Athens Dialogues: An International Conference on Culture and Civilization

The Onassis Foundation presents the "Athens Dialogues", an international symposium on Hellenic civilization and its role in contemporary society, in collaboration with eight internationally-renowned academic institutions. Leading thinkers, academics, scientists and intellectuals from around the world meet in Athens for four days for a public discussion of issues (divided into six thematic sections) of universal ambit and significance, to present their views and to pioneer new approaches and solutions. The symposium’s interdisciplinary approach, the participation of important intellectuals and their fascinating and diachronic approach to the problems of our age make the “Athens Dialogues” a unique opportunity for the participants.

The “Athens Dialogues” largely mirror the approach the Onassis Stegi intends to take to Hellenic civilization in general, as a singularly diachronic civilization of absolute relevance to the present and receptive to multiple approaches. The “Dialogues” also embody the Onassis Stegi’s conceptual take on the symposium as a meeting of specialists designed to generate fruitful, lively dialogue, while highlighting technology and the Internet’s potential to facilitate and boost communication between participants.

Hellenic civilization laid the foundations of our universal humanistic heritage. According to Anthony S. Papadimitriou, the President of the Onassis Foundation: “The questions addressed over the centuries by great thinkers in Athens, Rome, Alexandria, Constantinople, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean where the Hellenic language and civilization were adopted are still integral to the fabric of contemporary thought. They weave through political, philosophical, artistic, scientific and cultural discourse throughout the world. The “Athens Dialogues” aim to explore the relevance of this ongoing legacy to the changes the world is experiencing today through the prism of Hellenic thought as this took shape down the ages, though without focusing exclusively on Hellenic culture or being restricted to Western thought”.

Sessions and Chairpersons

Identity and Difference

Dame Averil Cameron, Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History, Keble College, Oxford

Stories and Histories

Hans-Joachim Gehrke, President of the Deutches Archäologisches Institut
Johannes Koder, Professor and Director of the Institute for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies, University of Vienna, and Full Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

Logos and Art

Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature, Harvard University
Richard Martin, Antony and Isabelle Raubitschek Professor of Classics, Stanford University

Democracy and Politeia

Konstantinos Svolopoulos, Professor of Modern Greek History, President of the Academy of Athens
Anastasios-Ioannis Metaxas, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Director of the Political Communication Workshop, University of Athens

Science and Ethics

Athanassios Fokas, Chair in Nonlinear Mathematical Science at the University of Cambridge
Jacques Jouanna, Member of the Institut de France, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres

Quality of Life

Robert Harris, President of the Houston Advanced Research Center
Dimitri Nanopoulos, Mitchell/Heep Chair in High Energy Physics, Texas A&M University Centre

Credits

Chair of Committee
Dr George Babiniotis, Professor Honorary and Emeritus of Linguistics at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens
Academic co-ordinator (on behalf of the Onassis Stegi)
Dr Niki Tsironis, Senior Researcher, Institute for Byzantine Research
Partner Institutions
Academy of Athens, Accademia dei Lincei, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies, Institut de France, Oxford University, Stanford University