General Dimitrios Choupis, Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa of the Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Political Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, at 19:00, at the Great Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Present at the event were, among others, the Minister of National Defence, Nikolaos Dendias, representing the Prime Minister of Greece; the former President of the Hellenic Republic, Professor Emeritus Prokopis Pavlopoulos; the former Prime Minister of Greece, Panagiotis Pikrammenos; the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Athanasios Davakis; members of the Hellenic Government; representatives of political parties; the President of the Academy of Athens, Michael Tiverios; members of the Hellenic Parliament; the former Ministers Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Evangelos Apostolakis; the President of the Legal Council of State, Niki Marioli; the Chiefs of the Hellenic Army General Staff, the Hellenic Coast Guard, and the Hellenic Fire Service; the Secretary General for National Security, Athanasios Dokos; the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence, Antonios Oikonomou; the Alternate Chair of the University’s Administration Council, Nikolaos Thomaidis; members of the Administration Council, Vice-Rectors, and Deans at the Institution; and Bishop Chrysostomos of Evripos, representing the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.
Addressing the honouree was Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Immediately afterwards, Professor Dimitrios Thomakos, Chair of the Department of Business Administration at the School of Economics and Political Sciences, presented the honouree’s contributions and personal qualities.
The awarding ceremony followed:
Professor Thomakos, read aloud the official texts connected to the conferral.
Subsequently, the Dean of the School of Economics and Political Sciences, Professor Nikolaos Eriotis, presented the honouree with the University’s epitoge.
In addition, General Dimitrios Choupis received an honorary plaque from the Rector, Professor Gerasimos Siasos.
The ceremony closed with a speech by the honouree, General Dimitrios Choupis, entitled ‘Always to Be Best and Pre-eminent Above All Others’.
In his welcome address, the Rector, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, said: ‘With a career that extends well beyond Greece’s borders, General Choupis has served on the international stage with distinction. During his three-year posting to NATO headquarters in Brussels, he represented Greece as the Allied Communications Planning Staff Officer in Afghanistan, actively contributing to high-level strategic coordination. His graduation from the NATO Defence College further reflects his strong capabilities in navigating international and inter-allied defence operations.
General Choupis sees the role of the military officer as a balance between operational readiness and ongoing personal growth. He himself stands as a living example of this principle. He graduated with honours from all courses of the Signals Branch, completed a two-year programme at the Signals Officers Telecommunications and Electronics School, and earned distinction at the Army War College.
The honouree represents a rare example of the fusion of strategic thinking and academic excellence, holding a PhD from the National Technical University of Athens, with research in cutting-edge fields, including cyber warfare strategy and cryptography.
General Dimitrios Choupis has served across all levels of Command and accumulated 22 years of leadership experience.
In 2019, he assumed a distinguished academic leadership role as Commander of the Hellenic Military Academy, becoming the first PhD holder to serve in this position. His tenure marked a pivotal contribution to the overall modernization of the Academy, achieving a balanced enhancement of both academic and operational training for officer cadets.
In January 2024, upon assuming the duties of Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, he immediately initiated a series of structural reforms, establishing the Research and Innovation Development Centre, the Joint Information Technology Corps, and the Construction and Natural Disaster Response Administration—strategic initiatives that are shaping the future of the Armed Forces with clarity of vision and purpose.
As a graduate of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff’s Continuing Education Institute, General Choupis has exemplified the principle that true leadership is inseparable from lifelong learning and voluntary service.
Through General Choupis, we honour the rare convergence of visionary leadership, scholarly depth, and unwavering dedication to duty—qualities that define his service as Chief of the Armed Forces of our country’.
Photos: Dimitris Konstantinidis
