A former senior government official, once at the center of Greece’s heated debate over Article 16 of the Constitution and the creation of non-state, private universities, has now taken up the role of rector at one of the first four such institutions to be licensed.
Odysseas Zoras has been appointed rector of Keele University’s new Greek branch, which received official approval from the Ministry of Education yesterday and is set to open its doors in the fall.
Zoras is no stranger to the country’s higher-education landscape. In 2022 he served as Secretary-General for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, a position he held for about two years. Before that, he was president of the Hellenic Open University and, earlier still, rector of the University of Crete.
Significantly, during the drafting of the recent law allowing non-state, non-profit universities, he worked closely with the then Minister of Education on shaping its provisions.
The announcement has already triggered strong reactions and a wave of caustic commentary on social media, placing pressure on the ministry and raising questions about the credibility and next steps of this new educational experiment.
On its website, Keele University described its expansion to Greece as both “an honor and a responsibility,” it also confirmed Zoras’s appointment, highlighting his academic credentials as Emeritus Professor of Surgical Oncology and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens.
Zoras expressed his honor to assume the role of rector at Keele, highlighting the university’s strong academic legacy, international research profile, and modern practices that prepare students for contemporary challenges and opportunities.
The move, however, did not escape political criticism. Opposition parties were quick to respond, with PASOK remarking pointedly: “From the ministry to a private university, the road seems rather short.”
Source: Tovima.com
