Greek Education Ministry reportedly urges universities to expand academic cooperation with Israel

Greece’s Education Ministry urged universities to pursue academic and research cooperation with Israeli institutions under an Israeli-funded initiative, the EFSYN newspaper reported Wednesday.

Interested Greek higher education institutions were invited to establish cooperation with Israeli counterparts in areas including joint research, conferences and workshops, student scholarships, and exchange programs for academic staff and students, according to a ministry letter obtained by EFSYN.

The initiative by Israel’s Ministry of Regional Cooperation has a budget of 6.5 million shekels (€2 million, or more than $2.2 million), according to the letter.

It said Greece is considered a “partner country” and that promoting research cooperation with Athens, as well as broader cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, is a strategic priority for the Israeli ministry.

The letter also cited a document from the Greek Embassy in Israel supporting the development and, where possible, deepening of academic and research ties, pointing to the “strategic nature” of relations between the two countries and the level of Israeli universities, particularly in the sciences.

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