With university budgets slashed by 20% this year and staff shortages threatening the operation of the institutions, the Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is hosting a meeting on Friday morning with government Vice President Evangelos Venizelos and the Minister of Education Andreas Loverdos (pictured).
The Minister of Education is in talks with the Ministry of Finances in order to streamline the finance management of the universities, with particular attention to the special research funding accounts.
The universities, particularly those in large cities, will also face problems due to student transfers which are expected to increase dramatically –at least twice as many than in previous years – after the Education Ministry expanded the criteria.
Students from regional universities are likely to take advantage of this development, however the short-staffed and underfunded institutions are concerned of the impact on the quality of teaching.
