Program of the 11th International Summer University in Boston announced

Journalists from more than 50 media outlets in Greece and the Greek diaspora, university researchers from 25 universities from around the world and leading artists and intellectuals will be present at the 11th International Summer University “Greek Language, Culture and Media” from May 24-29 at the Maliotis Cultural Center of Holy Cross in Boston.

This year’s event bears the special title: ” Diaspora mass media: Challenges and prospects for the Greek language and culture “. The program, which will be offered free of charge, will focus on the expatriate media and their contribution to the dissemination of the Greek language and culture, and is set to evolve into a global expatriate media forum, as owners, directors and representatives of newspapers, broadcasters, news websites from Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia will participate.

The International Summer University will also host an exhibition of sketches by 3 distinguished Greek cartoonists, Elias Makris, Andreas Petroulakis, Stathis Stavropoulos, a Greek “convoy” that will start from the University of Ioannina and will cross the Atlantic to address the diaspora.

The programme will be presented at a special event at the Benaki Museum in Athens, on Tuesday 29 April at 7 pm. In addition, a volume of the proceedings of last year’s event for the dissemination of the Greek linguistic heritage in the Diaspora is being published by “Kappa Ekdotiki”.

This collective publication will be presented at the Benaki Museum, as well as at one of the largest museums in the United States, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, with the collaboration of the Behrakis Wing, which includes immersive performances of ancient Greek temple. Details:

The organisers

The 11^th International Summer University is organized by the Laboratory for the Study of Social Issues, Media and Education, Department of Early Childhood Education, School of Education, University of Ioannina and the Maliotis Cultural Center of Hellenic College Holy Cross, Boston and with the participation of the Department of Hellenic Education of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Greek Applied Linguistics Association, the Athens and Macedonian News Agency, Study in Greece, the Center for Hellenic Studies at the University of Chicago, Fondazione Vexillum and the Hellenic Association of Political Scientists. It will take place at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Brookline and will be implemented through the Center for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning of the University of Ioannina.

Under the auspices of the Hellenic Parliament & with the support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad & Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The International Summer University “Hellenic Language, Culture and Media” is under the auspices of the Hellenic Parliament, as well as under the auspices and with the support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Mrs. Myra Myrogianni, will participate with a speech. The programme has been included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ strategic plan for Hellenism Abroad (2024-2027). Kasimatis, Vice-Chairman of the Committee, and Stylianos Petsas.

The presence of Deputy Secretary of State of the United States and the Archbishop of America

According to information, on Thursday, May 29, the International Summer University will be attended by Michael Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, who holds a master’s degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration of Harvard University and Boston University. Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop of America, will also deliver a speech.

Scientific participants from Africa, Australia, Argentina, Argentina, China

The participation of academics, researchers and PhD students from dozens of universities around the world is impressive. From Europe, PhDs and researchers from the Universities of Paul Valéry-Montpellier III (France), Aix-Marseille (AMU-CNRS) (France), Cambridge (UK), Florence (Italy), Cyprus (Cyprus), Frederick (Cyprus).  From America, entries come from Harvard University, University of Chicago, Hellenic College Holy Cross, Brown, Boston University. In addition, academics from the University of New South Wales in Australia, An Hui University in China and Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia are participating. From Greece, participants come from the Universities of Ioannina, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Harokopio University, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, National Technical University of Athens, Democritus University of Thrace, University of Thessaly, University of Piraeus, University of Peloponnese, Hellenic Open University, Panteion University. Especially from the University of Ioannina, many academics will participate with the delegation headed by the Rector, Professor Anna Batistatou.

Global Forum of Diaspora Media

The event is supported by ERT, ERT 2, ERT 3, ERT WORLD, the First Programme 105,8 and the Voice of Greece, as well as the Parliament Channel. Communication sponsors are also Real FM, Real News, and real.gr, as well as ATHENS VOICE and CNN GREECE. The Greek Service of Deutsche Welle is participating as a communication sponsor.

The following media outlets are also participating as communication sponsors: the Orthodox Observer News, the National Herald in the USA, Hellenic News of America, Greek News Usa, Cosmos Philly. Greek – American News from Philadelphia, The Panhellenic Post, the daily national publication Greek Herald and the newspaper Neos Kosmos from Australia, the Greek Public Radio of New York COSMOS FM, H W Media Group from Austria (homogeneous websites https://hephaestuswien.com /, https://pyramisnews.gr and the Greek-language radio in Austria, Hephaestus Radio ). Pyramis News is addressed to the homogeneity of Africa and the Arab States.

Communication sponsors are also the following expatriate media: Kallimera Massalia in France, WNTN Radio-1550 AM/Grecian Echoes in Boston, Hellenic Radio from Bedfordview, Johannesburg, the South African expatriate radio station “New Panhellenic Voice”, the newspaper “Eleftheria” London, 2mm Radio, Sydney, Darwin, Wollongong, the website “Echoes” Central and South Africa, NEWSVILLE in Belgium etc.

In addition, BCI MEDIA GROUP (Broadcast Canadian & International TV – Radio Network and Telecommunication) is participating in the 11th International Summer University from Canada, specifically with the global digital television NETV Toronto and NETV Europe, the news platform BCI 24 Nes Network and the subscription digital platform GoSMART TV PLUS.

From Egypt, the “Alexandrian Postman” – Branch of the Greek Community of Alexandria and the “Lighthouse of the Greek Community of Alexandria” and the Greek community of Cairo which publishes the newspaper “Neo Phos” are participating.

The Greek Diaspora of France – Diaspora grecque en France also participates. Newer participants added to the programme are Active News Uk (UK), e-enimerosi (Germany), Balkan Radio Strimonika (Sofia, Bulgaria), Radio SDW (Sofia), “Satellite Munich” (Germany).  In addition, the president of the Greek Cultural Organization Nostos of Argentina, with collaborations in the radio stations Argentina and Splendid, as well as in internet television on the Latin American channel TV Mundo Digital, is also involved. Communication sponsors are also the Association of Greek Press Correspondents Abroad, Europolitis – The Greek Newspaper in Europe – DIE GRIECHISCHE ZEITUNG IN EUROPA in Germany, NGTV – New Greek Television in New York and Greek City Times. Added is the Panhellenic Federation of Florida with the show “Panhellenic news” on the American Tan Talk Radio.

Roundtables, visits to Consulates, MFA, Harvard

The programme includes round tables with journalists from the expatriate media (per continent) and from many Greek media, keynote speeches, workshops, a special session with young researchers, as well as a round table on Greek excellence and medical achievements. The cultural programme is also important, including the cartoon exhibition, the participation of the Brussels Greek Choir, a visit to the iconic campus of Harvard University, a reception hosted by the Consulate General of Greece in Boston and a tour of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Bechrakis Wing, courtesy of Mr. Drake Bechrakis, where the volume of the proceedings of the 10th International Summer University will be presented, in the presence of Mons. Archbishop of America Mr. Elpidoforos and the Rector of the University of Ioannina, Professor Anna Batistatou.

Yannis Bezos in the TV spot

The 2025 programme is also promoted through television and radio advertising in Greece and in the Greek and Greek-speaking broadcast media, with the actor and director Mr.Yannis Bezos as the protagonist. The production was undertaken by the film production company Production House, with the directorial supervision of Mr. Panos Manolitsis and his team. The spot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852poHqAWkw

The official presentation at the Benaki Museum

The official presentation of the Boston programme will take place on Tuesday 29 April 2025 at 7 p.m. at the Benaki Museum Hall (Vassilissis Sofias and Koumbari). The event will be addressed by Mr. Ioannis Iosif Plakiotakis, First Vice President of the House of Parliament, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop of America (video greeting), Mrs. Myra Myrogianni, Secretary General of Hellenism & Expatriate Hellenism Public Diplomacy, Mr. Harris Doukas, Mayor of Athens, Mrs. Antonia Moropoulou, Professor Emeritus of Polytechnic University, Member of the Board of the University of Ioannina, Vice President of the Technical Chamber of Greece and Mrs. Katerina Nafplioti Panagopoulou, Ambassador Extraordinary, former Ambassador of Greece to the Council of Europe, President of “Kallipateira”.

Speakers will be Prokopios Pavlopoulos, former President of the Republic, Academician, Honorary Professor of the Law School of the University of Athens, Anna Batistatou, Rector of the University of Ioannina, Yannis Bezos, actor, director, as well as the editors of the proceedings, Mrs. N. Tsitsanoudis Mallidis, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Education of the University of Ioannina, Director of the International Summer University, N. Mathioudakis, Postdoctoral Researcher of the Democritus University of Thrace, member of the SEP of the EAP. Mr. Nikos Trivoulides, Director of Resources & Development of the Benaki Museum, will give the welcome remarks. During the event there will be an award ceremony for Mr. Chrysoula Kourkounti, Executive Director of the Maliotis Cultural Center and Mr. George M. Cantonis, ex-President of Hellenic College Holy Cross, who will travel from America to Greece especially for the event. This will be followed by a musical tribute in the context of the year Mikis Theodorakis by Mrs. Anna Bithikotsis and Mr. Sotiris Doganis. The event will be coordinated by the journalist and director of “Cultural Tetradia” Mr. Kostas Laskaratos.

Project director

Founder and Scientific Coordinator of the Programme is the Professor of Linguistics and Greek Language of the Department of Early Childhood Education of the University of Ioannina, Nikoletta Tsitsanoudis – Mallidis, Dean of the School of Education of the University of Ioannina. The organizing director of the Boston program is the Executive Director of the Maliotis Cultural Center of Hellenic College Holy Cross, Mrs. Chrysoula Kourkounti.

Information: https://summerschool.ac.uoi.gr