Keele University Greece has recovered its operating license and is moving forward with a development plan exceeding 60 million euros, Board President Christina Paraskevopoulou said.
Speaking in an interview on SKAI radio, Paraskevopoulou clarified that the temporary cancellation of the institution's operating license concerned exclusively public administration procedural matters rather than any substantive weaknesses in infrastructure or degree programs.
Paraskevopoulou said the Council of State revoked the license because the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance failed to issue a decision confirming facility suitability in time for the court to consider. She stated that the university had followed all required procedures, responded to guidance fully and on time, and submitted documented files.
She further explained that the court ruled the evaluation framework used by the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education to certify degree programs lacked specific quantitative and qualitative criteria. The same framework is used to certify programs at public universities. The court instructed the authority to establish a new evaluation framework to re-certify programs for Non Profit University Entities.
Procedural Delays and Court Ruling
The Council of State is the supreme administrative court of Greece, responsible for reviewing official administrative decisions. The regulatory authority, known as ETHAAE, oversees academic quality across Greek higher education, while EOPPEP evaluates educational facilities and qualifications. The legal changes follow Greece's recent educational reforms allowing foreign public universities to establish non profit branch campuses in the country.
Keele Greece operates in a fully renovated 5,000 square meter building in Athens that previously housed departments and services of the University of Athens. Paraskevopoulou said 20 million euros has already been invested in the campus facilities, rejecting claims of infrastructural shortcomings as inaccuracies spread during an information void.
The sudden court decision created severe uncertainty for students, families, staff, and faculty just two months before the start of the new academic year, Paraskevopoulou explained. She noted that the British parent institution, Keele University, a public university in Staffordshire with an 80 year history, expressed discomfort and surprise after finding its branch license revoked despite adhering strictly to Greek regulations over the past two years.
Paraskevopoulou questioned the impact on national credibility when years of institutional planning and multimillion euro investments are disrupted by retroactive invalidations of regulatory frameworks, asking how Greece will attract international universities and students without institutional trust.
Academic Protection and Campus Expansion
To resolve the situation, Paraskevopoulou outlined two immediate priorities. First, ETHAAE must rapidly complete the re-certification of study programs so classes can proceed normally. Second, the Greek government must pass legislative measures to protect the status of hundreds of students who enrolled during the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
Despite the administrative setbacks, Paraskevopoulou stated that the university leadership and current students remain optimistic about returning to normal operations, citing public support for higher education reform and private branch campuses.
Keele Greece has submitted 10 new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs for accreditation, including a program in Medicine. The institution is also proceeding with plans to open a second state of the art campus in the northern suburbs of Athens during the upcoming academic year, supported by an investment plan of more than 60 million euros.
