Every year, there are more than 40 committee meetings which are visited by three professors who have been nominated by their universities. Within these meetings, the members at first evaluate the foreign certificates and thus prepare the decision of the committee.
Applications for the recognition of foreign academic degrees and teaching licences have to be submitted to the following address:
DI.K.T.S.A: University centre for the recognition of
academic titles and foreign courses of study
Leoforos Sygrou
GR - 11741 Athini
Phone: (30) 1 - 9222526/9218052
Fax: (30) 1 - 921.80.52
Telex: 218137 DIKA GR
Contact: Prof. Theodorus LIANOS
When we asked this centre on the potential recognition of certificates that have been obtained by way of distance education or correspondence courses, we were sent the following fax in reply to our question:
"We're writing to inform you that degrees that have been awarded after having completed distance learning studies are not academically recognised by our Recognition centre as such programmes are not offered at our University Institutions. Namely any parallelism is not possible."
I.T.E. (Institute for technical education)
Leoforos Sygrou 56
GR - 11742 Athini
Phone: (30) 1 - 9221000
Fax: (30) 1 - 9227716
Contact: Prof. Dr. Th. PAPATHEODOSSION
As an official state-department, this institution is part of the ministry of education and religion. It works those specific questions concerning tertiary, non-university education and decides on the equivalence of foreign academic degrees which have been achieved in courses of study of the technical educational institutions.
The I.T.E. serves as a national centre of information (NARIC) on issues of recognition. Moreover, in some single cases it decides on the equivalence of foreign qualifications with regard to higher education and the degree ptychio.
Finally, the I.T.E. provides information on questions concerning recognition of diplomas from the non-university sector.
Decisions on the equivalence of academic degrees are made by the scientific council of the I.T.E. which consists of seven members (university professors). They are nominated by their universities and appointed for a 3-year term by the minister of education. Councillors who work for the respective advising committees act in an advisory capacity to this council. The committees consist of three councillors, with one of them leading the committee and two councillors working as advising capacities.
The I.T.E. is not capable of deciding in issues of vocational recognition. This task is performed by the responsible trade corporations, the ministries or other institutions.
As a general rule, those individuals planning to set up their own businesses have to prove job experience.
The job prospects for Greek young persons who have finished their education in Germany (e.g. skilled workers) are very good if these people return to their home country, as there are programmes of integration in which vocational qualifications that have been achieved abroad are incorporated and brought into line with Greek conditions. In Greece, formal education and education at schools is most important.