The State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) was established through Mandatory Law 1825/1951 as a legal entity of public law before it became, based on Legislative Decree 4434/1964, a decentralized public body of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs where the Administrative Board is highest administrative body of the Foundation.
In line with its Establishing Act, the mission of IKY is as follows:
“The purpose of IKY is to provide financial support to students and graduates of secondary, upper or higher education institutions to pursue their studies in secondary education schools, in upper or higher education Greek institutions or in peer institutions outside Greece. Eligible to benefit from this support are exclusively persons who do not possess adequate own financial means, and who are distinguished for their intelligence, academic performance, probity and ethics”.
This core objective represents to date the central axis of the actions of IKY, while through subsequent laws, this objective was further enriched and enlarged, so as to meet the ever increasing and changing needs of young people for education and training, research and innovation.
The State Scholarships Foundation is one of the most historic organisations of the country with a longstanding tradition in promoting and showcasing education, science, arts, language and culture in modern society, taking due account of the requirements of the international scene. Respectful thinkers, such as G. Ventiris, A. Delmouzos, X. Zolotas, G. Pesmatzoglou, A. Angelou and K. Th. Dimaras have contributed to the planning and operation of IKY.
From 1951 onwards, IKY, the Greek Scholarships Body, has been awarding scholarships on the grounds of merit and transparency, contributing towards building a stronger Greek scientific community. In due assessment of the needs as these arise at all times, IKY carefully studies, plans, announces and implements scholarship programmes and provides financial support for all study cycles.
Throughout its 73-year long presence, hundreds of thousands of scholars have received financial support for education and study purposes. Many prominent personalities of the Greek society, such as George Zongolopoulos, Mikis Theodorakis, Panayiotis Tetsis, Yerassimos Sklavos, Dimitris Mytaras, Costas Tsoclis, Theodoros Papagiannis and many more charismatic individuals have been scholars of IKY.
Since 1987 onwards, IKY has been successfully coordinating and implementing European Programmes, starting from the Erasmus Programme in 1987 to the latest Erasmus+ Programme. In the current programme period (2021-2027), IKY is responsible for the implementation of the European Programme Erasmus+ in the fields of education and training, as well as for EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe).
In June 1993, IKY became a founding member of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), an important European institution which promotes the internationalization of higher education and contributes to the exchange and dissemination of best practices. Over the years, IKY has entered into partnerships for the award of scholarships with renowned European organisations, namely:
- 1986 to date – European Institute of Florence
- 2000 to date – German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
- 2009-2011 – European Space Agency
- 2011-2013 – CERN, one of the largest centres for nuclear research worldwide
- 2020 to date – French Embassy and French Institute of Greece
- 2021 to date – British Embassy and British Council.
IKY, project operator of the Public Investment Programme co-funded strand since 1994, awards scholarships for postgraduate studies-master’s level, doctoral studies and postdoctoral research in Greece through co-funded programmes in the framework of the Programme Periods (CSF Ι,ΙΙ,ΙΙΙ), NSRF (2007-2013) and NSRF (2014-2020).
IKY also seeks to develop partnerships with key bodies of the Greek economy. In 2014 and in 2018, IKY, in cooperation with the National Bank of Greece, implemented the innovative scholarships programme “2+2” for the award of scholarships for postgraduate studies and the subsequent employment of the scholars in the labour market, while in 2022, IKY concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation with EYDAP (Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company) for the implementation of “ΙΚΥ-EYDAP Scholarships” Programme addressed to doctoral candidates of Greek Higher Education Institutions whose area of research is focused on a field relevant to the field of activities of EYDAP. Similar initiatives are in progress.
Due to its prestigious standing, IKY had the honour of receiving the bequests of significant donors and has been managing in due responsibility the income from their bequests by awarding scholarships for studies in Greece and abroad.
IKY systematically aims to ensure the continuous improvement of its internal procedures based on objective data and measurements and by setting high standards in its relations/interactions with the recipients of its services. To this end, IKY has designed and implements a quality assurance system, while it has been awarded numerous distinctions and certifications. More precisely:
In 2014, IKY was awarded the first level of the EFQM recognition “Committed to Excellence” and joined the European Framework for Quality Management (EFQM) community.
In 2016, IKY was also awarded the 2nd level of the EFQM recognition “Recognized for Excellence” and in 2018, it became the first company of the “narrow” public sector having secured for the second time in a row the great distinction “Recognized for Excellence – 3 stars”.
Since 2015, IKY has been the first body of the “narrow” public sector certified as per ISO 9001:2015 on Planning and Implementing Scholarship Schemes. IKY is not a simple scholarship body; it is a vital and integral part of the Greek society which supports and promotes creativity and innovation on the basis of quality, integrity, transparency and cooperation.
Watch the anniversary video presenting a short retrospective of the evolution and contribution of IKY throughout its 70-year presence, as it arises from its history and the testimonies of some of the thousands of scholars who excelled in various fields of science, research, arts and culture. The video was played for the first time during the Anniversary Event on the 70 years of IKY on May 16th 2022 in “Stavros Niarchos” Hall at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre.