The Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS) has invited the New York scholar, Professor Dr Constantinos Hatzidimitriou as its Christos Mantzios Visiting Scholar Award for 2023.
Dr Hatzidimitriou is an expert on Asia Minor history and an ardent and prolific writer for the American Hellenic Institute and St. John’s University. During his sojourn in Melbourne, he will participate in an academic seminar, a public lecture and a lecture for students. He will also hold interviews on radio and in newspapers.
The AIMS closely collaborates in partnership with the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) and Alphington Grammar School and the Branch of the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos,” the Cultural Centre Palamas of the AHEPA and its National President, George Lianos, the Greek Community of Sydney and NSW and the Greek Festival of Sydney, the Hellenic Club of Canberra and benefactor, K. Tsoulias.
The main commitments of the visiting scholar include:
On Monday 23 October 2023, at 6.30pm, he will hold a seminar involving Greek language teachers, Victorian poets, writers, journalists, and students, as well as the members of the Branch of the National Foundation of Research “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” at the Lyceum Theatre of Alphington Grammar (for 80-100 people). Dr. Hatzidimitriou will be speaking in English about “The Role of Eleftherios Venizelos in the Asia Minor Expedition and its Outcome” based in American sources. Historian Terry Stavridis will elaborate on Venizelos and the Asia Minor expedition from the British and Australian sources. Moderated by Professor Anastasios M. Tamis.
On Wednesday, 25 October 2023 at 6.30pm, Dr Hatzidimitriou will present a public lecture in Greek and English under the topic “Understanding Two Important Commemorations: America’s Involvement in the Greek Revolution of 1821 and the Smyrna Catastrophe of 1922,” at the Lyceum Theatre of Alphington Grammar inviting students of Year Level 10 and 11 of daily schools and Greek afternoon schools.
On Friday, 27 October at 6.30pm, Dr Hatzidimitriou will present a lecture at the Lyceum Theatre of Alphington Grammar under the topic “Who Destructed Christianity in Asia Minor?” for students and teachers and the broader public.
On Sunday, 29 October at 7pm, he will hold a public lecture, “Understanding Two Important Commemorations: America’s Involvement in the Greek Revolution of 1821 and the Smyrna Catastrophe of 1922,” at the hall of the Greek Community of Sydney and NSW in Lakemba, organised by the GOCNSW and the AHEPA.
On Monday, 30 October, at 6pm, there will be a seminar at the University of Sydney by the Department of Modern Greek Studies, speaking in English about “The Role of Eleftherios Venizelos in the Asia Minor Expedition and its Outcome,” organised by Professor Vrasidas Karalis and Dr Antonios Drakopoulos.
On Wednesday, 1 November, 7pm, there will be a public lecture, “Understanding Two Important Commemorations: America’s Involvement in the Greek Revolution of 1821 and the Smyrna Catastrophe of 1922,” at the Alexander theatre of the Hellenic Club in Canberra.
Who is Dr Constantine (Guas) Hatzidimitriou?
Constantine G. Hatzidimitriou holds a doctorate in Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek history from Columbia University. He was a Gennadius Fellow at the American School in Athens, and an Educational Counselor at the US. Consulate in Thessaloniki, where he also served as a professor at Anatolia College. Currently he is the managing editor of the American Journal of Contemporary Hellenic Issues and the Journal of Modern Hellenism–and a Research Associate at St. John’s University in NYC.
Dr Hatzidimitriou is also the author of three books: Navios: A Future Built Upon a Historical Tradition of Innovation and Excellence (2007); American Accounts Documenting the Destruction of Smyrna (2005) and Founded on Freedom and Virtue: Documents Illustrating the Impact in the United States of the Greek War of Independence (2002) in addition to many articles in scholarly journals in the fields of Byzantine and ModernGreek history and education. In 2022, his book on Smyrna was updated and published in Modern Greek. He is currently working on a new book on the American Philhellenes during the Greek Revolution, and another one on Central Greece during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.
