The Modern Greek program for Griffith University is set to get the green light after discussions were held last year between the university Professor Michael Tsianikas, head of the Modern Greek program at Flinders University.
The program, due to commence in 2014, has the full support of the Greek Community in Queensland, with the Honorary Consul of Greece in Queensland, Jim Raptis, promising six scholarships for students of Griffith University who choose to study Modern Greek. The online Modern Greek program will be established and delivered by the Flinders University Greek program, with Griffith University to sign a Memorandum of Understanding early this year.
“Griffith University and the Greek community in Queensland have for many years – more than 15 – been trying to establish a program,” Professor Tsianikas told Neos Kosmos.
The difficulties of creating such a program in the past, he says, were due to low enrolment numbers and a lack of quality staff to deliver this program and, most importantly, conduct high quality research and active participation in the University’s administration.
Professor Tsianikas has been trying since 1995 to establish this style of programs for universities in Darwin and Perth as well, having worked closely with Brisbane-based Professor Con Castan, who sadly passed away last year.
A full Modern Greek Program has been established since 2003 at Charles Darwin University (CDU) through Flinders University, and both institutions recently renewed the Memorandum of Understanding for the program to be delivered at CDU to the end of 2018.
“At the time, online [study] was not available, and we were thinking of employing a part-time teacher [in Queensland],” Professor Tsianikas says. He also credits Professor Castan’s wife ,Voula, Mr Raptis’ wife, Helen, and local priest Father Dimitrios for their tireless efforts and enthusiastic approach to seeing this program get off the ground.
“It’s a critical time for Greek language in Australia,” Professor Tsianikas adds.
“The community needs to embrace new ideas and new technology, and be proactive [in delivering] solutions for Modern Greek [studies].
“Everything we are doing should be carefully planned and discussed, otherwise the enthusiasm of any temporary solution could become a boomerang in the end and undermine all existing programs.
“In the current environment, all university programs are facing huge challenges – this is even more challenging for [programs with small enrolment numbers], like Modern Greek,” he says.
“It’s time for Australia to deliver national and international solutions, and [for] the government to embrace these new kinds of strategies – otherwise Modern Greek will disappear from tertiary education.”