Strategies for public scholarship, Staellinika's new Greek mythology course, spring convocation and more!

If you happen to wish you were admiring the sweet smell of honeysuckle while wandering through the streets of Athens, taking notes at the Benaki Museum or in Τhessaloniki’s Ano Poli gazing at the remains of an empire dating back to the 4th century, know you’re not alone. The good news? Though we can’t yet travel, it’s exciting to hear that we are turning a corner with the announcement of SFU’s return to campus plan. Our staff continue to work remotely for the time being, but if anything changes, we promise you will be the first to know! We hope you enjoy this month's digest!

Edtech Awards 2021 finalist Staellinika launches Greek mythology course for children

On May 25th, we announced the launch of Staellinika’s highly anticipated Greek mythology course for children alongside our partners, the General Secretariat for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, and with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

Designed for children aged 8 years and older, this eight-module course invites young learners to uncover the adventures of some of Greece’s most beloved heroes and villains including Hercules, Icarus, Daedalus, Perseus, and Medusa, amongst others. We also shared the exciting news that Staellinika was named a finalist in this year’s EdTech Awards in the Language Learning Solution category!

New journal article references Greece to redefine the study of special operations

A recently published article from assistant professor and SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies member, James Horncastle (SFU), and assistant professor Jack Adam MacLennan (Park University) pulls examples from Greece to argue that a new definition of special operations is required to study the field more accurately and to reliably predict the application of these forces in the future. 

Fall 2021 SNF internship in Greece

Undergraduate students at SFU can still apply for a life-changing experience in Greece interning with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), one of the world's leading private, international philanthropic organizations, this fall!

Applications will be accepted until July 1, 2021. Learn how to apply.

Spring convocation

It’s time to celebrate! Graduating class of 2021, the determination and resilience you have demonstrated over the past year has impressed us all and we look forward to celebrating your achievement! We are especially proud of the students graduating with their Certificate in Hellenic Studies—congratulations Colton Chandra, Emma Henderson and Zachary Romeo!

A reminder that SNF Co-President, Andreas Dracopoulos, will receive an honorary degree from SFU during the June 24th convocation ceremony!

Learn more about convocation!

Engagement strategies for public scholarship with Peopling the Past

This coming Monday, on June 7th at 11 AM PT, the founders of Peopling the Past, a digital humanities initiative, will ask graduate students and early career researchers to critically examine how they might adapt their own research to engage with communities beyond academia during a two-part workshop hosted by the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies.

Peopling the Past produces and hosts free, open-access resources for teaching and learning about real people in the ancient Mediterranean world. One of the founders of the initiative is our very own faculty member, assistant professor and holder of the Hellenic Studies Professorship in Aegean and Mediterreanean Societies and Cultures, Sabrina Higgins! The first hour is open to the public and the second hour is dedicated to graduate students! 

Register now!

Rhetoric in the army camp: Dialogue, debate, and politics in a soldier's world

On June 8th at 9 PM PT, professor and SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies Director, Dimitris Krallis, will present a talk on what could be described as a military family—a genos stratiotikon, and examines the ways in which it was eminently political in its operations. Attend this virtual lecture to gain a better understanding of the nature of politics in the Medieval Roman polity. The event will be hosted by Sun Yat-sen University.

No registration required! Simply enter the Zoom meeting when it's time to start:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://sfu.zoom.us/j/68505477230?pwd=bVU0anVUblM1dGdINm5BODFpcmRwUT09

Meeting ID: 685 0547 7230

Password: 042186

Blueprints of power: The book of ceremonies and politics in tenth and eleventh century Byzantium

The following week, on June 15th at 9 PM PT, Sun Yat-sen University will host another member of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies, MA student Tiffany VanWinkoop!  Tiffany will deliver her paper on the ways in which the ritualized ceremonial calendar may have facilitated a political dialogue between the emperor and his subjects through the example of Michael V’s (c. 1015-1042) failed attempt to sideline Empress Zoe. Tiffany will argue that Michael may have logically utilized ceremonies as a means for the consolidation of his power by way of political alliances and through the ceremonially based propagation of a new imperial image.

No registration required! Simply enter the Zoom meeting when it's time to start:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://sfu.zoom.us/j/67038521492?pwd=cVh5Znp6ZlM3WkJNbFg3aXdlN2NTUT09

Meeting ID: 670 3852 1492

Password: 562917

COVID-19 news and resources

For more information and updates regarding COVID-19 and SFU operations please see SFU's return to campus plan. 

Latest updates

Keep an eye on our newsroom for the latest and be sure to follow us on social media or subscribe to our email list so you never miss an update!

For more information about the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies and its programs, please visit our Media page. Enjoy these updates? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest information on Centre news and events, delivered straight to your inbox!