Another milestone for the internationalization of Greek universities, namely the opening to the USA, is expected to be the holding of a double international conference in Athensin the context of which they are expected in the Greek capital at least 200 representatives of educational institutions and organizations from the USA specializing in international education.

According to information from APE-MBE, Pharos Summit 3.0 will take place in mid-October, within the framework of the international conferences “Careers, Internships & Global Learning Conference” (13-15 October 2024) and “Europe, Middle East, and Africa Conference” (16-18 October 2024), organized by the international educational body “The Forum on Education Abroad”.

During the Pharos 3.0 Summit, relations are expected to be built between representatives of Greek public universities and representatives from US academic institutions and organizations involved in education abroad.

In particular, according to the same sources, the goal is for the Summit, which will last one day, to function as an opportunity to better understand the operation and educational opportunities offered by the USA outside its borders and, at the same time, to function as a factor in further familiarizing the institutions and US organizations with the Greek Higher Education landscape.

It will be a targeted program to connect Greek universities with US study abroad providers, with the aim of exploring partnerships and investment opportunities, focusing specifically on establishing short-term study programs in Greece for students studying at US universities.

The Pharos and Pharos 2.0 Summits

The first major opening of Greek universities abroad and at the same time a milestone in Greece-US relations in the field of Education, was the first Pharos Summit, in November 2022.

At that time, the largest delegation of universities from the United States to another country arrived in Greece with the aim of creating new partnerships with Greek public universities and formalizing existing ones. More than 70 chancellors, deans and professors, representing 30 leading US universities, made up the delegation in a visit that was described as “historic”, by the then educational attaché of the US embassy in Greece, Shanna Dietz Surendra, in an interview she gave to RES-EMP.

The opening of the Pharos Synod, in its building of the National Library of Greece at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centerthe Prime Minister had greeted, Kyriakos Mitsotakiswhile the leadership of the Ministry of Education at the time spoke of the beginning of an “important journey” that “will forge even stronger ties between Greek and American universities” and which “will benefit the academic communities of both countries”.

A second milestone in the opening of Greek universities to the US was Pharos 2.0, last May, which brought to the United States representatives from nine Greek public universities, marking the first presence of a Greek delegation at the international exhibition for higher education NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo, the which took place in New Orleans.