Columbia University president addresses 21st century challenges in Kathimerini interview

Lee Bollinger is widely regarded as the most successful president of an American university, having consolidated Columbia's reputation as one of the leading global institutions, while expanding its international activities. He is also a noted intellectual and scholar of freedom of speech. During a recent visit to Athens, he met with Education Minister Niki Kerameus and explored the prospect of setting up a Columbia Global Center in Greece. Nine such research outposts currently operate around the world.

In an interview with Kathimerini, Bollinger discussed the prospect but also touched upon crucial issues such as the quality of public discourse, the influence of social media and the contemporary role of universities. Asked about the impact of Donald Trump's presidency on American society, Bollinger stressed that the only thing standing between the US president and a...