Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) was founded in July 1973 and opened its doors to the students in the academic year 1974-1975. It was named, after Democritus, the ancient Greek philosopher who was born in the ancient city of Abdera in Thrace. The Administrative seat of DUTH is located in Komotini, the Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace. Today, DUTH is the 4th biggest university in Greece, serving about 30.000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in 10 schools and 28 departments, across 12 geographically dispersed campuses at seven cities Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupolis, Orestiada, Kavala, Drama and Didymoteicho. The programs of the DUTH departments are considered as of a high quality in accordance with widely accepted international academic criteria. The high quality also applies to the teaching and research staff. The research strategy of DUTH targets promoting research excellence, national and international, including international collaborations, ensuring sustainable operation of research infrastructure, and transferring the developed technology to the local economy. Moreover, DUTH plays a significant role in reinforcing the national, economic and cultural identity of the whole area of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Democritus University of Thrace is a state university with full administrative autonomy, supervised and funded by the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.