Student review [#5743] for Geography
at Harokopio University - HUA

Founded in 1990 as the successor of the Harokopios Higher School of Home Economics, the Harokopio University of Athens offers degrees in Home Economics, Geography, Nutrition and Dietics, and Informatics and Telematics.

Being a 3rd year undergraduate student in the department of Geography myself, I can vouch for the quality of the facilities as well as the equipment used during lectures and excursions. The Geography department prioritizes practical skills and hands-on experience over theory and allows students to partake in assignments and workshops throughout their 4 year study period. The curriculum also encourages students to choose their classes from the 6th semester onward, creating a unique academic experience that fully equips students with the knowledge and experience they need most to pursue a Master’s degree in the field of their choosing.

The University also provides students with their own personalized account to access the computers in the various computer labs as well as their university email account through which the institution keeps them informed of seminars and events in the facility and the city in general. There is also a fully automated student platform through which students can examine their grades, select courses and request papers, avoiding needless bureaucracy. In addition to that, the university also offers a great deal of post-graduate degrees and opportunities to study in some of the best European institutions through the ERASMUS program.

With regards to the educational staff, the professors are helpful and will assist students with their assignments and respond to their emails as well as utilize the online e-class platform on which the lectures are uploaded and can be accessed at anytime by students who participate in that class. The University will also provide students with free books, journals and textbooks – many of which are written by renowned authors and may normally be exceptionally expensive – to assist them in their studies and academic pursuits. Geography students in general are guaranteed to have a robust library for free by the end of their studies.

A downside to choosing this institution would be its relatively short period of existence. The Geography department is fairly new and, thus, hasn’t been that well established within the Greek academic community yet, let alone the European one. Students will bear the burdain of having to prove the quality of their education since they can’t rely on the institution’s pre-established background alone. With that said, the Harokopio University has proven time and again to be one of the best, most active institutions in Greece, earning the trust and respect of various other institutions and donors. For example, the first ever Remote sensing and Space Applications seminar/workshop in Greece was hosted in the Harokopio University by the Geological Society of Greece.

Where many might see an unknown, fairly obscure institution others can see an up and coming academic powerhouse that offers many opportunities and fully equips students with the necessary tools to survive in the demanding worldwide job market as well as the competitive environment that is modern academia.