# National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

> university in Athens, Greece

**Wikidata**: [Q547867](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q547867)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/national-and-kapodistrian-university-of-athens

## Summary
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is the oldest higher education institution in modern Greece, established in 1837. Located in Athens, it is a public research university and one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions.

## Key Facts
- Founded on April 24, 1837, by royal decree under King Otto of Greece and Prime Minister Ioannis Kolettis.
- Officially opened on May 3, 1837.
- Formerly known as the "Othonian University" (1837–1862), then "National University" (1862–1911), and currently "National and Kapodistrian University of Athens."
- Named after Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of state of independent Greece.
- Member of international academic organizations including the European University Association (EUA), Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR), and CIVIS.
- Ranked 393rd globally in the QS World University Rankings in 2025.
- Has over 70,000 students as of 2017.
- Operates multiple campuses across Athens, including in Zografou, Goudi, and Dafni.

## FAQs
### Q: When was the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens founded?
A: It was founded on April 24, 1837, and officially opened on May 3, 1837.

### Q: What is the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens known for?
A: It is Greece’s oldest university and a leading academic and research institution with global recognition.

### Q: How is the university ranked internationally?
A: According to the QS World University Rankings, it was ranked 393rd globally in 2025.

## Why It Matters
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens holds a foundational place in Greek higher education and cultural identity. Established shortly after Greece's independence, it played a crucial role in shaping the nation’s intellectual and academic landscape. As a comprehensive university, it offers a wide range of disciplines and contributes significantly to scientific research, particularly in fields such as medicine, engineering, humanities, and computer science. Its long-standing tradition of scholarship and its affiliation with notable researchers and educators make it a central pillar of Greece’s educational infrastructure.

## Notable For
- Being the first university established in modern Greece.
- Hosting renowned scholars and researchers such as Yiannis Aloimonos, Christos Faloutsos, and Elias Koutsoupias.
- Holding membership in major international academic networks and collaborations.
- Operating one of the largest student bodies in Greece, with over 70,000 enrolled as of 2017.

## Body
### History
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) was established by royal decree on April 24, 1837, under King Otto of Greece and Prime Minister Ioannis Kolettis. It officially opened its doors to students on May 3, 1837. Initially named the "Othonian University," it underwent several name changes before adopting its current title in honor of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece’s first head of state.

### Structure and Campuses
NKUA operates across multiple sites in the Athens metropolitan area, including:
- Main campus in Zografou
- Facilities in Goudi, Dafni, and other municipalities

It comprises numerous schools and departments covering a broad spectrum of academic disciplines:
- School of Philosophy
- School of Science
- School of Health Sciences
- School of Economics and Political Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Theology
- School of Education
- School of Physical Education and Sport Science

### Academic Reputation
NKUA is recognized both nationally and internationally. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in Greece and Eastern Europe. In the QS World University Rankings, it was placed 444th globally in 2024 and improved to 393rd in 2025.

### Notable Faculty and Alumni
The university has been associated with prominent academics and researchers, including:
- **Yiannis Aloimonos** – Computer scientist and researcher
- **Christos Faloutsos** – Renowned computer scientist based in the U.S.
- **Elias Koutsoupias** – Theoretical computer scientist
- **Yannis Smaragdakis** – Programming languages expert

### Digital Presence and Resources
- Website: [https://www.uoa.gr](https://www.uoa.gr)
- Social media presence includes YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- ORCID integration through Shibboleth API endpoint

### Institutional Identifiers
- ROR ID: 04gnjpq42
- GRID ID: grid.5216.0
- ISNI: 0000000121550800
- VIAF ID: 137430799

## Schema Markup
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  "name": "National and Kapodistrian University of Athens",
  "description": "The oldest higher education institution in modern Greece, established in 1837.",
  "url": "https://www.uoa.gr",
  "sameAs": [
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## References

1. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20190714135243/https://www.coar-repositories.org/community/members-and-partners-by-country/)
2. [Source](https://eua.eu/about/member-directory.html)
3. [Source](https://www.gunet.gr/en/participating-institutes/)
4. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230803111744/https://cdn.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/ifla-members-and-association-affiliates_2023-07-21.pdf)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240407134626/https://eellak.ellak.gr/ta-meli-tis-eellak/)
6. [Government Gazette of the Hellenic Republic. 1837](https://www.uoa.gr/fileadmin/user_upload/content_files/FEK16_1837.pdf)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. [ΕΚΠΑ: Ο καθηγητής Καρδιολογίας Γεράσιμος Σιάσος νέος πρύτανης – Οι νέοι αντιπρυτάνεις. Naftemporiki. 2023](https://www.naftemporiki.gr/society/1496729/ekpa-o-kathigitis-kardiologias-gerasimos-siasos-neos-prytanis-oi-neoi-antiprytaneis/)
9. [Source](https://www.qschina.cn/en/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2024)
10. [Source](https://www.qschina.cn/en/universities/national-kapodistrian-university-athens)
11. [Source](http://www.uoa.gr)
12. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
13. [Source](http://en.uoa.gr/fileadmin/user_upload/Uni/Publications/UoA_en29062017.pdf)
14. GRID Release 2015-12-14
15. GRID Release 2016-12-06
16. GRID Release 2017-01-10
17. Quora
18. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
19. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=2001:648:2010::/48&type=inet6num)
20. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
21. [Source](https://fr.dentist/kb/national-and-kapodistrian-university-of-athens/)
22. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
23. [Source](https://ror.org/04gnjpq42)
24. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens-J6GYNX)
25. Virtual International Authority File
26. YouTube API
27. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)