ATHENS – The idea was born in 2019, sparked by a personal experience but with an national backdrop: the need reverse Greece’s devastating ‘brain drain’. Back to Greece is “a network that connects Greeks abroad who return to Greece with those who live abroad and wish to return,” said Dr. Irene Kapogianni, the dentist who spearheaded the initiative. She told The National Herald that, “the goal is to facilitate both the decision to return and the reintegration process.”

After studying Dentistry in Athens, Kapogianni left for Germany, where she lived for a total of seven years. After making the significant decision to return to her homeland, she faced “a new beginning full of difficulties,” which spurred the idea of helping others who were in the same position.

The uncertainty of the unknown after years of absence and the potential challenges of the adjustment process are the reasons why the decision to repatriate is not a simple matter. Back to Greece is there to help.

This dynamic communication, support, and solidarity network, which now has more than 10,000 members, helps Greeks abroad by providing them with information on what the transition to Greece is like for each professional sector. It also helps them find employment, as companies recognize the advantages of hiring the young people in contact with Back to Greece.

It is also a community of young people with shared experiences from abroad, which, through its frequent in-person meetings, constitutes a ‘welcome back hug’ for the brain gainers launching their new beginning.

The founder of Back to Greece emphasized that their goal is to become known to as many Greeks abroad as possible. She sends a clear message to those considering returning to Greece but are hesitating: “You are not alone.”

“Our immediate plan is to organize a Conference on the topic of Brain Drain,” Kapogianni said, adding that “we plan to expand to other cities in Greece,” and noting that they have already started organizing in Thessaloniki, so that in the near future networking events can begin there as well.

Back to Greece Members Share Their Stories with TNH

Panos Karelis: A career in San Francisco, London, and Düsseldorf – and the return to Greece

“Having completed my undergraduate studies at the National Technical University of Athens, I left Greece in 2008 to continue my studies in America at Stanford University. With a specialization in Finance, Economics, and Decision Sciences, I began my career as a Management and Strategy Consultant, and spent the years that followed in San Francisco, London, and Düsseldorf, focusing on the pharmaceutical industry and advising biotechnology companies on strategy for the development of innovative drugs,” Panos Karelis said.

“Knowing that I wanted to eventually work in my home country, I tried to keep my professional and social relationships active, until the right professional opportunity eventually arose,” he noted, adding, “moreover, being close to my family and friends is very important to me and reinforced my decision.”

The return happened naturally and the adjustment was relatively easy for him, adding that, “Back to Greece is a nice initiative that helps with returning to Greece by connecting people with similar experiences… Of course, I miss life abroad and the multicultural stimuli that one encounters, but I make sure to frequently visit the places where I’ve lived and O maintain my social and professional ties with them.”

Klairi Sacha: ‘From the first Back to Greece meeting I attended, I felt that I found my ‘tribe’

“The reasons for my return were more personal than professional. I wanted to live close to my family, in a place where I could speak my language and experience the culture I grew up with. Along the way, the professional conditions also developed were satisfying, as the contacts I made abroad helped me take on international projects from Greece,” noted Business Consultant Klairi Sacha.

Sacha began her journey abroad in London, where she lived for about five years, initially doing postgraduate studies at London Business School, and then working as a business consultant. She also worked in Boston and Copenhagen, from where she returned to Greece in 2019.

“We always imagine the adjustment to be easier than it actually is. The biggest challenge is the social aspect, reconnecting with old friends, and finding new ones who suit you, as you return from abroad changed,” she emphasized.

“Back to Greece was very important to me in this regard. From the first meeting I attended, I felt that I found my ‘tribe’. Along the way, I made good friends from the group, with whom I share the same mentality, the same values, the same dreams. I hope to have them in my life for many years!” Sacha said.

Dionysis Kourouniotis: ‘Our common goal is to offer our country everything we gained abroad’

“When you have lived many years abroad, repatriation socially and professionally always involves some difficulties. Through Back to Greece, I met and formed close friendships and also developed several professional collaborations, with the most recent example being the hiring of someone from the Back to Greece network at the company where I work. Socially, I have met many people with whom we have developed close bonds because we share many common experiences from abroad.”

Kourouniotis added: “All the people in Back to Greece have shared experiences from abroad and have a common goal, which is to generously offer their country everything they learned and gained after long tenures in foreign countries.” He lived for seven years in Vancouver, Canada, studied Chemical Engineering, and then worked in the fields of bioenergy, Stem Cell Engineering, and Polymer Engineering/Rheology.

“Through the group and the Back to Greece network, we have managed to convince several friends and acquaintances who lived abroad to return and take the big step of coming back,” he said.

Regarding his own journey, he explained that, “I missed my family and friends, and I couldn’t envision my future in North America. Having grown up in Greece, I found it difficult to adapt to the lifestyle of North America,” noting this factor along with the Mediterranean diet and climate as the main reasons that led him to repatriate.