From the Point of View of College Students: What is a subject worth the attention of Greek American studies? (Immigrants, Greek Americans, and Historical Homeland Politics)

"An important topic I would like the academics to research is Greek Americans’ involvement and stand in politics and other important matters back at home in Greece. This topic is important to me because I have seen other groups of immigrants who although probably lived here so many years still keep updates on what goes on back in their homeland. Some even have protests and other supportive activities here in America to support and raise awareness about what goes on in their country such as Palestine. Every year there are protests that happenings in many different states to show how what happens in Palestine is very unjust and how they need help. Also, these types of activities bring together people of all kinds, not only different generations of immigrants but also people from other parts of the world, because at the end of the day everyone is fighting for human rights. So if the academics did a research on this topic, I would like to see if Greeks also do the same things as other American immigrants I’ve seen do. Some of the questions they should be asking in their research topic is what generation of immigrants are the participants, do they do a daily update on what goes on in Greece, how involved are they, do they send money back home to relatives that still live there, and to other people who might be in need. Does their stand on politics in Greece effect their stand on politics in America?

Questions for scholars: What made you become interested in research? How often do you participate in new research? Do you ever feel like this isn’t what you want to do anymore? Does information you find in your studies often change your perspective in life and the way you live? What is one of your most interesting research topics, and what made you decided to pursuit that research?"

College Students: What is a subject worth the attention of Greek American studies? (Psychology of Immigration)

One of the homework assignments in my Greek American class this semester (Spring 2021) was asking students the following: 

1) What is an important topic of personal significance to you that you would like scholars of Greek America to explore? Why is this topic important (to you, or the country, or Greek America)? What questions should they be asking in their research of this topic? 

 2) Ask these scholars a question of your own choice. Please be creative and insightful, devote some time thinking seriously the questions you will be asking. 

A topic I feel is an important one for research is the emotional toll immigrating to America as a Greek person can have on the mental health of Greek Americans. This topic is important to me because psychology is something I am very interested in, but the state of a person’s mental health also affects their daily life. There is a number of hardships associated with moving to a new country, especially when leaving behind family members is involved, and these hardships can easily take a toll on anyone's mental health. Some questions I feel would be of importance in this area are understanding what sorts of difficulties in the process of immigration have been most upsetting or stressful. Also, how these struggles may be impacting people's day to day lives, and if there is an outreach for help. The personal problems of singular Greek Americans are not talked about as much as the widespread issues, and I feel there should be more attention put towards the mental health of individual citizens. Individual questions could be about issues of current life in America, and how often they think about their problems with adjusting and how much of a stressor these worries are causing. 

One question I have regarding Greek America is how much of the Greek culture remains in Greek American families through second, third, fourth, etc. generations of Greek Americans. How much of the culture remains as families get farther away from the original immigration? We have learned in class that many families have become less and less traditional as time goes on and children are often much less traditional than their Greek parents. Along with this I would like to know how they perceive this straying away from tradition will affect Greek American culture in the United States. Will Greek culture remain a large part of American society, or as Greek Americans become more Americanized will this start to change?

Covid-19 and Poetry: C.P. Cavafy’s “Things Ended”

Early this January, mentally and physically exhausted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I turned to poetry for solace. This included the work of Constantinos Cavafy (1863-1933), the world-renowned poet of the Greek diaspora (he spent most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt). His poetry beckons me regularly.

What I was hoping to tap into this time was Cavafy’s didacticism; his tendency to offer lessons for life. I knew “Ithaca,” one of his most famous didactic poems, by heart. Was there a lesson somewhere in his oeuvre, no matter how oblique, for living amid a pandemic? I was curious.

It was early in his book of collected poems that I froze. Here it was, “Things Ended” (Τελειωμένα), or in another translation “Finished,” staring at me. Written in 1911, it directly spoke about our condition a century later. I kept reading, and rereading. I was transfixed. 

Engulfed by fear and suspicion, 

mind agitated, eyes alarmed, 

we try desperately to invent ways out, 

plan how to avoid 

the obvious danger that threatens us so terribly. 

Yet we’re mistaken, that’s not the danger ahead: 

the news was wrong 

(or we didn’t hear it, or didn’t get it right). 

Another disaster, one we never imagined, 

suddenly, violently, descends upon us, 

and finding us unprepared—

there’s no time now—

sweeps us away.

Read from the perspective of our experience under Covid-19, “Things Ended” feels dramatically prescient.

Cavafy’s unadorned, prose-like verse communicates this message clearly: it is impossible to accurately predict the danger that will haunt humanity next. We agonize over an anticipated crisis, but this is in vain; the real danger lies elsewhere. “Another disaster, one we never imagined, / suddenly, violently, descends upon us,” the poem warns us in no uncertain terms.

The poem makes this situation applicable to all humanity. The repeated use of the plural pronouns “us” and “we” makes the reader part of a shared predicament. We try to prepare ourselves for what we think threatens us, only to discover how mistaken we are in predicting the disaster that will be descending upon us. “The news was wrong /(or we didn’t hear it, or didn’t get it right). Another disaster, one we never imagined…” The conclusion is sober, we are all in it, there is no place to escape.

It is part of being human to worry over impending disasters. The first two stanzas communicate this state of being dramatically: The short lines are packed with words conveying deep distress––fear and suspicion, agitation and alarm.

This fright is exhausting and requires vast psychic resources, taking a huge mental and physical toll on us.

What are we to make of the main message in the poem? Are we condemned to perpetually miscalculate the nature of a future catastrophe? Are we to live fatalistically or under constant, conscious panic that a destruction impossible to predict is just around the corner? Are we to turn apathetic and let developments slap us to the ground?

There is indeterminacy in life, true. Humans are not omniscient and omnipresent. But it is this condition, after all, that drives human curiosity to know, to understand their world.

The poem, I believe, refrains from an all-consuming pessimism. It opens the space for an instructive lesson: “… that’s not the danger ahead: the news was wrong (or we didn’t hear it, or didn’t get it right).

Perhaps the poem is heeding that we should be more alert, more careful, more imaginative in attending to signs and warnings? Perhaps it implies that we should keep cultivating areas of human endeavor that we currently deem irrelevant in practical terms (say, poetry) but may prove vital for our psychic and physical survival in the future?

But didn’t we, at some level, already know? In the early 2000s, the “World Health Organization developed a global outbreak alert and response network shortly after the SARS outbreak.” This was almost twenty years ago. We knew about the deadly effects of the various strains of coronavirus and the ominous threat of a pandemic because of it.

But we did not hear the warning well, “for that was not the danger ahead, the news was wrong,” we thought?


Yiorgos Anagnostou
(published in the community magazine Greek Ethos, Spring 2021, 12)

College Students: What is a subject worth the attention of Greek American studies? (Growing up and Identity through the life cycle)

One of the homework assignments in my Greek American class this semester (Spring 2021) was the following: 

1) What is an important topic of personal significance to you that you would like scholars of Greek America to explore? Why is this topic important (to you, or the country, or Greek America)? What questions should they be asking in their research of this topic? 

2) Ask these scholars a question of your own choice. Please be creative and insightful, devote some time thinking seriously the questions you will be asking. 

This is an answer that asks researchers,"what makes them decide what to devote time and resources to what they research?" 

For me, the thing I would like to see most from those who study Greek American topics to ensure that they view Greek Americans as human beings, not just as objects to be studied. Many Greek Americans, myself included, are very proud to be Greek, and their Greekness plays a large part in their identity. However, we are more than just Greek, and I think it would do researchers good to keep that in mind. As for a specific topic I would like to see covered, I think the social dynamics in Greek Orthodox church communities in America would be an interesting one. Growing up in the church was one of the main ways I was taught my Greek culture. Especially now in modern times, the dynamic at play here is quite unique. Specifically looking at the youth, the parts of their childhood spent at the church are likely what will define their connection to the culture for the rest of their lives. 

I believe that the best way to understand Greek Americans is to understand how they grew up. I think some interesting questions to try and find answers to is what the youth think of their culture. Are they involved in culture related activities to please their parents, or because they genuinely enjoy them? Would they consider their primary social group to be their Greek friends or their American friends? Do they feel they fit in better at school or at church? These are just a few of the many questions that I think would have valid answers. Of course, it is not easy to interview small children, but i believe it would be possible to ask these questions of teenagers. Something that could be quite interesting is to interview these Greek Americans at a young ages, say 15, and then interview them again every 5 years if possible to see if their views on their culture change as they grow up. This is an important topic to me personally as in my experience I know my views on the culture has changed. When I was a kid, I detested Greek school and complained about it constantly. When my mom made me join Greek dance, I complained about having to spend an extra evening at the church. By the time I was fifteen I had graduated Greek School and found myself missing it, as my very best friends were made there. Greek dance practice was the highlight of my week, and I even found myself taking a leadership role in my troupe. Now, in college I chose to take more Greek language and culture classes, and have found that many of my Greek friends who go to different colleges are jealous that I have the opportunity to do so, despite having hated Greek school as much as I did as a child. This leads me to theorize that this is a common experience in the Greek American community, and yet there is no research to support it, which is why I would propose it as a topic of study for Greek American scholars. My question to these scholars would be what makes them decide what to devote time and resources to what they research?

Archival Material: Public Conversation about the Role of Greek American women (Description of a video)

SUPERWOMAN REVISITED: The Changing Roles of Greek American Women

"Today’s Greek American women face many of the same problems as other women in American society but they have the addition hardship of overcoming the stereotypical roles of Greek women This program examines the status and the changing roles of Gr American women, discusses their struggles and achievements, and looks at what the future holds for them. Our guests, Bar Spyridon-Pope - Ass’t Secretary of the Navy, authors Constance Callinicos and Eva Catafygiotu Topping, and former National Philoptochos President Dionisia Ferraro, come from diverse backgrounds and fields and make for an informative discussion (color) (English) (29 min.)"

Year circa late 1980s, early 1990s?

Description: Cited from the Wayne State University Library Catalogue

Students on their Greek American Research Interests (1)

 One of the homework assignments in my Greek American class this semester (Spring 2021) was the following:

1) What is an important topic of personal significance to you that you would like scholars of Greek America to explore? Why is this topic important (to you, or the country, or Greek America)? What questions should they be asking in their research of this topic?

2) Ask these scholars a question of your own choice. Please be creative and insightful, devote some time thinking seriously the questions you will be asking.

I am sharing one answer (more will follow):

One topic that is of personal significance to me that I would want Greek American scholars to research is how Greek Americans are contributing to the environment. Although Greek Americans are nowhere near a majority of the population in the United States, the ethnic group is large and impactful enough that this research would be important. The environment in general is a very important topic to me, as we only have one planet Earth and are currently destroying it. I have taken several classes throughout my academic career that has taught me about all of the different ways mankind has altered the natural state of our planet, and how we are abusing our natural resources that the environment provides and will soon run out of those resources. Greek Americans most likely contribute to this problem in positive and negative ways, and I would like to see research on just how the ethnic community is impacting the environment.

Some questions that researchers should ask the Greek American community includes: "Do you care about the environment?" "Do you recycle?" "Would you ever consider using reusable energy in your home (solar, wind, hydropower)?" "Do you know any environmental issues that are impacting your local community or surrounding areas?", "How often do you discuss the environment, in a casual, professional or academic situation?" "Are you aware of the lasting impacts that industrialization and globalization has on the global environment?" I believe that these six questions will give Greek American researchers a very good insight into how much the Greek American community knows and cares about environmental issues. One question that I would ask these hypothetical scholars is if they care about the environment and take steps to lighten their carbon footprint in their own lives?

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“My Aunt Bessie” by Elaine Thomopoulos

I read my newspaper, oblivious to what was happening around me. Suddenly a woman knocking on my car window made me jump. "Excuse me. I have to back up. Can you move your car so I can get out?" 

Had I seen a ghost? The woman looked like my Aunt Bessie, who had passed away many years ago. After I pulled out to make room for this woman to move her car, tears flooded my eyes. I remembered Aunt Bessie and missed her. Yes, this woman looked exactly like her. Her features were chiseled as if she were a Greek goddess. She had soft brown eyes and fine grey hair pulled back in a bun, showing her high and perfectly shaped forehead. The only thing that differed was that she did not have the high cheekbones that my Aunt Bessie had, cheekbones like a model's.

 Aunt Bessie is in the middle, with her two sisters, to the left Emily, to the right, Pauline.

Aunt Bessie was a quiet, dignified woman with a lot of energy and a heart of gold. She spoke in a soft velvet-sounding voice, putting you at ease with her gentle interest and concern. 

A child of immigrants growing up during the depression, married at 17, she faced life with strength and inner resolve. I got to know her best when she worked at my parents’ grocery store. She worked not only to help my mother (her sister) and her brother-in-law, but also to supplement the family income. Admired by her customers, she put her heart and soul into her work. A real treat for us when she stayed overnight at our home so she would not have to make the long commute back to her home. Our whole family loved and admired her so much. 

My thought went to Aunt Bessie's funeral, with family and friends paying tribute to this wonderful woman. The priest at the funeral spoke about her but instead of comforting me his flippant words made my heart ache, and my mouth feel like vinegar. He relegated her to the background by casting her in the traditional subservient Greek woman's role. He loftily related how she assisted her husband and three children in their accomplishments, not mentioning what she herself had accomplished. He did not bring out the qualities that made Aunt Bessie the person she was. I will always remember her for the person she was––a strong, vibrant woman whose memory lives on in my heart.

April 2021

Two examples of the "Growing Up Greek" Genre

I am really disappointed that the "Bridge" (https://bridge.fairead.net/bridge01) project never took off, despite the promising start. Its development was beyond my control. But let us not forget some important contributions featured in the site, including two in the "grow up Greek" genre. See the pieces by Zeese Papanikolas and George Karnezis:

https://bridge.fairead.net/papanikolas-hyphenated

https://bridge.fairead.net/karnezis-parthenon

Great material for teachers, researchers, and the broad public.

Writing for the Local Greek American Community_Manolis Anagnostakis’s «Επιτύμβιον» (Ethos Magazine, Fall 2020)

“I am not a professional poet,” Manolis Anagnostakis (1925-2005) declared in an interview. Poetry for him was a craft he practiced occasionally; one means of expression. Anagnostakis was also a publisher of a journal, an editor of prose and poetry collections, and a public writer and speaker. He published book reviews and translations, using his wide-ranging writing to speak about the social and political issues that confronted post–World War II Greece. 

“Epitaph” (Επιτύμβιον), the poem that I discuss here, belongs to the collection The Target (1969-1970), published during the Greek junta (1967-1974). I chose it as an example of the moral and political concerns that Anagnostakis brought to the forefront of his work, and also because it showcases his irony and prosaic style. 

Epitaph 

You died and you, too, became: the good one. 

The brilliant human being, the family man, the patriot. 

Thirty-six wreaths accompanied you, three homilies by vice presidents, 

Seven resolutions on the wonderful services that you have rendered. 

Ah, Lavrenti, only I knew what scum you were, What counterfeit, your whole life a lie. 

Sleep in peace, I will not disturb your serenity. 

(I, living a whole life of silence will pay a king's ransom for it, not the price of your sorry skin.) 

Sleep in peace. As you always were in life: the good, The brilliant human being, the family man, the patriot. 

                           You won’t be the first or the last. 

The choice of the title, Επιτύμβιον, in purist Greek (katharevousa) is not accidental. This register is connected with the official language used by the state and the elites until 1976, when it was abolished, and a contrast between public and private. 

Indeed, the title introduces us to the formal state event described in the first stanza: the state’s recognition of a deceased citizen. Accordingly, the language reads like a pompous official announcement. “Seven resolutions” affirmed the determination of the state to honor this individual. “Three homilies by vice presidents” extolled his virtues. 

In this formulaic farewell, the speaker of the poem directly addresses the deceased, allegedly concurring with the homilies. The deceased was brilliant, an esteemed citizen who embodied the virtues of two veneered institutions, the family and the nation. 

But the second stanza brings about a reversal. The speaker abandons the second-person “you” and instead turns to the confessional first person “I.” As the speaker moves away from the scene of public recognition into his own private thoughts and feelings, his language loses its formality and becomes every day, ordinary, and true. 

The speaker’s revelations paint a picture dramatically opposed to both the deceased’s public image and his opening becomes ironic. The deceased, Lavrentis, was not the honorable person the state ceremony wants him to be. In the eyes of the speaker, he was a scum, a counterfeit, unworthy of public honoring. 

Of course, Lavrentis stands as a symbol of the deceitful everyman. He “won’t be the first or the last.” The speaker doesn’t provide evidence to substantiate his indictment. This is not what interests him. Instead, it’s the revision of history. 

The speaker aims to expose ethical and political hypocrisy, to challenge the promotion of “ideal” social norms (patriotism, family values) for personal gain. He criticizes state officials who join in this game of deception, individuals and power structures who blatantly mislead the public. 

The poem’s sharp irony exposes what the speaker sees as hypocrisy, alerting citizens to show vigilance about the truth of official public memories. Let us attend, the poem instructs, to the knowledge that is at odds with official accounts, to the valuable counter-memories to the statements enshrined in an Επιτύμβιον. 

 

Yiorgos Anagnostou, Director, Modern Greek Program, OSU

Note: Translation of poem into English by Neni Panourgia.

Ενδυναμώνοντας τις σπουδές διασποράς ανά τον κόσμο ως γέφυρα αυτογνωσίας και αλληλοκατανόησης

(Ομιλία στην ημερίδα, “Ενδυναμώνοντας τις γέφυρες μεταξύ των Ελληνικών Πανεπιστημίων και της Ελληνικής Διασποράς”, το οποίο διοργανώθηκε από το Υπουργείο παιδειας και Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών [Ιανουάριος 21, 2021]).

Θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω την Ελληνική πολιτεία γι αυτήν την σημαντική πρωτοβουλία και πρόσκληση να συμμετάσχω στην σημερινή εκδήλωση σας. Είμαι ο Γιώργος Αναγνώστου και είμαι κάτοχος της νεοσυσταθείσας έδρας «Μιλτιάδης Μαρινάκης» για την Ελληνική γλώσσα και κουλτούρα στο Πολιτειακό Πανεπιστημίου του Οχάιο των ΗΠΑ. 

Θα ήθελα να σταθώ σε έναν σημαντικό όρο στον τίτλο αυτής της συνεδρίας, στην έννοια της «γέφυρας» και της σημασίας της για την σχέση των Ελλήνων επιστημόνων της διασποράς με τα Ελληνικά πανεπιστήμια καθώς και την Ελληνική κοινωνία. 

Η γέφυρα είναι ένα ζωτικό σύμβολο που προσφέρεται για σκέψεις και δράσεις επικοινωνίας, δημιουργίας συνδέσμων, διάβασης, συνάντησης, και αλληλοκατανόησης. 

Ως πανεπιστημιακός σε Πρόγραμμα Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών στην Αμερική αποτελεί ευθύνη μου εξ ορισμού να δημιουργώ γέφυρες σε πολλαπλά επίπεδα. Γέφυρες με τους φοιτητές μας, γέφυρες ως μέρος της διασποράς στις ΗΠΑ με την τοπική κοινότητα, γέφυρες πίσω με την Ελλάδα, γέφυρες με τον πολιτισμό και τις τέχνες, και την εκπαίδευση. 

Στο Πρόγραμμά μας επιτελούμε αυτές τις λειτουργίες μέσω της διδασκαλίας, της έρευνας, και του ρόλου μας ως διανοούμενοι που απευθύνονται στον κόσμο εκτός του πανεπιστημίου. 

Η διδασκαλία λειτουργεί πολυδιάστατα. Συνδέουμε τους Ελληνοαμερικανούς φοιτητές μας με τις ρίζες τους, και συντελούμε στην κατανόηση του νεοελληνικού πολιτισμού από τους Αμερικανούς φοιτητές μας. Καταπολεμούμε στερεότυπα. Μέσω θερινών εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων που γίνονται στην Ελλάδα και συγκεκριμένα το Πρόγραμμα ΘΥΕΣΠΑ του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών συνδέουμε τους φοιτητές μας με τα Ελληνικά πανεπιστήμια και βιωματικά με τη χώρα μας. 

Αυτά τα προγράμματα λειτουργούν καταλυτικά για τους φοιτητές μας καθώς τους εισαγάγουν σε γνώσεις και εμπειρίες του Ελληνικού πέρα από τις προσωπικές και τις οικογενειακές τους εμπειρίες. Πολλοί φοιτητές περιγράφουν αυτό το άνοιγμα των οριζόντων τους ως μια ριζική πολιτιστική μεταμόρφωση στην σχέση τους με την Ελληνική γλώσσα και κουλτούρα. 

Όσον αφορά την έρευνα, σας απευθύνομαι ως ένας πανεπιστημιακός που έχω αφιερώσει σχεδόν τρεις δεκαετίες στην κατανόηση της Ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινωνίας. Θεωρώ ότι η λειτουργία μου απαιτεί δράσεις πέρα από την ερευνητική καταξίωση στον πανεπιστημιακό χώρο της Αμερικής (ο οποίος και είναι εξαιρετικά απαιτητικός). Ως πολίτης της διασποράς κρίνω απαραίτητη την επικοινωνία της έρευνας μου τόσο με το ευρύτερο Αμερικανικό, Ελληνοαμερικανικό και Ελληνικό κοινό. 

Σε αυτό το εγχείρημα έχω βρει θετική ανταπόκριση από εφημερίδες και περιοδικά στην Ελλάδα όπως το ΒΗΜΑ, τα ΝΕΑ, ο Πολίτης, The Books’ Journal, Marginalia, τα Σύγχρονα Θέματα και άλλα. Επενδύω σε αυτόν τον τομέα ώστε η έρευνα μου να συμβάλλει σαν γέφυρα κατανόησης μεταξύ του Ελληνικού κοινού και των Ελληνοαμερικανών.

Όσον αφορά την σχέση μου με τον χώρο του Ελληνικού Πανεπιστημίου έχω βρει πρόσφορο έδαφος στο Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο, κυρίως στο τμήμα Μουσειολογίας μέσω του Προγράμματος υποτροφιών της Ελληνικής διασποράς του ιδρύματος Νιάρχου. Ο στόχος ήταν και παραμένει η ανταλλαγή δεξιοτήτων για την δημιουργία ενός μουσείου Ελληνικής διασποράς και μετανάστευσης στην Θεσσαλονίκη. Επίσης τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια συνεργάζομαι με δύο συναδέλφους, επίσης από το Αριστοτέλειο, με σκοπό την επιμέλεια ενός βιβλίου που συγκρίνει την Ελληνοαμερικανική με την Ιταλοαμερικανική εμπειρία. 

Σε αυτό το φόρουμ, σε αυτήν εδώ την γέφυρα επικοινωνίας πού δημιουργήσατε, θα ήθελα να μεταφέρω τα εξής. Πρώτον είναι απαραίτητη η ενδυνάμωση υπαρχόντων και η δημιουργία νέων κέντρων έρευνας της Ελληνικής διασποράς. Εννοώ τις νέες, υπάρχουσες καθώς και υπό διαμόρφωση διασπορές· όχι τις χαμένες πατρίδες. 

Συχνά αναφερόμαστε και εκφράζουμε υπερηφάνεια για τον παγκόσμιο Ελληνισμό αλλά οφείλουμε να αναρωτηθούμε κατά πόσο τον γνωρίζουμε. Υπάρχουν τεράστια κενά στην κατανόησή της έννοιας που αποκαλούμε «παγκόσμιος Ελληνισμός», που αποτελεί μια πολυδιάστατη και πολύπλοκη κοινωνική πραγματικότητα την οποία οφείλουμε να κατανοήσουμε υπεύθυνα μέσω συστηματικής έρευνας και ανταλλαγή καινοτόμων ιδεών. 

Θα ήθελα να τονίσω την αναγκαιότητα των καινοτόμων ιδεών ώστε επιτέλους τα προχωρήσουμε πέρα από κοινοτοπίες και ιδεολογικές απλουστεύσεις. 

Επίσης το θεωρώ χρέος, όπως ανέφερα, να επικοινωνήσουμε αυτήν την γνώση εύληπτα στο ευρύτερο κοινό. Η υπεύθυνη γνώση μας της Διασποράς αποτελεί δημόσιο αγαθό, πηγή αυτογνωσίας και σχεδιασμού πολιτιστικής πολιτικής. 

Δεύτερον, όπως γνωρίζουμε, οι γέφυρες απαιτούν σημαντικούς πόρους, δεξιότητες και σκληρή εργασία όχι μόνο για την δημιουργία τους αλλά και την συντήρησή τους. 

Ως Έλληνες και πανεπιστημιακοί της διασποράς γνωρίζουμε από πρώτο χέρι την τεράστια ενέργεια που απαιτεί η διατήρηση και ανάπτυξη επικοινωνίας και με το Ελληνικό κοινό και με τα Ελληνικά πανεπιστήμια. Υπάρχει ένα όραμα στις γέφυρες που δημιουργούμε και επιθυμούμε περαιτέρω να αναπτύξουμε. Ο τρόπος με τον οποίο η διεθνική κοινότητα των επιστημόνων με την υποστήριξη των θεσμών θα μπορούσαν να συμβάλλουν σε αυτό το πρότζεκτ χρήζει διαλόγου και αξίζει ως πολιτιστική επένδυση. 

Σας ευχαριστώ. 

Γιώργος Αναγνώστου