Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Nikos Papaioannou returned to Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he previously served as rector, with considerable emotion on Friday. Representing the government, he attended the launch ceremony for Greece’s first foreign-language undergraduate dentistry programme.

His presence at the university where he studied, built his academic career and assumed senior administrative responsibilities marked a return to a place inextricably linked to his personal and professional life. As he noted, Thessaloniki and Aristotle University are his “spiritual home”. He also expressed his vision for a modern, safe and outward-looking university with a strong presence in the country’s scientific and social life.

Greece’s first foreign-language undergraduate dentistry programme

The central focus of the event was the launch of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Greece’s first foreign-language undergraduate dentistry programme, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The establishment of the programme marks a significant step towards broadening the educational opportunities offered by Greece’s public universities and strengthening their presence in the international academic community.

The availability of undergraduate courses in a foreign language creates new opportunities for Greek universities to attract students from other countries, while also fostering international partnerships in education and scientific research.

In his address, Mr Papaioannou stressed that internationalisation should not be viewed solely as a means of attracting students from abroad. Rather, he said, it represents a broader strategic choice, linked to making Greek universities more outward-looking and expanding the opportunities for scientific and professional development available to their graduates.

“The establishment of the foreign-language undergraduate dentistry programme (BDS) is therefore a historic milestone for Greek higher education. Today’s launch ceremony confirms the university’s strategic shift towards internationalisation and greater openness,” he said.

The initiative forms part of wider efforts to raise the international profile of Greek higher education, at a time when universities are being called upon to strengthen their competitiveness, attract academic talent and create new educational pathways.

Internationalisation as a strategy for the future of Greek universities

The launch of the foreign-language dentistry programme highlights the potential for Greek universities to draw on their academic expertise, educational traditions and infrastructure to reach a wider international audience. Such programmes can also help promote academic mobility, establish partnerships with institutions abroad and encourage the exchange of scientific knowledge and experience.

For Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the launch of the BDS represents another step towards expanding its international reach, building on the reputation and academic tradition of one of Greece’s largest universities. However, the challenge extends beyond simply launching a new programme.

Successful internationalisation requires sustained investment in the quality of teaching, infrastructure, student support services and research, as well as the creation of an academic environment capable of meeting the expectations of students and scholars from different countries.

Returning to a place of learning and achievement

“Thessaloniki and Aristotle University mean much more to me than a city and a leading academic institution. They are my spiritual home and hold a special place in my heart,” Mr Papaioannou said, describing his close connection with the city and the university.

He explained that his academic identity had been shaped at Aristotle University, where his personal journey as a young man had also begun. His connection with the institution, he stressed, went beyond his professional role, encompassing a long period of study, scientific work and administrative responsibility.

“This is where I studied, where I built my academic career and where I began my life as a young man,” he said, emphasising that one of his principal aims had been to contribute to the future of Thessaloniki and its university.

At the heart of this effort, he said, were strengthening universities, modernising infrastructure, improving safety and creating more opportunities for young people.

From his election as lecturer to rector of Aristotle University

The deputy minister briefly retraced his academic and administrative career, which began in 1995 when he was elected lecturer and continued with his election as rector of Aristotle University in 2019.

His term as rector ended in 2023. He now continues his work in education as deputy minister.

Reflecting on his vision for the university, he stressed that combining its historical and scientific traditions with the demands of the modern era had been a constant guiding principle throughout his career.

“My vision, from the beginning of my academic career in 1995, when I was elected lecturer, through my election as rector of Aristotle University in 2019 and the end of my term in 2023, and continuing today in my current role as Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, has always been for a university that serves as a pillar and beacon of knowledge and service.

“It should combine its rich tradition with its sights firmly set on the future, reaffirming every day its leading role in the intellectual and social development of the country,” he said.

Campus safety and infrastructure improvements

Mr Papaioannou placed particular emphasis on measures introduced during his term as rector to improve safety across university premises.

According to him, the aim was to address longstanding situations that, in his view, had obstructed the institution’s normal operation and restricted the university community’s free access to spaces dedicated to learning and research.

He described the end of an informal “no-go zone”, which, as he put it, had been created by “the degeneration of the concept of academic asylum”.

In this context, he referred to the clearance of premises belonging to the Department of Biology, which had been occupied for 34 years, as well as the creation of the new library.

According to his account, these measures formed part of a broader effort to restore the functionality of university premises, upgrade infrastructure and create an environment better equipped to support teaching and research.