Yale University and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece recently launched a joint postgraduate course on “Global Environmental Sciences and Public Health.”
Yale’s President Maurie McInnis and former President Peter Salovey traveled to Greece to advance the ambitious academic collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
They met Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who stressed the importance of fostering partnerships between Greek public universities and leading global institutions, as part of his government’s push to internationalize higher education.
The new postgraduate course is part of a 2021 memorandum of understanding between Yale and NKUA. Discussions also touched on the potential establishment of a joint research center in Attica to support broader academic cooperation.
“It is extremely important for us to cultivate such cooperation between our state universities and top international academic institutions,” Mitsotakis said during the talks.
The visit marked President McInnis’s first international trip since assuming the Yale presidency on July 1, 2024, underscoring the priority she places on building global partnerships that support Yale’s mission across education, research, and impact.
Yale looks to expand collaboration initiatives with Greece
During meetings with NKUA Rector Gerasimos Siasos and leaders from the National Bank of Greece, the Yale delegation explored opportunities to expand faculty and student exchanges, joint research, and educational programming.
At NKUA, President McInnis and Professor Salovey were welcomed for discussions with university leadership and faculty, including scholars affiliated with the Yale–NKUA joint program on the science of well-being.
“Yale’s collaboration with NKUA reflects our commitment to bringing academic communities together in pursuit of research and education that benefit the world,” said President McInnis. “It’s an example of how universities can work across borders to address complex global challenges.”
At a ceremony hosted by NKUA, Professor Salovey was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his scholarly contributions and leadership in higher education. The occasion also highlighted the importance of academic diplomacy and longstanding connections between Yale and Greece.
Vasilis Vasiliou, the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), initiated Yale’s collaboration with NKUA along with YSPH colleague, adjunct professor Nikolaos Thomaidis.
Vasiliou joined the visit and contributed to conversations on ongoing and future collaborative research initiatives. “With the continuation of this partnership, we are building a bridge between our institutions that will support meaningful research and educational exchange in areas of vital importance to global health and well-being,” said Professor Vasiliou, reflecting on the visit.
The delegation also visited the National Bank of Greece, where conversations focused on innovation, climate-related research, and the role of universities in advancing economic and environmental sustainability.
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