The University of California, Los Angeles has announced the official launch of its Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture.
The Center will be a hub for teaching and research in anthropology, archaeology, art history, classics, digital humanities, Greek, history and philosophy, and will actively seek to engage the public in its work.
A $5 million foundational grant from the SNF in October 2017 sparked an additional $4 million in donations, including from dozens of members of the Greek-American community.
“Hellenic studies draws its dynamism not only from the rich history of Greece, but also from the fact that its subject is living, breathing and global,” said Stelios Vassilakis, Head of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at SNF. “This is reflected in the incredible show of support from members of the Greek-American community whose donations made the creation of the Center possible. The SNF is proud to have been able to contribute to this launch and we look forward to seeing all that the Center will continue to offer to the field, Greek diaspora communities and the general public.
The SNF has made the creation and expansion of Hellenic studies programs at a number of academic institutions outside of Greece an important priority at a time when the field as a whole is facing diminishing resources . In Canada, the Foundation has supported the SNF Center for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University and McGill University for Modern Greek Studies; in Türkiye, the SNF Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies at Koç University; in the UK, late antique and Byzantine studies at Oxford University; and in the United States, the Hellenic Studies program at Yale University and Byzantine Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
The UCLA Center establishes direct connections with Greece, partnering with the Benaki Museum to develop programming for the Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor House in Kardamyli, which was recently restored with the main support of the SNF.
Dr. Sharon Gerstel, director of the UCLA center, noted: “Our work will ensure that the rich history and cultural heritage of Greece – from its beginnings to the modern era – will be studied, discussed and presented for generations to come, not only to the academic community, but also to the general public .»
