In a significant milestone for advancing children's rights in Greece, the University of Thessaly and UNICEF have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, officially establishing the Center for Children's Rights. This new center will be housed at the university’s facilities in Volos. UNICEF aims to establish similar centers for children’s rights across all 13 regions of Greece and in the country’s 23 universities.
The signing ceremony took place at the university's Rectorate (Papastratos Building), with the participation of the Rector of the University of Thessaly, Professor Charalambos Billinis, and UNICEF's Diplomatic Representative in Greece, Dr. Ghassan Khalil. Also present were Associate Professor of Intercultural Education, Kostas Magos, and Vice-Rector for Innovation, Internationalization, Partnerships, and Digital Governance, Chrysi Laspidou.
The central event to present the Memorandum of Cooperation was held in the Amphitheater of the Spatial Planning, Urban Planning, and Regional Development Engineering Building in Pedion Areos. The event featured speeches by Rector Billinis, UNICEF's representative Dr. Khalil, Vice-Rector Laspidou, Vice-Rector Plageras, and Professor Magos, emphasizing the pivotal role the new center will play in promoting research, education, and awareness on children's rights. Attendees included professors, researchers, students, distinguished guests, and university partners, laying the groundwork for productive dialogue and a strong framework for collaboration.
“This is a great day for the university, as it joins forces with UNICEF to establish this center, highlighting its human-centered orientation, its commitment to outward-looking initiatives, and its unwavering determination to practically connect the university with society. We want our children to live in an environment of peace, free from inequality, oppression, and discrimination,” stated Rector Billinis.
“This is a very important day for us, being here at the inauguration of the Center for Children's Rights at the University of Thessaly. We are very happy and proud. We deeply thank the Rector, Vice-Rectors, professors, and members of the Department of Preschool Education who have contributed to the establishment of the center. We look forward to seeing its initiatives and successes in promoting children's rights in the Thessaly region,” said Dr. Khalil, UNICEF’s Diplomatic Representative in Greece.
“This is an important innovation with great potential, the result of our fruitful collaboration with UNICEF. Together, we are defending children's rights and ensuring that every child has the quality of life they deserve,” noted Kostas Magos, Professor in the Department of Preschool Education.
Vice-Rector Chrysi Laspidou emphasized that integrating the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at an institutional level is a key strategic pillar of the University of Thessaly. Achieving these goals is possible only through a framework that guarantees respect for children’s rights, providing a sustainable future for children to survive and thrive in tomorrow’s world.
The event also featured talks by Dr. Maria Papathanasiou and Dr. Christina Roumpou (lecturers at the Department of Preschool Education), Kostas Bogias (student in the same department), and Professor Kostas Magos. They shared experiences from schools, highlighted systemic inequalities affecting migrant and Roma children, discussed their initiatives, and addressed gaps in the education system.
The Center for Children's Rights aspires to become a hub of knowledge, education, and action supporting and empowering children in Greece. Through the center, the University of Thessaly will collect data on children in the Thessaly region, aiming to provide resources for ministries or other regional and local bodies involved in legislation or policies affecting children. The vision is for these centers across Greece to become the primary sources of information and data on children’s issues and social services.
In 2025, UNICEF will organize training seminars for all faculty members of the University of Thessaly, laying the foundation for the center’s activities with the involvement of diverse specialties. Additionally, a six-month training program will be offered for university professors, certifying them as UNICEF-recognized experts in children's rights.