A new building for the Department of Dentistry is entering the construction phase

An iconic infrastructure project, the development of a new building for the Department of Dentistry is entering the construction phase. The first phase of the project involves the construction of a new block that will house the Department’s teaching areas as well as the activities of the faculty members and will consist of a basement, a ground floor, and three more levels. The plans include provision for a fourth and a fifth level, which is why the masonry of the building will be easily expandable and capable of receiving the additional load.

The foundation stone for the new building was symbolically laid by the Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Ms N. Kerameus, and the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Professor M.-A. Dimopoulos, on December 1, 2022. Also present at the ceremony were the Vice-Rector of Research and Lifelong Education, Professor N. Voulgaris (scientist responsible for  the geophysical works at the site), the Vice-Rector for Administrative Affairs, Professor A. Tsakris, the Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Professor E. Pikoulis, the Chair of the Department of Dentistry, Professor N. Nikitakis, members of the teaching and research staff from the Department of Dentistry and various other Departments of the University, and the Director of the Technical Services of the University of Athens, Mr I. Barbaresos.

During the foundation laying ceremony, the Minister of Education, Ms Kerameus, stressed, among other things, that ‘Today, we laid the foundation for a very significant project, the new building of the Department of Dentistry of the University of Athens. Since the project’s conception in 2008, we have worked together to overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles and solve technical difficulties. Included in the Public Investment Programme of the Ministry of Education in 2020, the project is now entering the construction phase. I wish to congratulate the University of Athens and its Department of Dentistry on their perseverance in bringing this project to fruition, which, when completed, will breathe new life into the Department of Dentistry, a Department that stands out for its overall performance, high global ranking, and multifaceted social work.’

Shortly afterwards, the Rector of NKUA, Professor Dimopoulos, stressed, among other things, that ‘The Rector and Vice-Rectors of NKUA, in collaboration with the Department of Dentistry and the Technical Services of the University of Athens, move forward with making decisive interventions that significantly improve the infrastructure of the Department despite the cumbersome bureaucracy anticipated for such ambitious projects. As a result, the Department of Dentistry, which now ranks in the 51-70 bracket worldwide, will be better able to fulfil its objective, gaining even more recognition and raising the University’s profile abroad.’

In the immediately preceding period, the Laboratory of Geophysics of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment and the Technical Services of the University of Athens collaborated to carry out the necessary geophysical works, aiming to obtain information on the physical properties of the subsurface at the construction site of the new building.

Meanwhile, all actions for acquiring 60 dental units required for the NKUA dental students’ clinical practice are proceeding rapidly. In parallel, there is a plan for refurbishing the two clinical departments on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors, each covering an area of 300 square metres. Twenty square metres will be set aside for the central surgical aspirators.

The Rector and Vice-Rectors of NKUA initiated the Strategic Plan for the Institution’s Development, which the Senate approved. The maintenance and upgrade of existing buildings and their surroundings, on the one hand, and the construction or purchase of new ones that will house prospective or existing Departments and Services or respond to their future needs, on the other, are among the strategic tools available. The University’s authorities are quickly implementing this plan in collaboration with the Schools and Departments—and always with the assistance and supervision of the competent Unit, i.e., the University of Athens Technical Services.