Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of the Aegean have launched a new strategic partnership to develop a joint postgraduate degree programme, the MSc AI for Sustainable Business Development
Matthew Lodge, His Majesty Ambassador to Hellenic Republic; Professor Dimitris Βourantonis, General Secretary for Higher Education; Professor Christos Tsinopoulos, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, Royal Holloway, University of London; Professor Anastasia Constantelou, University of the Aegean; Professor Dimitris Papageorgiou, Rector, University of the Aegean; Professor Stelios Xanthopoulos, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, University of the Aegean
The partnership has received competitive funding from the Greek Government through a national initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration between universities in Greece and the UK.
Royal Holloway was one of eight UK universities selected to take part in the scheme.
The two universities have formalised the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Consortium Agreement, creating the framework for the proposed joint degree programme.
Students will focus on technical subjects at the University of the Aegean and continue their studies at the Business School at Royal Holloway, where teaching will focus on the application of artificial intelligence.
To mark the partnership, representatives from both universities gathered in Greece last month for a series of meetings and events across the University of the Aegean campuses in Lesbos and Athens.
A delegation from Royal Holloway, including colleagues from the Business School, Academic Quality and Global Partnerships teams, meet with academic and professional services colleagues to further strengthen institutional collaboration.
The visit concluded with a partnership launch event in Athens hosted by the British Council.
The event brought together colleagues from both universities, along with external stakeholders and partners, to discuss the plans for the proposed degree and the wider opportunities for collaboration between Greece and the UK in higher education.
The British Ambassador to Hellenic Republic attended, as well as the General Secretary for Higher Education from the Ministry of Education in Greece, highlighting the importance of educational partnership between the two countries.
The occasion also provided an opportunity to discuss how the future programme could help address growing demand for graduates with expertise in AI, sustainability, and business, explore opportunities for future collaboration, and strengthen connections between higher education partners in Greece and the UK.
Professor Christos Tsinopoulos, Faculty Dean for the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, said: “This is an exciting and forward-looking initiative that strengthens the developing partnership between our two institutions.
“We are deeply grateful to the Greek Government for the funding provided to support the establishment of this new MSc programme.
“We are confident that this collaboration will deliver significant benefits to both students and colleagues across our institutions and will play a vital role in helping us respond to evolving global needs and challenges.”
Anastasia Constantelou, Professor of Innovation Management at the University of the Aegean, said: “We are very excited to have this partnership with Royal Holloway and to have jointly created a new Master’s degree.
“As work on the proposed MSc moves forward, both universities hope the partnership will create new opportunities for students and support the development of skills and knowledge in areas that are becoming increasingly important for businesses and organisations worldwide.”
