NEWS

172 ERASMUS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WERE WELCOMED BY THE N.K.U.A.

172 ERASMUS and international students from Universities of 31 countries were welcomed by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

The NKUA welcomed online, on 9/2,  a total  of 172 incoming students in the framework of the ERASMUS+ and ERASMUS MUNDUS programmes, as well as students of international exchanges under bilateral agreements.  These students come from 31 countries, mainly in Europe (most of them from France, Germany and Italy) and from countries such as Indonesia, Georgia, Brazil, China, the Russian Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and Ethiopia.

The Rector, Professor Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, in his introductory address stressed the importance of mobility for the personal and social development of students. He pointed out that internationalisation as a key objective of the University’s strategy contributed to the cooperation with academic staff and institutions abroad for the joint development of research dealing with the pandemic.  He also stressed that due to a high percentage of vaccinated members of the academic community, the NKUA was able to operate this year with courses and internships of the hosted students with physical presence and proceeded to the resumption of all activities.

The Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Dimitrios Karadimas, presented important data on the University and especially on the great increase in the number of international collaborations and student mobility, while he referred to CIVIS, the alliance of the 10 -now- Universities to which the University of Athens belongs, and its main objectives, namely the extensive exchange of students and staff between its members as well as the joint development of research and other actions.

Professor Georgia Varzeliotis of the Department of Theatre Studies   presented the innovative interdepartmental course Contemporary Greece which is offered to all international students regardless of their field of study.

Professor of Greek  Language Elias Kolokouris presented the Modern Greek Language  Teaching Centre and the possibilities of teaching the Greek language to foreign students.

Other speakers at the event were the Head of the Department of European and International Relations Fotini Fryda, the Department’s responsible for incoming students Dimitra Velliniati, a representative of the outgoing Erasmus students of  NKUA Alexandra Soulioti, members of the Erasmus students' association  of the NKUA, ESNKAPA, who presented its activities and a representative of HELMSIC medical students' association  who provided information on COVID-19 in Greece and Athens in particular.