The Departments of Midwifery and Biomedical Sciences of the School of Health and Welfare Sciences at the University of West Attica, in collaboration with the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, jointly organize and offer the Inter-Institutional and Inter-Departmental Postgraduate Program (IIPGP) entitled “Resuscitation” starting from the spring semester of the academic year 2024–2025, pursuant to the provisions of Law 4957/2022.

The program originated as a Postgraduate Program in “Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation” in 2007 through a collaboration with the Department of Basic Medical Sciences of the former Technological Educational Institute of Athens (Government Gazette 1518/17.08.2007). It was one of the first six postgraduate programs established at NKUA. In 2015, it continued exclusively under NKUA (Government Gazette 1414/08.07.2015), and in 2018 it was renamed “Resuscitation” (Government Gazette 3959/12.09.2018).

Resuscitation, as an academic field, is emerging and not limited to any single professional degree or specialty. It is a horizontally integrated discipline relevant to all healthcare professionals. The program is now submitted as a new curriculum due to a complete redesign of its learning outcomes and to highlight its interdisciplinary nature. The coordinating institution is the University of West Attica, reinforcing the program’s historical roots. Furthermore, the curriculum has adopted a patient-centered approach, emphasizing “emergency care” alongside resuscitation.

Resuscitation represents a novel academic domain of increasing significance, especially as patient deterioration often goes undetected until it becomes irreversible. Research in resuscitation is crucial, and what was once seen as merely cardiac arrest is now understood as a complex pathophysiological phenomenon influenced by underlying morbidity.

This postgraduate program offers a flexible yet academically rigorous interdisciplinary education. It integrates contemporary teaching methods and scientific developments, aligned with international postgraduate standards. The program balances academic instruction with professional training, preparing graduates for demanding healthcare settings that require advanced knowledge, research capabilities, and practical expertise.

The University of West Attica (UniWA) was established in March 2018 under Law 4521. It is currently the third-largest university in Greece in terms of student population, with approximately 55,700 undergraduate, 5,500 postgraduate students, and 460 PhD candidates.

UniWA’s mission is to provide high-quality education in its academic fields, produce internationally impactful research, and ensure the societal dissemination of knowledge. Operating with high educational and research standards, it responds effectively to modern societal demands for highly trained scientific and technical professionals.The university’s postgraduate programs are a focal point of strategic development and are widely recognized by the labor market.

The strategic directions of UniWA include:

• Excellence in education
• Advancement of research
• Digital transformation
• Improvement of the academic environment
• Reinforcement of accountability and transparency
• Internationalization and outreach
• Sustainability and resource-efficient management
• Quality assurance

In alignment with its mission and vision, UniWA aims to generate added value through:

• Delivering educational services
• Conducting scientific research
• Transferring knowledge and expertise
• Producing and disseminating academic knowledge
• Promoting collaboration among society, the labor market, and the academic community

The Department of Midwifery is committed to the comprehensive education of professionals who possess structured knowledge in midwifery, preparing scientifically competent individuals capable of responding to developments in health sciences. Graduates are equipped to understand in depth the field they will work in, either as part of an institution or as independent practitioners.

The Department’s mission includes: (a) advancing and disseminating knowledge in the science of Midwifery through theoretical and clinical instruction and applied research, (b) providing students with the necessary tools for professional and academic development within Greece, the European Union, and internationally, (c) training midwives in areas that foster advanced specialization at postgraduate and doctoral levels, promoting research.

The department’s actions include:

• implementing continuing education programs,
• integrating modern educational and professional technologies,
• establishing international partnerships and attracting international students by offering courses in foreign languages,
• staying aligned with global developments in the science and education of Midwifery,
• adapting proactively to scientific, educational, economic, and social changes at local and international levels,
• ensuring high-quality midwifery education and promoting public health,
• cooperating with international organizations to improve quality standards in education and research.

The Department specifically focuses on cultivating and promoting the science of Midwifery in areas of care and new technology implementation. It aims to train scientists capable of addressing and researching these domains.

Today, Midwifery represents a dynamic profession with expanding boundaries and opportunities. Aligning theoretical education with practice has greatly contributed to recognizing the potential and breadth of this profession. Strategic goals of the Department include:

• Delivering high-level education in all areas of the Midwifery curriculum, including digital health transformation,
• Producing top-tier research and promoting excellence,
• Strengthening outward-looking initiatives and aligning education with labor market needs,
• Continuous institutional evaluation and quality assurance.

The mission of the Department of Biomedical Sciences is to offer high-quality undergraduate, postgraduate, research, and lifelong learning education to train scientists with advanced knowledge and skills in medical and biological sciences, public health promotion, and disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

The Department covers a broad, evolving scientific field and consists of five academic streams:

• Aesthetics and Cosmetology,
• Radiology and Radiotherapy,
• Medical Laboratory Science,
• Dental Technology,
• Optics and Optometry.

The undergraduate curriculum spans eight semesters. The first three focus on general subjects like Anatomy, Physiology, Mathematics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Biostatistics, and Research Methodology. From the fourth semester onward, students follow specialized courses with intensive laboratory and clinical training, supervised by academic and research staff, doctoral candidates, and expert collaborators. This combination ensures both theoretical depth and practical competence.

The Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) was founded in 1837. Prior to that, medical training in Greece was conducted through the “Medical Council” (Iatrosynedrio) from 1833. In 1835, the “Theoretical and Practical Teaching Institution of Surgery and Pharmacy of the Medical School” was also operational. The School’s first Dean was Anastasios Loukias, during a time when medical studies lasted three years. Later, the curriculum expanded to four years in 1842, five years in 1911, and six years in 1922.

Over the decades, the School has grown significantly in student population and academic scope. The first doctoral graduate was Anastasios Goudas. In 1911, the Medical School incorporated both Pharmacy and Dentistry programs. Today, NKUA’s Medical School enrolls around 4,000 students and is staffed by members of the academic teaching and research personnel, laboratory and special teaching staff, and administrative and technical personnel.

The University of Athens, originally called the “University of Otto,” was established in 1837, comprising the Schools of Theology, Law, Medicine, and Philosophy. Initially located in the residence of architect Stamatios Kleanthis in Plaka, the University moved in 1841 to its central building, designed by Theophil Hansen and decorated by Viennese painter Karl Rahl.

Following the ousting of King Otto in 1862, the institution was renamed the “National University.” In 1911, through the will of benefactor Ioannis Dombolis, it was split into two legal entities: the “Kapodistrian University,” which housed Theology, Law, and Philosophy, and the “National University,” which included the Schools of Science and Medicine. These two entities merged in 1932, forming the present-day National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The Dental School, originally established in 1911, officially joined the Medical School in 1953. In 1984, the School of Health Sciences was created by presidential decree, comprising the Departments of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing.

Currently, the Medical School is structured into six sectors: Morphological-Functional Sciences, Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Mother and Child Health, and Social Medicine-Psychiatry-Neurology. Its curriculum aligns with European Higher Education Area (EHEA) standards and is guided by national regulations and international guidelines, including those from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society.