Next Monday, February 5, the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki will be held for the election of the new rector, as, with a relevant decision signed by the Minister of Education Kyriakos Pierrakakis, a long-delayed solution was given to overcome the gap in the law which had left in the air the rector’s authorities and the wider operation of the university.

It is recalled that the obstruction had arisen because the interim interim rector until the election of the new one, Apostolos Apostolidis, is at the same time a member of the Board of Management and according to Kerameos Law 4957/2022, due to irreconcilability, he could not convene a meeting to elect the new rector.

The Pierrakaki ministerial decision clarifies that this authority is assumed by the most senior member of the Senate, in this case the Dean of the Theological School of AUTH, Professor Chrysostomos Stamoulis.

Candidates for chancellors of AUTH is the former Vice-Rector of Finance, Planning and Development Charalambos Feidas, who has agreed to resign after two years from the position of rector to be taken over by the former dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Apostolos Apostolidis, the former vice-rector of Research and Lifelong Learning Efstratios Stylianidis and the former president of the School of Medicine Kyriakos Anastasiadis.

It is recalled that Mr. Stylianidis has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the pre-agreed division of the new rector’s term into two plus two years at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, by Mr. Charalambos Feidas and Apostolos Apostolidis.

The Senate of AUTH is expected to meet tomorrow and on Thursday the nominations for the position of rector are to be submitted.

The process

The process of electing the new rector of AUTH will last three days, on February 5, 6 and 7. As provided by the relevant law, the members of the Management Council will evaluate the administrative, academic and research qualifications of the candidates, the development plan proposals submitted and the corresponding qualifications of the Vice-Chancellor candidates, proposed per candidate. After the completion of the evaluation of the nominations, by a decision of the S.D., taken by secret ballot and a majority of eight elevens (8/11), the Rector is elected. If the required majority is not reached, the process is repeated on the next working day, in which case a majority of seven eleven (7/11) is required. If the required majority is still not reached, the process is repeated the next working day, in which case an absolute majority of all members is required. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, the process is repeated between the top two (2) candidates in votes. If two (2) candidates are tied for second place, the voting is repeated, and if the result remains the same, a lottery is held between those who voted equally, at which point the voting is repeated.