Dr Andonis Piperoglou has been announced as the inaugural Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diasporas at the University of Melbourne; he will join the University in mid-July 2022.
The role, which sits in the Faculty of Arts, will coordinate and deliver teaching on aspects of Hellenic culture and engage with the wider public on the relevance of Hellenism and its contributions to contemporary understandings of multiculturism and the experience of diasporic communities.
Dr Piperoglou grew up on Ngunnawal country (Canberra) and has Cypriot and Castellorizian cultural heritage. He completed a PhD in History at La Trobe University (Melbourne), has lectured in History and Politics at the Australian Catholic University (Sydney), and was a Research Associate in History at Flinders University. He comes to the University of Melbourne with an impressive catalogue of publications that includes a forthcoming book Greek Migrant Settlers: Inclusion, Exclusion and Settler Colonialism 1890-1930 that will be published next year.
Professor Russell Goulbourne, Dean of Arts, said: “This position is supported by Australian Government funding of $2.5 million and I am delighted that Dr Piperoglou will be joining us in this pivotal role that will enable us to connect to diaspora communities in deeper ways than ever before. We are particularly pleased to be working with the Greek Community of Melbourne to build philanthropic support that ensures these activities thrive and make a difference both within and beyond the University.”
Mr Bill Papastergiadis OAM, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, said: “Education is a cornerstone of Greek culture, particularly for its diaspora, and this position is evidence of the importance and relevance of the Greek diaspora in both the past and future development of our multicultural cosmopolitan society.”
Upon accepting the appointment, Dr Piperoglou said: “As an historian who specialises in histories of Greek diasporisation in Australia, I’m really looking forward to starting in this role. In particular, I am very keen to engage with Melbourne-based Hellenic institutions in order to contribute to the promotion of Greek diasporic cultures through art, music and exhibitions.”