens, through its Technical Services Directorate, will provide expertise in the implementation of major technical projects undertaken by the Hellenic Parliament.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen institutional knowledge, evidence-informed policymaking and public engagement, while demonstrating the important contribution that two of the country’s foremost institutions can make to advancing democracy, knowledge and innovation for the benefit of Greek society.
As an early demonstration of the new partnership, Mr Kaklamanis announced that the Hellenic Parliament intends to make a donation to the Department of Cardiology of the University of Athens at Sotiria General Hospital. The proposed donation will be submitted for approval at a forthcoming meeting of the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents. He noted that this would be the third donation made by the Hellenic Parliament to the University of Athens, following two earlier donations made prior to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Speaking both as President of the Hellenic Parliament and as a University of Athens alumnus, Mr Kaklamanis praised the University’s achievements and highlighted its enduring contribution to educating generations of graduates.
Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said:
‘The partnership between the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Hellenic Parliament represents a strategic initiative of exceptional institutional and public significance. As the oldest and largest university in Greece, the University of Athens has a longstanding mission to advance knowledge, strengthen democratic institutions and contribute to social progress. Through this Memorandum of Understanding, we are creating a dynamic framework for collaboration in education, research, student placements and innovation, offering our students and early-career researchers valuable new opportunities to gain experience and broaden their horizons. At the same time, we are strengthening the University’s contribution to the scientific support of parliamentary work and to the wider dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of society. Closer collaboration between the University and one of the country’s principal democratic institutions represents an investment in the future of civic education and academic excellence.’
