Ionian Islands in Venetian hands since 1238. The islands thus became the only part of the Greek-speaking world to escape Ottoman rule, which gave them both a unity and an importance in Greek history they would otherwise not have had. Corfu was the only Greek island never conquered by the Turks. Under Venetian rule, many of the upper classes spoke Italian (or Venetian in some cases) and converted to Roman Catholicism, but the majority remained Greek ethnically, linguistically, and religiously. In the 18th century, a Greek national independence movement began to emerge, and the free status of the Ionian islands made them
Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands for Erasmus students who wish to follow regular courses. Additionally, a few courses are taught in English and there are plans for some more. In 2016 the external evaluation committee gave TEI of Ionian Islands a "Positive evaluation". An external evaluation of all academic departments in Greek universities was conducted by the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA). Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands The Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands (TEI ION; ) is a fully self-governing higher-educational institute under state supervision, exercised by the Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs. The institute is based in