In the context of the UK-Greece Strategic Partnership in Education program, Greek and Scottish Universities participated in a fruitful matchmaking event focused on academic collaboration and exploring mutually beneficial partnerships for reinforcing the higher education sector of both countries.

The event took place on September 8th, 2026, and was coorganized by Study in Greece and the British Council during the first day of EAIE 2026, which is held this year in Glasgow, Scotland.

The framework of UK-Greece Strategic Partnership in Education

The UK-Greece Strategic Partnership in Education program is a joint initiative that came into being in 2021, aimed at fostering collaboration between UK and Greek universities. Within these past five years, its achievements are tangible and noteworthy: 24 Greek universities and more than 50 UK institutions have joined the program, with a staggering participation of over 500 academics and staff members from the two countries having participated in the program’s many events, conferences, webinars and workshops. The approximately 100 online matchmaking sessions have led to the establishment of over 50 partnerships in academia and research, while 8 joint and dual study programs have also been created, with more to come.

The matchmaking event

The partner matching session brought together representatives from 10 different Greek institutions and 10 leading Scottish universities:

From Greece:

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• Athens University of Economics & Business
• Harokopio University of Athens
• Hellenic Mediterranean University
• International Hellenic University 
• University of Crete
• University of Ioannina
• University of Patras
• University of Western Macedonia 
• State Scholarships Foundation, Greek National Agency for Erasmus+

From Scotland:

• Edinburgh Napier University
• Heriot-Watt University
• Queen Margaret University (QMU)
• Strathclyde Business School, The University of Strathclyde
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of St Andrews
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland

The event kicked off with the opening remarks of Anastasia Andritsou, Director of British Council Greece and Cyprus, Catriona McCarthy, the Director of Education of the British Council, Valerie Benguiat, First Secretary of Public Diplomacy of the British Embassy in Athens and the President of Study in Greece, Professor Christos Michalakelis. The opening speakers welcomed the participants and emphasized the significance of this matchmaking event, not only as a testament to the commitment of both countries to foster academic cooperation, but also as a vector for establishing key partnerships.

Following that, Study in Greece’s Director General, Theodoros Papaioannou, provided an overview of the public higher education sector in Greece, highlighting the rapid progress made during the past few years in the field of internationalization in Greece and a growing eagerness to establish further partnerships. Katerina Fegarou, Head of Education in British Council Greece also shed light on the private sector of Greek higher education, which is now beginning to grow in Greece due to recent legislative change.

After a brief Q&A, Greek and Scottish university representatives began exploring research agreements and academic exchange opportunities, as well as joint or dual program initiatives, with representatives from SiG and the British Council facilitating the process and setting the foundation for substantial partnerships.

After the event: emerging opportunities

The matchmaking session of September 8th was one of the more engaging events of the Strategic Partnership in Education initiative, connecting representatives of 20 institutions from Greece and Scotland, all diligently prepared for the session and eager to expand their academic offerings and find new avenues of providing knowledge and expertise.

In this spirit and with the institutional support of the British Council and Study in Greece, the event has created significant momentum and can propel the UK-Greek transnational education scene down exciting new pathways.

Study in Greece would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the participants from the Greek and Scottish institutions, the British Embassy in Greece and, of course, the British Council and British Council Greece for their invaluable contribution to this endeavor.