Identity
The Historical Archive of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (H.A.NKUA) is our country's largest and principal archival institution on the subject of higher education. Its collections, which include more than 2,000,000 items, reflect not only the history of the first Greek University (founded in 1837) but also, to a considerable extent, the country's, since the University of Athens was one of the most significant factors in the social, cultural and scientific life of the independent state. Its objectives are the following: A. the preservation of the historical memory of the oldest University of our country and the protection, conservation, classification, and cataloging of its oldest archival material and its current archive, which becomes inactive over time. B. making its archival and printed collections available to experts and interested public through the operation of a study room and through digitizing and exhibiting the archival and printed documents on the Internet using special programs. C. developing scientific collaborations and promoting the study and research of the history of the University of Athens and overall higher education in Greece and abroad. D. promoting the advancement of a scientific dialogue regarding issues of Greek and international higher education.

History
The H.A.NKUA is a research and administrative center of the University and is governed by an Executive Committee appointed by the Rectorate and the Senate. It is housed at Skoufa 45, in an inter-war building owned by the University of Athens, bequeathed by Konstantinos Kriezis. The H.A.NKUA was founded in 1991 with the initial intent to collect the archives of the NKUA, which were scattered in the many buildings used by the University during its gradual giganticification, from its foundation in 1837 to today. The first task was to locate the material. Initially, the search concerned collecting the material from the older Schools, Departments, and Administrative Services of the University. 19th-century documents coexisted, without any thematic relevance, with files from recent decades. Subsequently, and with great effort, the chronological sequel of the material was restored. Today, this organized material is housed for the most part in the building of H.A.NKUA and its storage spaces. From the very first moment of its operation, the NKUA organized a study room available daily to serve the administrative and research demands. Thus, the groundwork for studying the history of universities was laid, as well as the ability to conduct specialized research on the modern and contemporary history of education and science. At the same time, the Archive has facilitated and continues to serve many researchers, students (undergraduates and graduates), doctoral candidates, professors, and academics from Greece and abroad. Simultaneously, it was one of the first institutions of the NKUA that performed extensive digitization of archival and printed material. Thanks to the systematic collaboration with public institutions and the private sector's support, it has already digitized and upgraded a large part of its archival material. Along with the protection, conservation, and promotion of its archival and printed collections, in the 30 years of its existence, the NKUA has organized a series of conferences on the history of the University, on the concepts of reform and crisis, and workshops and seminars dedicated to influential personalities, such as the historian and former Prime Minister Spyridon Lambros, etc. The Archive has carried out and still continues carrying out wide-ranging research projects on modern Greek and European history, collaborates with European universities and institutions of relevant research fields, awards scholarships, organizes scientific conferences and documentary exhibitions, and, finally, it partakes in organizing the archives of other universities, organizations, and companies.

Types of audiences
The three main operative axes - objectives - of H.A.NKUA are the following: 1. The first axis focuses on the continuous and consistent management of the upkeep of the Archive of the University of Athens. The material that has been produced in the past and is already considered archival, and the currently produced material, which will become archival in the future. A large part of the University's archives has already been collected and recorded. However, to the extent that the University's Archive is a living organism with a constant production and flow of archival material, the need to record the material is ongoing. Special attention is given to salvaging, compiling, and enriching the University of Athens's archival collection with obscure data which is not connected with the central services of the University (e.g., personal archives of professors, documenting information on the student movement, etc.). For this purpose, the Historical Archive is in steady contact and collaboration with other non-university archival units, with an additional objective to include this material in the digital environment of the archival collection of the NKUA. 2. The second operative axis of the Historical Archive concerns the digitization and electronic management of the vast archival material it harbors. In recent years, thanks to the intensity of the digitization programs, the archives of the Departments of the University of Athens, the Administrative Services of the NKUA, certain Branches, old printed publications of the University, and extensive photographic material have already been electronically digitized and classified. That is about 750,000 historical documents, including loose leaves, bound pages of a large format (codices), printed material, photographs. The digitized images were processed to be easily read on a pc screen and reproduced with clarity on a printer. In addition, they were electronically classified using specially designed software available to H.A.NKUA. The digitization of archival material was conducted according to the terms and practices followed by renowned foreign universities and addressing the growing international interest in the university history research field and the established development of knowledge. Cataloged and processed based on thematic terms and keywords, the digitized material is posted on the digital library PERGAMOS (https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/col_histarch) and is available to the scientific and research community. 3. Finally, the role of the Historical Archive as an institution is also served by a third important axis: research and teaching activities. The H.A.NKUA is a multifaceted center of research of a historical and social nature. Conducting research, organizing and coordinating training seminars and programs, collaborating scientifically with similar centers and institutes in Greece and abroad, organizing workshops, lectures, conferences, seminars, and events in similar fields, managing scientific publications, are among others, the activities that highlight and support this third operative axis of the Historical Archive. The NKUA addresses all researchers and individuals interested in Greek history or our country's education history. It attends to thousands of people who often search for evidence of their ancestors' presence in the archival material. And, it also caters to the thousands of students who want to familiarize themselves with the history of the university they study at.

Collections &Exhibitions
The archive possesses a unique treasure of documents of the University’s and the country’s history: manuscripts of personalities such as Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos, Eleftherios Venizelos, Kostis Palamas, Georgios Papandreou, etc. It includes rare documents (letters, memos, reports, etc.) linked to contemporary political and social history. These documents and thousands of others are housed in the archive's collections and are fully accessible to anyone interested. The main archival collections, which are organized in a series of bound books and series of files with loose leaves, are the following: A) the four most prominent and most significant administrative data archives (Senate, Protocol-Registry, Etiquette– mainly publications and photographic material – archives of the Directorate of Schools), B) the archives kept by the secretariats of the five Schools of the University of Athens (Theology, Law, Medicine, Philosophy, Science-Mathematics). C) personal archives of the Professors of the University of Athens, such as Sp. Lambrou, Andreas Andreadis, Demetrios Pappoulias, etc. These invaluable archives supplement the university’s already abundant material in providing vital information on our academic and wider scientific history. The coordinated efforts of the Historical Archive and the Emeritus Professors aim to further enrich this valuable and rare collection by locating and cataloging as many personal archives as possible. The immediate and welcoming response guarantees that new personal archives from the University’s professors will soon be added to the applicable archival material. D) photographic, audio, and film material from University of Athens events. E) collection of the University's Professors’ portraits. The archive collection of the Historical Archive of the University of Athens also includes material derived from: a) the Ephorate of the Aeginitio Hospital, b) the Ephorate of the University Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary and Aghia Varvara (Kapnikarea), c) the University Club, d) the Maraslean Teaching Center.

Events & Activities
The Historical Archive of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has set up in its premises the K.Th. Dimaras Hall, which can accommodate an audience of about 60 people. Conferences, workshops, and special events by various institutions of and outside the University are held daily in this Hall. At the same time, important Greek and foreign scientists have taught at the Historical Archive in the context of graduate students’ seminars and lecture series. Finally, on an annual basis, a conference on higher education is organized by the Historical Archive itself, and more workshops and lectures.

Terms of Operation
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30 - 14.30 *The Study Room remains closed during public holidays and per the decisions of the rectorate. *In the event of unexpected circumstances, the Historical Archive revises the hours of the Study Room.
Name of the Administrative Committee of the H.A.NKUA: Vangelis Karamanolakis, associate professor at the Department of History and Archaeology

Decision of Establishment
Decision of the Rector's Council of NKUA 14.2.1991