The NTA’s Governor Mr. Angelos Binis participated in the 97th Rectors’ and Presidents’ Meeting of the Greek universities, which took place in Delphi, Fokida, between 15-17.07.2021, under the Presidency of the Agricultural University of Athens.
Mr. Binis provided a comprehensive overview of the key components of an effective internal audit system, highlighting its many benefits in improving governance and achieving the goals set by university administrations. He made specific recommendations to assist universities in strengthening their internal safety nets and developing an effective internal audit function. These included:
a) Registration of all universities on the electronic platform "Public Internal Auditors Network" maintained by the NTA
b) Ensuring that at least one staff member from each university participates in the National Centre of Public Administration and Local Government’s (EKDDA) specific programme for the certification of public internal auditors
c) Establishment of a working group to provide feedback to the ΝΤΑ in view of the adoption of a ministerial decision on the implementation of the provisions of Law 4795/2021 in universities
d) A working meeting, on the initiative of the Academic Institutions/Universities, their executives employed in the Departments of Finance, Administration and Computer Organization, as well as the Vice Rectors of Finance, with the NTA executives, for the presentation of the methodological and operational requirements of the institutional framework.
The decisions taken by the Rectors' Meeting recognise that the Internal Audit System is an important mechanism for Universities, which does not only concern procedures with financial content, but touches the whole of their operations and programmes. It was also pointed out that it is necessary to staff the Internal Audit Units with sufficient and appropriately trained personnel, a requirement that represents a significant challenge for academic institutions.