NTUA closes doors after administrative staff decision, probe ordered into university’s current state

An Athens prosecutor ordered an emergency probe into the current state of affairs at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) on Wednesday, following reports of students being denied access to the institution as well as incidents of verbal altercations between students early in the day.

The probe follows a decision reached by NTUA administrative employees late on Tueday to close the institution indefinitely.

The decision taken by a staff assembly led to the resignation of the administrative staff’s president Rania Zachou and general secretary Effie Floraki, both of whom disagreed with the decision to shut down the institution.

Administrative staff is protesting their inclusion into a labor mobility scheme that may lead to dismissals. Staffers said that a new assembly would take place following an Athens University senate, although it remained unclear when this would actually take place.

Meanwhile, speaking on Mega channel on Wednesday Education Minister Andreas Loverdos urged administrative staff to reopen the university and said that the law did not give him the power to do so himself.

The deadline for saving the academic semester was Friday.