The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is the oldest (est. 1837) and largest state institution of higher education in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. With a student body of about 68.500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, over 2.100 members of academic staff and approximately 1.000 administrative and secretarial staff and specialised personnel, the University of Athens aims at excellence in both teaching and research in a significantly varied range of disciplines. More particularly, the Department of Sociology was established in 2019 as one of the newest Departments of the NKUA.
Our interest in the project
NKUA decided to participate in the STRIDE project for two reasons. First, because social and educational inequalities is one of the most crucial research topics in Greece, especially after the economic crisis of 2009, with a great impact on young people. More particularly, the Centre for Social Theory and Empirical Research of the Department of Sociology seeks to meet the teaching and research needs concerning the disciplines and scientific fields that fall within the theoretical and empirical investigation of society, in light of the interaction between theoretical concepts and empirical data. Greek society has attracted international research interest concerning both the long and complicated period of its crystallisation and the recent succession of deep crises that reshaped its structure.
Second, because NKUA has a long experience in research projects and international collaborations and one of the main goals of the Centre for Social Theory and Empirical Research of the Department of Sociology is to provide broad and interdisciplinary coverage of the scientific disciplines it serves. To this end, it aims at cooperating with recognised research institutions and Universities in Greece and abroad, through which it comes into contact with specific social groups and categories of social problems.
Our role in the project
In STRIDE, NKUA will primarily lead on the development of an Interactive map depicting the significant factors in policy development and student achievement that foster or hamper equity, inclusion and resilience in education, training and educational achievements over time. It will also co-lead the identification of effective policy initiatives and interventions that compensate for inequalities in learning outcomes over time. It will do so through an Analysis of longitudinal data in five European countries in order to deliver new knowledge on how other social policies (employment, family, child welfare, etc.) may affect the learning outcomes of education policy initiatives through qualitative enquiry into policymaking. NKUA will also contribute to Policy mapping, and dissemination and communication activities and will host the consortium meeting in Athens in October 2024.
Website of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens: https://en.uoa.gr/
Find out about the other STRIDE project partners here.
