On Wednesday, 22 April 2026, the Regional Director of Education of Crete, Mr. Emmanouil Kartsonakis, accompanied by his associate, Mr. Omiros Theologitis, paid an official visit to the Rectorate of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU). Mr. Kartsonakis was welcomed by the Rector of HMU, Professor Nikos Katsarakis, while the Executive Director of the University, Dr. Vanessa Simantiraki, also participated in the meeting.
The meeting took place in a spirit of mutual respect and substantive dialogue, on the occasion of the forthcoming completion of the Rector’s term of office. Discussions focused on matters of common interest, including education in the era of the technological revolution and artificial intelligence in particular, access to public higher education and the safeguarding of social mobility, as well as the interconnection of the University with other levels of education and the local community.
The Rector of the Hellenic Mediterranean University outlined the course and achievements of the University Administration over the preceding years, highlighting the efforts made to upgrade studies and research, to strengthen the University’s extroversion and internationalisation, and emphasising the compelling need to support public, free-of-charge higher education in today’s global socio-economic environment.
For his part, the Regional Director of Education of Crete expressed his particular appreciation for the longstanding and fruitful collaboration with the Hellenic Mediterranean University and Rector Prof. Nikos Katsarakis. He underlined the importance of continuing and updating the existing Memorandum of Cooperation with the new University Administration, noting the strong interest in implementing joint initiatives under the Memorandum’s framework, as well as in further enriching it with new actions that will strengthen the links between the two institutions.
The discussion also addressed the contemporary challenges faced by all levels of education and public universities, with particular emphasis on regional institutions. Among the issues raised were the anticipated future decline in the number of prospective students, also in relation to the operation of Non-State Universities (NPPE) in the metropolitan centres of Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as matters concerning the accessibility and educational support of students with disabilities and/or special educational needs. Furthermore, prospects were examined for developing enhanced support structures in higher education, with reference to the significant steps already taken by the Hellenic Mediterranean University in this direction.
