Harokopio University of Athens had the great honor of hosting Ms. Barbara Kauffmann, Director for Employment and Social Governance of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Ms. Cristiana Costinescu, Deputy Head of Unit 5 (Greece-Cyprus).
On February 8, 2024, the Rector, Professor Maria Nikolaidi, the Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Lifelong Learning, Professor Christos Chalkias, and the President of Study in Greece (SiG), Professor Christos Michalakelis, had the pleasure of welcoming Ms. Barbara Kauffmann, who is also responsible for the financial support of Greece and Cyprus through the European Social Fund. Present at the meeting were also the Special Secretary for European Social Fund Programs Management, Ms. Niki Dandolou, the Head of ESPA Executive Unit of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Mr. Pavlos Paschalis, executive staff from the Special Secretariat and the Executive Unit, as well as executive members from Harokopio University and SiG.
The main topic of the meeting was the benefits of the projects of the ESF Program “Human Resources Development, Education & Lifelong Learning 2014-2020”, implemented for students and researchers by Greek Universities, with emphasis on employability. Ms Kauffmann and Ms Costinescu had the opportunity to discuss with students and academic staff of the Institution, as beneficiaries of similar ESF programs, such as Internship and Academic Teaching Experience Projects.
Additional matters that were presented during the meeting were the added value and the benefits of the ESF Program for the strategic goals of Harokopio University, such as quality assurance, enhancement of recognition, and improvement of graduates’ employability.
The discussion concluded with the presentation of SiG, the national agency of Greece for the internationalization of Higher Education, and the further enhancement of the profile of Greek University graduates.
We warmly thank the European Commission for providing us with the opportunity to present broadly the significant work achieved at the Harokopio University of Athens. At the same time, this visit was an excellent opportunity to highlight the multifaceted benefits and the positive aspects of the European Commission’s funding for Greek Universities, their graduates, and the enhancement of employability in the Greek labor market.
