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The Rector of Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU), Professor Nektarios Papadogiannis, met on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, during his visit to the Ministry, with the aim of advancing key issues concerning the safety, infrastructure and further development of the University.
The meeting between the Rector and the Minister lasted more than an hour and focused on matters of immediate priority for HMU. Professor Nektarios Papadogiannis thanked Ms Zacharaki for the recent allocation of €6 million to Hellenic Mediterranean University for maintenance and small-scale repair works across its infrastructure over the next four years. This funding forms part of the overall allocation of €115.85 million to Greek universities and the ASPETE and is included in the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Sectoral Development Programme 2026–2030.
Particular emphasis was placed on the safety, maintenance and upgrading of university infrastructure. The Rector identified as immediate priorities the strengthening of fire safety, the need for secondary seismic assessment of buildings where required, the inspection and upgrading of electrical installations, and the resolution of problems associated with ageing building infrastructure that require targeted large-scale maintenance and renovation interventions.
The Minister expressed particular interest in these issues, in line with the Ministry’s priority of strengthening universities and upgrading their infrastructure. It was noted that improving study and working conditions, as well as creating a modern, safe and functional academic environment, are key elements of the Ministry’s broader policy to strengthen public university education and further enhance the role of Higher Education Institutions in education, research, knowledge creation and the country’s development.
With regard to addressing these needs, the Rector referred to mature technical studies prepared by the University, involving particularly substantial budgets and concerning the safety, maintenance and comprehensive renovation of relevant university infrastructure.
The Minister responded positively and, taking into account the existing fiscal constraints, proposed the submission of a dossier of mature technical studies with a total budget of €5.5 million, so that the funding of the specific interventions could be examined. The Rector warmly thanked her for her positive response and the interest she demonstrated in the University’s needs.
At the same time, the meeting explored the possibility of making use of available funding sources to address the safety and modernization needs of HMU facilities, including through the National Development Programme and, more specifically, the Sectoral Development Programme of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, as well as, where institutionally and technically feasible, through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other available financing instruments.
During the meeting, the Rector also raised the issue of establishing a University Nursing Clinic in Crete, as a new structure that could strengthen the academic and clinical training of students of HMU’s School of Health Sciences, while also further connecting the University with the needs of the National Health System. The Minister responded positively to the prospect of exploring this possibility.
The prospect of cooperation between HMU and the Municipality of Rethymno was also examined, with a view to developing a new flagship educational infrastructure project through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The proposal includes schools linked to universities, as well as a new building facility for HMU’s School of Music and Audiovisual Technologies (SMAT). The Minister responded very positively to the exploration of this prospect as part of the broader upgrading of the region’s educational infrastructure and will send a relevant letter expressing her positive recommendation to the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, under which the Public-Private Partnerships Unit operates.
During his visit to the Ministry, the Rector also met with the Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports responsible for Higher Education, Professor Nikolaos Papaioannou, with whom he discussed institutional matters concerning the operation and development of Hellenic Mediterranean University.
The discussion also addressed the issue of the professional rights of graduates of the Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, part of HMU’s School of Music and Audiovisual Technologies. The Rector emphasized the need to move forward with the institutional resolution of the matter, a position with which the Deputy Minister agreed.
These meetings form part of the new Rectorate’s efforts to maintain stable and substantive communication with the political leadership of the Ministry of Education, so that matters concerning safety, infrastructure, graduates’ professional rights and the academic development of HMU can be advanced through concrete planning and institutional continuity.
