ACTION

In 2008, the initiative and actions of Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos himself led to the establishment of the scholarship “In memory of Panayiotis Foteas,” under the auspices of the then-Prefectural Administration of Messinia. It was, of course, an expression of appreciation for the work and contribution of the late Panayiotis Foteas, first elected Prefect of Messinia, who was a very close friend of the Captain’s. The two men, each from his own chosen field, had another thing in common: their love and concern for Messinia’s development. Regarding the scholarship:

• It is financially supported by a donation from Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos and his family.
• It is given every year, along with the political-financial essay award.
• The recipient of the scholarship is a first year student at any Faculty of Law and Political Science, or Law School of a Higher Education Institute in Greece. The recipient must fulfill some criteria: a) At least one of their parents must originate from Messinia, b) They must have a high school diploma from a school within the Prefecture of Messinia, c) Their family income must not exceed 20,000 euro, adjusted for inflation every four years, d) In the case of more than one candidate, priority is given to the one with the highest entrance exam score, taking into account both family income and exam score, at the scholarship committee’s discretion.
• It amounts to 5,000 euro annually, adjusted for inflation every four years. It covers a period of four years of study, on the condition that the recipient passes all of their semester exams. The recipient must submit a personal transcript, in order for their scholarship to continue in the following year.

The committee overseeing the selection process and monitoring the scholarship holders comprises the following:

• The Prefect of Messinia Mr. Dimitrios Drakos or his successor.
• The Dean of the University of Peloponnese Mr. Konstantinos Dimopoulos or another representative of the University.
• The donor, Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos, represented by Ms Anastasia Militsi-Nika, Director of the General State Archives – Prefecture of Messinia.
• Mr. Panayiotis Nikas, Mayor of Kalamata, as representative of the committee for the “Panayiotis Foteas Award,” given to books of sociopolitical content.
• Mr Sotiris Foteas, lawyer.