Photos credit: George Xigos | Trivision
Investiture of Andreas Dracopoulos with the gown of the School of Health Sciences by Dean Emmanouil Pikoulis.
Greece’s first and largest university, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), has conferred the title of doctor honoris causa of the Departments of Medicine and Nursing upon Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos and awarded SNF the title of Grand Benefactor of the University of Athens. The double ceremony for these honors took place on July 17, 2024, in NKUA’s Great Hall.
The award ceremony opened with a speech from NKUA Rector Gerasimos Siasos. Hellenic Minister of Health Adonis Georgiades then thanked the Foundation for its support for Greece’s National Health System, which has exceed €1 billion. Remarks on the life and work of the honoree from medical school Dean Nikolaos Arkadopoulos, a reading of the official resolution to confer the degree by Department of Nursing President Pavlos Myrianthefs, and the investiture of the honoree with the gown of the School of Health Sciences by Dean Emmanouil Pikoulis. The title of Grand Benefactor of the University of Athens was then awarded to SNF. The double ceremony concluded with a speech from Andreas accepting the recognition with warm gratitude. The event was attended, among others, by the Leader of the Opposition, the former President of the Hellenic Republic, former Prime Ministers of the country, members of the Cabinet, as well as the President and Members of the Academy of Athens.
In his remarks, Rector Siasos mentioned SNF’s major contributions to NKUA over the years, saying, “For more than twenty-five consecutive years, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has implemented numerous grants to support all academic fields at our university—health, science, and humanities—highlighting the vision of the Foundation and its Co-President, Mr. Dracopoulos, for public education at the highest level.” He also specifically mentioned SNF’s grantmaking in health, noting that “it represents the quintessence of Greek philanthropy and is one of the most outstanding examples of societal contribution.”
Welcoming Andreas to the esteemed company of those holding an honorary doctorate from NKUA, Rector Siasos said, “The academic community of the Greece’s first and largest University, NKUA, welcomes you to its ranks. Under your leadership, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation continues the tradition of our great national benefactors who contributed decisively to the first steps in the creation of the Greek state. Your personal contribution and that of the Foundation are a shining example of solidarity, philanthropy and faith for a better and more humane society for all.”
NKUA Rector Gerasimos Siasos delivering opening remarks.
Professor Pavlos Miriantheus during the reading of the official resolution by the Department of Nursing to confer the degree.
SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos during his speech accepting the honor.
From its early years, SNF has been a staunch supporter of NKUA, contributing to the work of the university with grants related to health, science, and the humanities. NKUA is also a close and valued partner in SNF’s largest-ever grant initiative to date, its billion-dollar-plus Global Health Initiative (GHI), which aims to make quality health care accessible for all.
As part of the GHI, SNF grants to NKUA’s Department of Nursing have supported the procurement of specialized equipment and the implementation of research and scholarship programs, the procurement of state-of-the-art dental equipment and dental simulators for optimal student training, and the launch of a high-level five-year training program in microsurgery for surgical students implemented by the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress.