Low pay keeps Greek academics from returning

Almost three out of five Greek academics who work at universities abroad would like to return to the country, but many will not take the decisive step, mostly due to low salaries and lack of adequate funds for research, a survey shows.
According to Apostolos Lakasas article for Kathimerini, The Deon Policy Institute found 3,879 Greek academics in 84 universities in 15 different countries. Of those, 479 responded to the survey. Over half (54%) work in the top-50 global universities as ranked by QS World University Rankings 2024.
Of the respondents, 58% said they could relocate to Greece, citing longing for the homeland and quality of life as the main reasons. But many have decided against it considering pay levels (35%) and inadequate research funding, among a host of other factors.
On average, the academics would like a minimum net monthly salary of €3,000. Pay at Greek universities starts at €2,300, gross.