University of Athens Establishes First Named Chair in Honour of Athina I. Martinou

In a landmark move, the Senate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has unanimously approved the creation of a Named Chair, dedicated to the memory of Athina Ioanni Martinou. The initiative was proposed by the University’s Great Benefactor and Honorary Doctor, Mr Athanasios Martinos. This is the first Named Chair ever established by our country’s oldest and largest University.

Born in Glyfada, Athens, in 1927, with roots in the island of Kefalonia, Athina I. Martinou entered the shipping industry in 1964 with the purchase of her first vessel. By 1967, she had commissioned the construction of a second ship—marking the beginning of a remarkable journey that would see her build a significant fleet. Known for her determination, hard work, and humility, she became a pioneering figure in Greek and international shipping. In 2021, her granddaughter, Ioanna K. Martinou, founded the Athina I. Martinou Foundation, a charitable organization supporting initiatives in social welfare, healthcare, education, culture, the environment, and the maritime sector. Athina I. Martinou passed away in 2024, leaving behind a lasting legacy in both business and service to society.

Mr Athanasios Martinos, a long-standing supporter of public institutions, has played a vital role in strengthening healthcare services and infrastructure at the University of Athens. Through his generous philanthropy, he has funded the construction of new university facilities and supported the modernization of several clinical departments at Attikon, Sotiria, Hippocrateio, Laiko, Aretaieio, and Aiginiteio hospitals. His benefaction has also extended to our University’s Schools of Law and Philosophy, advancing academic excellence and fostering wider community engagement.

The establishment of the Athina Ioanni Martinou Chair is a meaningful tribute to the contributions of the Martinos family and a significant step forward for our University. The Chair will focus on cardiovascular medicine—a scientific field of critical importance to public health—as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in both Greece and worldwide, accounting for 34% of all fatalities. The Named Chair will be based at the University of Athens’ School of Medicine, within the 3rd Clinical Department of Cardiology at the Sotiria General Hospital of Thoracic Diseases.

Accordingly, the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, stated: ‘The creation of the first Named Chair in our University’s history is a powerful example of how generosity and social responsibility can support knowledge, research, and healthcare. We warmly thank Mr Athanasios Martinos, Great Benefactor and Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Athens, for his steady and wide-ranging support, as well as the crucial contribution to Greece made by him, his wife Marina Martinou, and the entire family. Athanasios Martinos is a well-known philanthropist whose far-reaching actions have made a real difference to society, and a forward-thinking leader who is deeply committed to the well-being of the community and motivated by genuine compassion for others. He carries out his extensive humanitarian work with remarkable modesty and a disarming kindness of spirit that truly reflects the qualities of the Great National Benefactors of Global Hellenism’.

The Athina Ioanni Martinou Chair was created under Law 4957/2022, which enables Higher Educational Institutions to establish professorships funded through donations or grants, aimed at strengthening teaching and research in specialized fields of study.
The Chair will be launched following the signing of a memorandum of understanding, as required by law. It is expected to play a pivotal role in training young scientists and promoting cardiovascular research in Greece.

Our University intends to move swiftly to establish yet another Named Chair in honour of one of its Great Benefactors.