A total of 11 government interventions to improve security at state universities was presented by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a meeting with rectors at Maximos Mansion on Monday.
It was noted during the meeteing that the common goal is the universities' unimpeded and safe operation and with true academic asylum, while all acknowledged the visible progress made in fighting illegality during the last six years.
The state will continue to support and boost university administrations in carrying out their work, it was noted, taking into account the unique factors of each university. At the same time, it was underlined that each university's administration has the obligation to implement the specified legislation, leading otherwise to administrative penalties that could lead as far as a rector losing their position.
Also discussed was expanding the sense of security in institutions, with an emphasis on cybersecurity and through the adoption of best practices of civil protection at their facilities, with quite a few rectors noting that they have already worked on regular evacuation exercises and alerting systems in cases of natural catastrophe.
Penalties for violence
Some of the government's interventions include: the obligation of universities to present internal regulation plans by the end of the year or update their security and protection plans by end-July, per case; establishing a disciplinary council at each university and convening it immediately; introducing a special framework for criminal behavior by students (including suspension of status as students if officially prosecuted); and restitution of damages by students who incurred them. The interventions also include full staffing for campus security at universities and a consistent and clearly defined cooperation between the institutions and Greek police.
"A non-negotiable condition, naturally, is that students all feel safe at their schools," Mitsotakis said. "Knowledge, after all, means freedom, and in turn legality - an environment where nobody hesitates to express their position, their opinions, to start a conversation with some with whom they may not agree. This, after all, emanates from the nature of the freedom of speech," he added.
Mitsotakis underlined, however, "I believe we all agree that we cannot tolerate an environment in which anybody - be it student or professor - may feel they are being held hostage to bullying and violence." He added that "a student who is prosecuted by justice should lose their student status for up to 24 months. Moreover, to accelerate the trials on issues of violence at higher educational institutions, a deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court will be designated to oversee them at national level."
Also addressing the meeting was Education, Religions & Sports Minister Sofia Zacharaki, who said that although progress was made, there was a lot more that needed to be done.
Commenting on the meeting and addressing the premier, Panteion University Rector Christina Koulouri, who chairs the rectors' synod, expressed great satisfaction over the improvement in conditions at universities, as the prime minister mentioned. "The Greek public university is an institution that enjoys the state's confidence. Therefore, we welcome your intention to support it, and we will support you ourselves in this effort."
Besides Zacharaki, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Premier Kostis Hatzidakis, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis, State Minister Akis Skertsos, and Deputy Education Minister responsible for university education Nikos Papaioannou.