Throughout its history, a sizeable number of University of Athens alumni have become notable in many varied fields, both academic and otherwise. Moreover, two Nobel Prize-winners have studied or taught at Athens, with both their prizes being in
Literature.
Politics Fifteen
Greek prime ministers and eight
Greek presidents (
Konstantinos Karamanlis served as both) have studied at the University of Athens, including
Charilaos Trikoupis,
Eleftherios Venizelos,
Georgios Papandreou,
Andreas Papandreou, Konstantinos Karamanlis,
Karolos Papoulias, and most recently interim prime minister
Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou. Also,
Constantine II, the last monarch of Greece, and
Nicos Anastasiades, the former president of Cyprus, attended the university. The University of Athens has also been home to a large number of other politicians and diplomats, such as
Dora Bakoyannis,
Kyriakos Mavronikolas,
Georgios Alogoskoufis,
Fofi Gennimata,
Frances Lanitou, and
Dimitris Koutsoumpas.
Science •
Gerasimos Danilatos, physicist, inventor of the
ESEM •
Sophia Frangou, psychiatrist •
John P. A. Ioannidis (DSc, 1996 and MD 1990), professor and medical researcher •
Fotis Kafatos, biologist •
Michael N. Katehakis, applied mathematics and operations research •
Athena Kourtis, medical academic, researcher, and
CDC official •
Nikos Logothetis, neuroscientist •
Zoi Lygerou, molecular biologist and medical school associate professor •
George Michalopoulos, professor and medical researcher •
Dimitri Nanopoulos, physicist •
Georgios Papanikolaou, doctor, inventor of the
Pap test •
Costas Soukoulis, physicist •
Nikos Sypsas, medical doctor and infectious disease expert •
Dimitrios Trichopoulos, cancer epidemiologist •
Georgina Xanthou, immunologist •
Panayotis Varotsos, physicist •
Leonidas Zervas, organic chemist •
Zoe Pikramenou, inorganic chemist •
Kypros Chrysanthis, medical doctor, writer and educator
Literature and philosophy •
Giorgios Seferis, Nobel laureate (1963), poet •
Odysseas Elytis, Nobel laureate (1979), poet •
Nikos Kazantzakis, writer and philosopher, nine times Nobel nominee •
Helene Ahrweiler, byzantinologist •
Cornelius Castoriadis, philosopher •
Dimitra Fimi, academic and writer •
Emmanuel Kriaras, lexicographer and philologist •
Vassilis Rotas, author, translator and politician •
Stathis Psillos, philosopher of science •
Simos Menardos, philologist, folklorist, rector of the University of Athens
Archaeology •
Stylianos Alexiou, archaeologist and philologist •
Semni Karouzou, archaeologist and curator •
Yannis Sakellarakis, archaeologist •
Evi Touloupa, archaeologist and curator •
Ino Nicolaou, archaeologist, epigraphist, numismatist •
Porphyrios Dikaios, archaeologist, director of the
Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1960–1963) •
Vassos Karageorghis, archaeologist, director of the
Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1963–1989) •
Athanasios Papageorgiou, Byzantine archaeologist, director of the
Department of Antiquities (1989–1991) •
Demos Christou, archaeologist, director of the
Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1991–1997)
Theology • Saint
Nectarios of Aegina •
Ieronymos I of Athens, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece •
Anastasios of Albania, Archbishop of Albania •
Porfirije,
Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch •
Demetrios Trakatellis, Archbishop of America
Other •
Christos Christou, International President of
Médecins Sans Frontières •
Apostolos Santas, Greek veteran of the Resistance against the Axis Occupation of Greece during World War II •
Panayiotis Pikrammenos, judge, caretaker prime minister (2012), deputy prime minister (2019–2023) == See also ==