Athens and Belgrade Medical Schools Sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the Presence of Serbia’s Prime Minister, Djuro Macut, and Rector, Gerasimos Siasos

The School of Medicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, in a ceremony attended by Serbia’s Prime Minister, Djuro Macut, and the Rector of the University of Athens, Gerasimos Siasos. Professor Macut, who holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Athens, joined Professor Siasos at the signing, highlighting the growing collaboration between the two institutions and the strengthening of academic ties between Greece and Serbia. Professors Nikolaos Arkadopoulos, Chair of the University of Athens’ School of Medicine, and Nataša Milić, Acting Dean of the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Medicine, signed the MoU during the ceremony. The day held special significance for the University of Athens, as it coincided with the official inauguration of the institution’s new branch in Cyprus.

The signing ceremony also brought together a distinguished delegation, including Ivica Dačić, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister; Zoran Gajić, Serbia’s Minister of Sports; and Nikola Nedeljković, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Hellenic Republic. Senior representatives from the University of Athens included Vice-Rectors, Professors Efstathios Efstathopoulos, Sophia Papaioannou, Aristeidis Samitas, and Christos Karagiannis, as well as Professor Georgios Mastorakos, who serves as the academic coordinator of the bilateral collaboration.

The MoU sets out a framework for enhanced collaboration through targeted initiatives, including exchanging knowledge and experience in medical education and research, launching joint initiatives on public health, carrying out mutually beneficial research projects, and sharing expertise and best practices. It places particular emphasis on:

–The exchange of students, faculty members, and research staff,

–The co-organisation of seminars, workshops, and scholarly conferences,

–The development of innovative research and educational programmes, and

–The expansion of the international presence and academic outreach of both institutions.

This initiative forms part of the University of Athens’ broader internationalisation strategy and its ongoing efforts to strengthen academic and research partnerships with leading European universities. It also reaffirms the University’s institutional role as a pillar of scientific excellence and a bridge for cooperation between Greece and Serbia in the fields of health, education, and innovation.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the University of Athens, said: ‘The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding between the School of Medicine at the University of Athens and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade represents a strategic step forward. We are strengthening our ties with a historic European university, investing in knowledge, research, and the next generation of scientists, and actively contributing to the creation of a robust framework for scientific collaboration across South-Eastern Europe. The University of Athens continues to drive the internationalisation of Greek higher education, while promoting public health through academic excellence and innovation’.