Ionian University opens office in USA
CORFU. The first Greek university office in the USA. The aim is to facilitate and cultivate collaborative relations with US universities.
The Ionian University opened its new office in the heart of New York yesterday - the first Greek university to acquire an academic and administrative hub abroad. The inauguration of the office took place on Thursday afternoon, 27th April at the Orthodox Church of St. Spyridon in Manhattan, in an emotional atmosphere.
Present at the event were the Dean Andreas Floros, the Vice-Dean Elias Yarenis, the President of the University Research and Technology Centre, Professor P. Vlamos, the Archbishop of America Elpidophoros, the Mayor of Central Corfu Meropi Ydraiou, representatives of the Greek diaspora, representatives of collaborating American universities, and recorded greetings were sent by the Minister of Education N. Kerameos, the Secretary General of Higher Education O. Zoras, and the Dean of the University of Western Macedonia Th. Theodoulidis.
The operation of the office in New York is a pioneering project that stems from a small but outward-looking university, focused on strengthening existing partnerships and cultivating new ones in both research and education - which is the reason for establishing the office in America.
Significant milestone
In his address, the Dean referred to it as an important day for the institution, characterising it as a significant milestone in its historical and academic journey. He mentioned the structure and function of the institution as an academic successor of the first university of free Greece, the Ionian Academy, noting that the university has developed strategically based on the uniqueness of the academic fields it covers.
Internationalisation
He said that over the past three years, the Ionian University has also shown a strong commitment to internationalisation with the development of a network of strong partnerships with universities in Europe, Africa, and America. "All of the above efforts and ongoing collaborations, combined with our active participation in the Pharos Summit initiative of the Ministry of Education, which took place in late 2022 and brought together academic institutions from Greece and the United States, led us to realise the need for the systematic presence of the Ionian University in the USA," said Mr. Floros. "Having realised this, a few months ago, we decided to create an administrative hub for our university here in New York."
Regarding the choice of location for the establishment of the office in the facilities of the Orthodox Church of Saint Spyridon, he noted that it has strong symbolism. The relationship of Saint Spyridon (the patron saint of Corfu) and Corfu Town, the natural academic nest of the Ionian University. For his part, Vice Dean Mr. Yarenes pointed out that in 2024 the Ionian University will celebrate a very important anniversary - 200 years since the establishment of the historic Ionian Academy.
