National Technical University of Athens

Overview

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is considered the premier engineering school in Greece. It is also one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the country. In honor of its benefactors Eleni Tositsa, Georgios Averoff, Michail Tositsas, and Nikolaus Stournaris, the university is also known as Metsovio, which refers to Metsovo in Epirus, the hometown of the founders.

The institution was established as the Royal School of Arts in 1837. It was instrumental in the technical development of the new state, becoming the only institution in the country to provide engineering education up to the 1950s. In 1917, NTUA was reformed in line with the special law separating the umbrella School of Industrial Arts into various higher schools of engineering. It is traditional in Greece to consider the arts as both fine arts and technical professions.

NTUA has also been the center of vital movements. Specifically, it has contributed to the social fabric of modern Greece through participation in social change.

For one, the university played a critical role in the national resistance against Germany’s occupation from 1941 to 1944. NTUA became the home of the resistance movement. Also, during the military dictatorship from 1967 to 1974, NTUA students stood against tyranny. The university hosted student protests, culminating in the siege of the campus by the police and the army who had to use a tank to break into the university gates. Popularly called the Polytechnion, the students-led uprising hugely contributed to the restoration of parliamentary democracy in the country.

Not separated from its rich heritage is its strong focus on academics and research. The university is divided into nine schools. These are the (1) School of Applied Mathematics and Physics, (2) School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, (3) School of Civil Engineering, (4) School of Mechanical Engineering, (5) School of Architecture, (6) School of Chemical Engineering, (7) School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, (8) School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, and (9) School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. These schools host both learning and research activities.

NTUA’s research facilities include internal centers and institutes. The university’s Institute of Communications and Computer Systems (ICCS) was founded in 1992 and does major work in supporting top-quality research and providing scientific service to both public and private entities.

Moreover, the university provides students with a wide range of academic resources. It has digital lecture centers, libraries, a central library, a medical center, and a computer center. NTUA also sponsors cultural activities through student-led groups. This includes the Dancing Department, the Music Department, and its Theatrical Group.