University of Athens Delegation Visits New York and Boston to Showcase Academic Programmes and Advance International Partnerships

A delegation from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens visited New York and Boston to present the full range of the institution’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including provision at its branch in Cyprus. Particular emphasis was placed on academic programmes delivered in English.

During the visit, they met with the Consul General of Greece in New York, Ifigeneia Kanara. With her support, a series of presentations was organised for leading institutions in New York and key organisations within the Greek diaspora.

In addition, the delegation engaged in discussions with representatives of leading US universities and organisations to further develop cooperation in education and research. Meetings were held with Yale University, Columbia University, New York University, Queens College, Rutgers University, and Mount Sinai, as well as with organisations of the Greek-American Community, including the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce, the Hellenic Medical Society of New York, the Hellenic-American Bankers Association, the Greek Institute of Architects in New York, representatives of Greek-American schools, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in New York City, and the Order of AHEPA.

The team bringing the University of Athens to New York and Boston comprised the Rector, Professor Gerasimos Siasos; the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, International Relations, and Extroversion, Professor Sophia Papaioannou; the Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Professor Pagona Lagiou; the Chair of the School of Medicine, Professor Nikolaos Arkadopoulos; the Executive Director, Dr Eleni Vasilopoulou; and the Head of the Section of Basic Medical Sciences at the School of Medicine, Professor Effie Basdra.

It was an occasion dedicated to academic excellence and to building new bridges of knowledge between Greece and the United States.

Rector Siasos presented the university’s strategy for developing new academic programmes, underscoring its leading position within the global academic landscape.

Vice-Rector Sophia Papaioannou provided a detailed overview of the university’s programmes, with a particular focus on the opportunities the new departments offer to students from around the world.

Professor George Dangas of Mount Sinai played a key role in organising the event.

At the same time, the university leadership met with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in New York.

His Eminence was informed about the university’s recent activities in New York, including presentations and broader international outreach linked to its English-taught academic programmes, the Medical Degree English Programme in Athens, and the newly established University of Athens – Cyprus Branch.

The university leadership’s engagements to develop partnerships and present its English-taught academic programmes continued in Boston.

A working meeting hosted by the Consul General of Greece in Boston, Symeon Tegos, brought together distinguished figures from academia, business, law, science, and the wider public policy and innovation community. Participants included Professor Gregory Stephanopoulos (MIT), Professor Petros Vamvakas (Emmanuel College), Professor Dimitris Skiadas (The Fletcher School, holder of the Constantine G. Karamanlis Chair), Paul Tsitsopoulos (Senior Director, CX Commerce SaaS Operations, Oracle), Harry Vlachos (lawyer, President of the Alpha Omega Council), Professor Stefanos Kales (Harvard University), Giorgos Laskaris (nuclear physicist, President of the Deon Policy Institute), Dimitris Ioannidis (international lawyer, Boston University School of Law), Professor Erotokritos Katsavounidis (MIT), Dimitrios Ioannidis (lawyer and business innovator), Sophia Kambanis (CEO, Massachusetts Innovation Network), Stamatis Astra (venture partner), Chrysoula Kourkounti (Director of the Maliotis Cultural Centre), Costa Sideridis (Ferro-Ceramic, technical ceramics/defence equipment), and Ioannis Glavas (plastic surgeon and President of the NEHMDS).

The delegation from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens visited Boston University, where they met with senior leadership to further strengthen ties between the two institutions. The discussions reaffirmed a shared commitment to expanding academic and research collaboration in key strategic areas.

The visit followed President Melissa Gilliam’s October 2025 trip to Athens with her team. Building on that momentum, both sides expressed a clear intention to develop meaningful and sustained collaboration, with a strong focus on interdisciplinary initiatives in both the short and long term. Priority areas include health sciences, classical studies and the broader humanities—particularly archaeology—as well as pharmacology and international law.

During the visit, Rector Gerasimos Siasos met with President Gilliam to explore strategic priorities and new opportunities for partnership. At the same time, Vice-Rector Sophia Papaioannou and Professor Effie Basdra of the School of Medicine held separate meetings with senior Boston University officials, including Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gloria Waters, Senior International Development Officer William Straughn, Director of International Advancement Tuoyang Mu, and Associate Dean of the School of Law Christina Cox, along with faculty members and administrative staff.

Particular attention was given to the University of Athens’ English-taught programmes, which drew strong interest from Boston University. These programmes were recognised as offering students the opportunity to study in a high-quality academic environment enriched by Greece’s unique cultural and historical setting.

Boston University also expressed interest in re-engaging with the University of Athens on its summer course ‘Voyage into Classical Civilisation’ and the Classical Archaeology programme. Both were highlighted as distinctive opportunities to combine academic study with direct experience of history and culture.

The two sides concluded the meetings with a shared commitment to continuing their collaboration and agreed to proceed with concrete next steps. These discussions mark an important milestone in the development of a dynamic and multifaceted partnership, drawing on the complementary strengths of the University of Athens and Boston University in education, research, and international engagement.