Charles Darwin University’s new head of Greek studies says he will focus on strengthening postgraduate programs and community engagement in his newly created position.
Head of Greek Studies Associate Professor George Frazis has worked in tertiary education for more than three decades and helped pioneer Greek studies units at CDU in 2003 through Flinders University.
“Learning a foreign language is so important because not only do you learn a new language but also the culture, values and history that go along with it,” Dr Frazis said.
“I am very proud and happy to now be part of both this community and the CDU community.”
The Greek-born academic has had a longstanding connection with Darwin since his father migrated there from Greece in 1963.
He said his first priority in the position was to establish new relationships with interstate and overseas universities to enhance CDU’s language units through resource sharing and teaching collaborations.
Dr Frazis is also the coordinator of CDU’s successful and well-supported Greek in-country language and culture program and each year accompanies students to Greece for a three-week intensive course.
He completed a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Adelaide in 1987 and then a Master of Arts at Flinders University in 1995. Dr Frazis also completed a PhD in 1999 on the 20th century Greek writer, Pandelis Prevelakis.
The new position has received strong community support and financial backing from the Friends of Greek Language and Culture, the Guardians of Greek Language and Culture and the CDU Foundation.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Faculty of Law, Education, Business and Arts Professor Giselle Byrnes has acknowledged the generous support of the local Greek community and long-standing supporters of CDU.
