03-11-16 Discussion opens on “European passport” for refugee university students

The proceedings of the pilot programme for the European passport of academic qualifications of refugee university students opened today at the Education Ministry, addressing crucial  considerations in implementing the programme

The basic issue addressed at the first meeting is how one can utilise the existing institutional framework in order to recognise academic qualifications of refugee university students in Europe.

Experienced representatives of other countries’ bureaus for the recognition of academic qualifications will present the best practices that they have implemented.

The outlook of the pilot programme is to develop and test a certain methodology in 2017, which the institutions involved will draft and detail.

Alternate Education Minister Sia Anagnostopoulou remarked: “Today is an important day for the Education Ministry, as the efforts made over months by the political leadership of the ministry are coming to fruition. The left-wing government has focused intensely on refugee problems from its first days in office.

I want to thank the Council of Europe, which recognised our rationale and objectives. For our part, we shall continue to be on the “front line” in tackling these issues.

The director of the educational division of the Council of Europe, Sjur Bergan, thanked the education ministry leadership and Greek authorities for organising this first meeting and underlined: “The success of the Summer Academy for refugee university students organised in August in Ancient Olympia demonstrated that such initiatives offer important lessons on how onde shoulf fashion an educational policy for refugees in Europe more generally.