The Ambassador of Slovenia to Greece, Aleš Marčič, visited the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he met with Professor Sophia Papaioannou, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, International Relations and Extroversion.
The meeting opened with a presentation of the University of Athens, outlining its profile and academic activities. Discussions focused on opportunities for academic cooperation between Greece and Slovenia, with the Ambassador expressing particular interest in the University’s existing partnerships with Slovenian higher education institutions, especially those based in Ljubljana.
Professor Papaioannou explained that the University of Athens currently has four active partnerships with two Slovenian universities, highlighting its close cooperation with the University of Ljubljana under the Erasmus+ programme. She also presented data on student and staff mobility between the two institutions.
Mr Marčič also spoke about Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece’s first Governor, and his historical ties to Slovenia. He briefed the Vice-Rector on a major event recently held in Ljubljana to mark the 250th anniversary of Kapodistrias’s birth. He also expressed the Embassy’s interest in co-organising a similar academic event in Greece in collaboration with the University of Athens. The event would explore the life, work and historical legacy of Ioannis Kapodistrias, bringing together academics and speakers from Greece and Slovenia.
Professor Papaioannou warmly welcomed the proposal. The two sides discussed holding the event during the first two weeks of December 2026.
The meeting concluded with the Slovenian Ambassador expressing his interest in establishing new bilateral Erasmus+ agreements and further expanding academic mobility through partnerships with Slovenian universities.
