Austerity Measures in Greece and their Impact on Higher Education

Abstract

The present study examines the impact of austerity measures on the academic community. The Technological Educational Institute of Athens served as our case study. It was selected because it is the second largest higher education institution in Greece, and has students of a diverse socio-economic background. Data were obtained through an analysis of institution financial statements and other documents depicting budgets, human resources, infrastructure, in an attempt to study their impact on the resulting quality of education. In addition, through the use of questionnaires we evaluated the impact of austerity measures and the economic crisis on both academic staff and students in relation to their performance, the quality of education, and their plans for educational and professional trajectories. Finally, and given the pending merging or even closure of some departments, faculties and/or institutions throughout the country, we examined the effects on people's attitudes towards educational and research activities.

Healthcare professionals’ knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation correlated with return of spontaneous circulation rates after in-hospital cardiac arrests: A multicentric study between university hospitals in 12 European countries

“…In this direction, accumulative evidence has shown that austerity measures during past years have led to a deterioration in the quality of health services, [15][16][17][18] an increase in mortality 19,20 and a lower level in education. 21,22 Countries with reduced resources and large cuts in health expenditure such as Greece cannot keep pace with the rapid growth rates of countries such as Belgium and Switzerland. However, the study by Squires and Anderson 23 showed that spending more on healthcare does not result in better outcomes or longer life expectancy of each country's patients, possibly showing the loose correlation between ROSC rates and life expectancy.…”

Narratives of Leaving and Returning to Homeland: The Example of Greek Brain Drainers Living in the UK

“…It often has serious well-being and psychological repercussions (Mouzakis, 2017). In the Greek case, the pervasive sense of distrust (Koniordos, 2014), uncertainty, and lack of security, led a large part of the workforce to seek employment abroad (Giousmpasoglou et al, 2016;Koulouris et al, 2014), forming distinct drivers of migration (Carling and Collins, 2018). The so-called 'brain overflow' contributed in this direction, that is, the inability of a country to absorb the domestic highly skilled work population (Iravani, 2011).…”

European Universities During the Crisis: A Public Policy Perspective, with a Brief Excursion to the United States

“…There is very little evidence that the crisis engendered serious innovation in university teaching, either in new forms of learning or in content. To the contrary, the introduction of good practices as observed worldwide, for example in students assessing teachers or in problem and case-based learning, seems to have slowed down (see for a Greek example: Koulouris et al 2014). If anything, the crisis has also slowed the development of blended learning in universities, including the use of MOOCs or other forms of online learning, in addition to “old-fashioned” classroom learning.…”