He has been an Associate Professor of Genetics in the Faculty of Medicine of Aristotle University.

In 2002 and 2006, he was elected a member of the municipal council of Thessaloniki heading his list.

From 2007 on, Kourakis has been a Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Thessaloniki A on Syriza's list.

Following the June 2012 elections, together with Theano Fotiou he was nominated for the post of education minister in Syriza's Shadow Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras.

[1] After the January 2015 legislative election, Kourakis was appointed Alternate Minister of Education.