University Overview & Administration

About the University

The University of Patras was founded on November 11, 1964, as a self-administered academic institution under the supervision of the Greek Government, celebrating its official opening ceremony on November 30, 1966. Located in the city of Patras, the University honors St. Andrew as its official emblem.

University Administration

In accordance with the statutory framework governing Higher Education and the regulatory practices of the Senate, the primary governing bodies of the University of Patras are:

  • The Rector, who is assisted by four Vice-Rectors.
  • The Senate.

Rectorate Authorities

  • Rector: Professor Christos Bouras (Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics)
  • Vice-Rectors:
    • Professor Ioannis Venetis (Department of Economics)
    • Professor Dionissios Mantzavinos (Department of Chemical Engineering)
    • Professor Georgios Panagiotopoulos (Department of History and Archaeology)
    • Associate Professor Eleni N. Almpani (Department of Nursing)

Composition of the Senate

Pursuant to the current statutory framework, the Senate is composed of the following voting members:

  • The Rector.
  • The Deans of the Schools.
  • The Heads (Chairs) of the Departments (up to two from each School, serving a non-renewable two-year term on a rotational basis determined by the Rector).
  • One undergraduate student representative.
  • One postgraduate student representative.
  • One PhD student representative.
  • One representative from each category of university personnel (elected via a single ballot, participating in votes concerning their respective personnel category).

Note: Student and personnel representatives are elected for an annual term with no possibility of re-election. The Vice-Rectors and the University Secretary may attend Senate meetings in an advisory capacity, without voting rights.

Academic Structure & Schools

The University of Patras comprises Academic Schools, each encompassing Departments and units of related scientific fields. The Schools supervise and coordinate the operations of their respective Departments, which may be further subdivided into Divisions (Sectors).

The Schools of the University of Patras, by order of founding, are:

  • School of Natural Sciences
  • School of Engineering
  • School of Health Sciences
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • School of Economics and Business Administration

The School of Health Sciences

Established on July 22, 1977, as the Faculty of Medicine, the entity was expanded and renamed the School of Health Sciences in 1983. Today, it consists of the Department of Medicine and the Department of Pharmacy.

Administration of the School

The governing bodies of the School are the Dean, the Deanery, and the School General Assembly.

  • Dean of the School of Health Sciences (2025–2027): Professor Constantinos Stathopoulos (Department of Medicine).
  • The School General Assembly: Composed of all members serving on the individual Departmental General Assemblies.
  • The Deanery: Composed of the Dean, the Heads of the constituent Departments, and one student representative from each Department.
  • Key Responsibilities of the Dean: Convenes and chairs the School General Assembly and the Deanery; coordinates inter-departmental courses; implements assembly decisions; and establishes specialized advisory committees.

The Department of Medicine (School of Medicine)

The primary administrative bodies of the Department of Medicine are the Department Head (Chair), the Management Council, the General Assembly, and the Directors of the individual Divisions (Sectors).

The Department General Assembly

The General Assembly holds comprehensive legislative and administrative authority over the Department. It meets for four regular sessions per academic year, with extraordinary sessions called by the Department Head or upon the request of at least one-third of its members.

The Assembly is composed of:

  • Faculty Members (Teaching & Research Staff – DEP):
    • If the total faculty size is under 30, all members participate automatically.
    • If the faculty size exceeds 40, representation is capped at 30 elected faculty members distributed proportionally across the Department’s sectors based on academic rank.
    • The Department Head and Division Directors participate automatically as ex-officio members.
  • Student Representatives: Undergraduate student representatives (equivalent to 50% of the participating faculty members) and postgraduate/PhD student representatives (equivalent to 15% of the participating faculty members).
  • Specialized Staff Representatives: Representatives from the Special Laboratory Technical and Teaching Staff (EDIP/ETEP), set at a ratio of 5% of the participating faculty members, guaranteeing at least one representative per category.

Department Head (Chair)

The Department Head is elected for a designated statutory term through a secret ballot by an electoral college comprising all active faculty members of the Department.

Departmental Leadership (2025–2028)

  • Department Head (Chair): Professor George L. Antonakis (Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology)
  • Deputy Department Head (Vice Chair): Professor George C. Kagadis (Professor of Medical Physics & Medical Informatics)