33rd Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks Concludes

Hosted in Greece for the first time by D.O.A.T.A.P.

The 33rd Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks, one of the most important international events in the field of academic recognition, concluded successfully in Athens. The Meeting was hosted by D.O.A.T.A.P. (Hellenic NARIC) from 24 to 26 May 2026, in cooperation with the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO.

Held in Greece for the first time, the event brought together 140 delegates from 45 ENIC-NARIC academic recognition centres, representing 43 countries across Europe and North America, as well as representatives of international organisations and higher education institutions.

For three days, Athens became a hub for international dialogue and cooperation on the future of academic recognition and international student mobility. Discussions focused on the strategic priorities shaping the future of higher education, with particular emphasis on transparency, mutual trust and enhanced cross-border cooperation.

The opening ceremony was held at the Acropolis Museum, in the Dimitrios Pandermalis Auditorium, with addresses by the Secretary General for Higher Education, Professor Dimitris Bourantonis, and the President of the Board of D.O.A.T.A.P., Professor Orestis Kalogirou.

The second day of the Meeting was officially opened by the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, who stressed that: “Trust, transparency and recognition are becoming fundamental pillars of international cooperation. And this is precisely why the work of the ENIC and NARIC Networks is so important for Europe and the international academic community.”

The Meeting sessions were held at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.

As part of the programme, 12 parallel thematic workshops were organised, focusing on key developments in the field, including the use of Artificial Intelligence in assessment and recognition processes, the development of common frameworks for the automatic recognition of qualifications, and the creation of a single European digital recognition ecosystem.

The 33rd Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks concluded with a shared understanding that strengthening international cooperation and harmonising recognition procedures are essential to ensuring a more transparent, reliable and accessible international higher education landscape.