Giorgos Kotsiras, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, has penned a letter urging a reconsideration of Macquarie University’s possible decision to discontinue the Modern Greek Studies Program. The university’s recent announcement of its intention to end the program in 2024 dealt a significant blow to the efforts to sustain Modern Greek studies at the university level in Australia.
Earlier this month, the head of the Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation informed Neos Kosmos about ongoing efforts to preserve the Modern Greek Studies Program.
The foundation successfully prevented the program from being downgraded to a minor after it was initially reduced from a major.
The Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation is currently contemplating the discontinuation of several languages, including Modern Greek, as part of a transition from Languages and Cultures to the establishment of a Discipline of Global Studies.
In his letter, Kotsiras emphasises that “Greek state authorities actively support the efforts of Greek-Australian community organisations to sustain the program.”
This follows a letter from John Chrysoulakis, Greece’s Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, expressing strong support for Macquarie University’s Modern Greek Studies Program.
Kotsiras advocates against the discontinuation, stressing “the importance of preserving the Greek language and safeguarding the cultural heritage of Hellenism in Australia.”
He further highlights the “contribution of Greek-language education to multicultural Australia” and commends “the constructive role of Macquarie University’s Modern Greek Studies program in strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties between the two nations.”
Simultaneously, members of the university’s Greek Association (MUGA) have launched an online petition supporting the preservation of Modern Greek studies, gathering over 2,000 signatures to date.
Anyone who wishes to support the petition can do so by signing via: chng.it/xFrjHM4fpz
