The Greek Parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill that seeks to reform a university sector that is regarded as among the most dysfunctional and underperforming in Europe. Many university rectors and students have opposed key provisions of the bill, and hundreds of students protested its passage outside the Parliament building in Athens.
All of Greece’s 24 universities and 16 technical institutes are public, and attempts to transform the country’s higher-education system have faced strong opposition over the years–especially any change viewed as a step toward privatization, which the government states it has no aim toward. This latest effort comes at a time when the country is under international pressure to curb public spending and reduce its large deficit.