The idea of establishing a Research Center dedicated to the study of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences was formulated long before 2000, when it started to materialize. The project was first supported by the Rectorate (of the late) Christos Nikolaou and Aggelos Kranidis as well as Professor Michalis Damanakis followed by a series of deliberations that took place in the Departments, Schools and the Senate of the University of Crete (UoC) during the academic year 2000 – 2001. The institutional framework of UCRC and its initial building programme were decided and approved by the Senate of UoC in 2004 under the Rectorate of Professor C. Nikolaou; the complete building programme was approved by the Senate of the UoC in 2011 under the Rectorate of Professor Evripidis Stefanou.

Focusing on the institutional character of the Center and the construction of the required facilities, the deliberations for the formulation of UCRC were continued during the Rectorships of Professors Ioannis Pallikaris and Euripides Stefanou. The facilities of the Center were made available to the members of UoC in 2015 under the Rectorate of Professor Stefanou and in the presence of the Mayor of Rethymno, Mr. George Marinakis, and the Vice-Regional Governor of Crete, Mrs. Maria Lioni. The complete building complex of UCRC includes five buildings, three of which (A, B and C) were functional by September 2011. The completion of the complex with two additional buildings (D and E) was financed by the Operational Programme for Crete and the Aegean Islands (NSRF) and the contract for the construction of these two buildings was signed in 2013. The facilities of the Center include offices, research laboratories, computer/tele-conference/seminar rooms and were inaugurated in 2017 under the Rectorate of Professor Odysseus-Ioannis Zoras. Following the completion of the UCRC’s building facilities, special emphasis was given to the support of the research work carried out in the Center and provision was made for its further backing with administrative personnel by Rector E. Stefanou. Since then, the sustained support of UCRC in all aspects has been consistently continued by Rectors Michael Taroudakis, Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras, Panagiotis Tsakalidis and George Kontakis.

In 2009, the initial institutional framework of UCRC was formulated and decided upon by the Senate of UoC. The first Administrative Board comprised of the Director, Professor Michael Damanakis (former Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs), the Deputy Director, Professor Skevos Papaioannou, and the Deans of the three Schools of UoC in Rethymno: Professors Alexis Kalokerinos, Panayiotis Michailidis and Athanasios Papadopoulos. The main aim of the first Administrative Board was to decide on the inclusion and hosting of research laboratories in the facilities of UCRC following a set of scientific criteria. This institutional framework was implemented by Professors Skevos Papaioannou (Director) and Panayiotis Michailidis (Deputy Director).

The initial institutional framework was revised by Professors Maria Kousis (Director) and Pantelis Kalaitzidakis (Deputy Director) and was approved by the Senate of the University of Crete in 2015. According to the updated framework, a new administrative scheme with the equal representation of the three Schools is elected and independent researchers as well as postgraduate programs can be integrated in the Center. The updated institutional framework was approved and implemented in 2016, with the election of the first five-member Administrative Board (Director, Professor Maria Kousis). To further support UCRC, in 2020 the Senate of UoC appointed a three-member Scientific and Counselling Committee of Professors who work in the fields of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences in Universities outside Greece. In 2021, the second Administrative Board was elected (Director, Professor Stella Giakoumaki).

Milestones

2014-2015         Approval of the first institutional framework of the "University of Crete Research Center (UCRC) for the Humanities, the Social and Education Sciences" (Government Gazette 2040/B/18.09.2015) [Rectorate of Professor Evripidis Stefanou].

2016         Election of the first Administrative Board [Rectorate of Professor O.-I. Zoras]

2017         Inauguration of the Centre [Rectorate of Professor Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras]

2017         Title of the Center modified into "University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, the Social and Education Sciences (UCRC)" and updating of articles of the institutional framework (Government Gazette 3301/B/20.09.2017) [Rectorate of Professor Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras]

2021          Election of the second Administrative Board [Rectorate of Professor George Kontakis]