The article examines the reform of higher education in Greece 2024, enshrined in Law N 5094/2024 ‘Strengthening the Reform of Education’. The study considers the key aspects of the modernisation of the higher education system, aiming at the internationalisation of the educational space through the establishment of branches of foreign universities and the optimisation of public HEIs. Particular attention is paid to the main provisions of the law providing for the possibility of opening non-commercial branches of foreign universities from the EU, EEA, Switzerland or GATS member states subject to special assessment and licensing. It analyses the public reaction and discussions around the reform, revealing the contradictions between the desire for modernisation and fears of commercialisation of education. The main challenges to the implementation of the reform are examined, including the economic situation in the country, corruption, problems of quality assurance and active resistance from the student community. The prospects of Greece becoming a regional educational centre, attracting foreign students and teachers, and repatriating Greek academics are explored. It is argued that the success of the reform depends on the government's ability to strike a balance between private sector development and maintaining access to quality education for its citizens. The article concludes with the need for a coherent and wellthought- out higher education policy that considers both the economic and social aspects of the ongoing reforms.
higher education, Greece, internationalisation, education policy, academic mobility.