Keridis, Dimitris and Chryssostomos Sfatos, Eds. | New York: Pella Publishing, 1998
Most of the current problems relating to higher education in Greece have persisted for many years. Despite frequent complaints and a voluminous body of research, no fundamental changes have been made in the root causes of these problems and there is a widespread feeling that a broad spectrum of drawbacks persist. The solutions for the problems of higher education in Greece are not apparent; what is evident is the need to begin a dialogue. This dialogue requires political will, but not just from the state. All the principle stakeholders must be involved in such a dialogue in order to insure that outcomes have any chance of implementation. This volume is a collection of essays on issues discussed at the workshop “Greek Higher Education: Prospects for Reform,” which was organized at Harvard’s School of Education in May 1996 by the Hellenic Resources Institute (HRI). Some of the issues addressed in the volume include the general orientation of the Greek higher education system and its equitability, the question of state versus non-state education in Greece and the U.S.A., the quality of education provided, the funding accountability and autonomy of universities, the new Open University for distance learning, the university entrance examination system, and the question of meritocracy and trust in contemporary Greek society. The underlying concern of the papers presented is the mission of the university in the 21st century. It is not possible at this time to paint a picture of what Greece and its education system will be like during the 21st century; that picture will be composed by the whole of Greek society. This volume is an example of the dialogue in progress as the Greek people define themselves and create their future.
