Introducing Human Capital in Greek Higher Education Institutes in the Postcrisis Era. The Case of the “Acquisition of Academic Teaching Experience for New Scientists” Public Initiative

Abstract

Due to the decade-long economic crisis in Greece, the number of academic personnel in tertiary education significantly decreased. To counter this, the “Acquisition of Academic Teaching Experience for New Scientists” initiative was established in 2016. The aim was to introduce young scientists as adjunct teaching personnel. In this paper, we present evidence concerning this policy measure. The data has been compiled through a survey questionnaire addressed at all the recipients of the initiative. Queries involved demographic data, potential updating of taught thematic areas and modules, and potential curbing of brain drain. In terms of results, the initiative significantly increased the number of teaching personnel. It helped update teaching modules’ content, and new teaching methods were introduced. Also, it contributed to the decrease of the outward mobility of the highly educated – a phenomenon particularly acute in Greece as a result of the economic crisis. The paper builds upon the bibliography on highly skilled human capital, its mobility, and the acquisition of new skills, such as teaching, and contributes by providing first evidence on a country-level case.