In May 2009, the Hellenic Studies Program organized a two-day international conference entitled “The Challenge of Reform in Greece, 1974-2009: Assessment and Prospects.” Focusing on the state of Greek reforms in the economy, society and polity, scholars from the fields of Political Science, History and Sociology addressed the frequency of such reforms, their efficacy, as well as their belatedness in relation to other European Union members. Despite constant lip-service to reform in the public discourse, and several actual waves of reform since 1974, there has been very little produced by way of systematic scholarly assessment of Greece’s reform experience over the last 35 years. The conference addressed the dearth of scholarly scrutiny and provided a platform for more than twenty scholars and prominent policy makers to discuss the Greek reform experience and assess its prospects across most sectors of socioeconomic life. The conference advanced the empirical and theoretical understanding of the Greek reform experience and was a collaboration between Professor Stathis Kalyvas, Yale University, Professor George Pagoulatos, Athens University of Economics and Business, and Professor Haridimos Tsoukas, ALBA Graduate Business School & University of Warwick, UK.
The Program inaugurated its fall events with a series of lectures and films entitled “Modernizing: Political, Social, and Cultural Change in Greece after 1974. A speaker series based on Nicos Perakis’ films.” Nicos Perakis’ films address and record the wider transformation of Greek society in such areas as ideology, media culture, gender relations, party politics, economic policy, and social unrest.
The 2008-09 annual Stavros Niarchos Lecture featured Greek politician Stefanos Manos, who delivered a speech entitled “A Strategy for Greece.” During his visit, Mr. Manos had the opportunity to discuss current developments in Greece with the Program faculty and Greek students. In spring 2010, the Program is looking forward to its next Stavros Niarchos Lecture with speaker Daniel Mendelsohn who will talk on the poetry of C. P. Cavafy and read from him new celebrated translation.
In February, the Program will be co-hosting a private screening at the Museum of Modern Art featuring the work of Greek-American avant-garde director Gregory Markopoulos.