The “Summer University of our hearts” celebrates its ten years!

  The International Summer University “Greek Language, Culture, and Mass Media” celebrates its ten years in 2024. From the sunlit islands of Andros, Syros, Crete, Hydra, and Kastellorizo, and last year in the prisons of Avlona, our program this year will celebrate its ten years in Boston. We are ready for the transatlantic journey of the institution, which spreads its ideas with passion and dedication.

  In 2024, the program is organized by the Social Issues, Mass Media, and Education Studies Laboratory of the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Ioannina, in cooperation with the Maliotis Cultural Center of the Hellenic College Holy Cross in Boston and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA).

  The participations in this anniversary event are exceptional. Together with us, we will have:

• Ecumenical Patriarchate, Greek Education Department,
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Department of Greek Education,
• Boston University Philhellenes,
• The University of Chicago, Center for Hellenic Studies,
• Setor de Grego, Instituto de Letras, Rio De Janeiro University,
• Study in Greece,
• National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum,

as well as other U.S. universities and institutions that will be announced soon.

  The project is scheduled to take place in Boston from May 28 to June 2, 2024, at the Hall of Cultural Events of the Maliotis Cultural Center (campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross at 50 Goddard Avenue) in Brookline, with the exceptional help and support of Mrs. Chrysoula Kourkounti, Executive Director of the Maliotis Cultural Center. Charismatic Chrysoula Kourkounti offers very important services in promoting the Hellenic culture and the Greek language among the diaspora and we are truly happy to cooperate with her, in this anniversary transatlantic journey of the institution.

  The program will take place under the auspices of and is supported by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 The 10^th International Summer University will have the special title: Spreading and teaching the Greek language in the Greek diaspora in the U.S.A. The program is designed for undergraduate and graduate students, PhD graduates, educators, and it welcomes some professionals with relevant interests within the framework of lifelong learning. Hundreds of people, the leadership of the University of Ioannina, prominent academics from Greek and international institutions, intellectuals, journalists, writers and researchers, and also great entrepreneurs as fine sponsors, joined us and experienced with us the development and the upgrade of the initial vision. We extend our heartfelt thanks to this “army of our eminent” supporters, and we will be doing so for as long as the program exists. And it will continue to exist for as long as we work very hard for it, and for as long as young people join us with enthusiasm and seriousness, in order to further enhance it.

 Since its inception, the event has received support as a communication sponsor from ERT, ERT 2, ERT3, ERT WORLD, the First Program 105.8, the Voice of Greece, and the Parliament Channel. Additionally, ERTFLIX, the hybrid platform of the public television, also supports the program as a communication sponsor. Real FM, Real News, and real.gr, as well as CNN GREECE, are also communication sponsors. The diaspora media The National Herald, Greek Reporter.com, greeknewsusa.com also offer important communication sponsorship. The project is also supported by a series of other institutions, which will be announced soon.

 In this year’s television film, the prominent presenter Nikos Aliagas takes the lead. He has had a significant career in French television and has been honored with important awards both in France and Greece.   

 After 10 years of renowned success in organization, the ‘tradition’ of fostering extroversion and synergies with prominent international institutions in education, culture, and mass media continues. It is worth noting that the International Summer University “Greek language, culture, and mass media” has received support from esteemed institutions in the past. These institutions include the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Harvard University Center for Hellenic Studies, the Hellenic Representation of the European Parliament, the Association of European Journalists (Greek department), the Orthodox Academy of Crete, the French Department of the Club de la Presse Européenne in Paris, the Centre Culturel Hellénique in Paris, the Instituto De Letras in Rio De Janeiro University, the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts of Macquarie University, the Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation in Sydney, the Circle of Hellenic Academics in Boston, the Greek delegation of the international organization Cámara Internacional de Escritores & Artistas CIESART – Greece [International Chamber of Writers and Artists] in Barcelona, and more.

  During all these synergies and in support of them, there were people who believed in our work and encouraged us to continue. We are grateful to everyone and each one of them individually. We are working one full year to prepare a few days of summer study on Greek culture and language in modern Greek and international media.

 We would like to add here that the proceedings of previous years are published in exquisitely beautiful volumes from Gutenberg publications (Greek language, culture, and mass media) in Greece, and also in Brazil, as part of the journal Elliniko Vlemma, to which we offered the texts of two years as guest editors. In summer 2022, the proceedings of the 7^th International Summer University were published in Australia, in cooperation with the Modern Greek Studies Program of the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts of Macquarie University, and the Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation, in Sydney, Australia. And we are especially proud of this exceptional partnership.  The proceedings of Kastellorizo are published in 2023 in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.

  Furthermore, let us allow ourselves the maximum reference to the youth, especially to the online Alumni Association of the International Summer University, which, in 2023, successfully organized the 4^th ‘Mini Summer University,’ convincing us that this initiative will have a lasting and bright future. In 2024, the alumni association completes 5 years of dynamic operation and is preparing for the 5^th Mini Summer University. We have always believed that if we do not involve young people in beautiful things, these things will never become more beautiful. For this very reason, we announce and publish with them on a regular basis.

  Knowing the magnitude of the responsibility involved in organizing, we make every possible effort for the celebratory 10^th International Summer University in Boston to offer to our Greek diaspora and our students a beneficial and exciting experience, just as befits an academic endeavor of high standards. 

  2024 is a very important year for all of us. The “Summer University of our Heart” becomes ten years old! In this celebration, we will see you all; we extend a big invitation to all our students and co-travelers in this journey.

Because the little boat still has its sails open.

Until we meet soon!