INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL, BYZANTINE AND MODERN GREEK STUDIES OF IVANE JAVAKHISHVILI TBILISI STATE  UNIVERSITY

• History of the Establishment of the Institute

The Institute of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies was founded in 1997 through the unification of already existing educational and research structural units in Greek and Roman Philology. It is located in TSU’s 8th building. Since its foundation and activities, the Institute has been fortunate to have the support of the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Georgia; the Ministry of Culture of the Hellenic Republic; the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs of the Hellenic Republic; the Hellenic Culture Foundation; the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and the J. F. Costopoulos Foundation.

Support from the following bodies also contributed greatly to the implementation of the educational and research programmes of the Institute: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic; the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad; the National Foundation for Reception and Resettlement of Repatriated Greeks; Kostas and Eleni Urani Foundation; the Foundation Dionysios Varelas; Ministries and Foundations of Cyprus; the Administrationof Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the Faculty of Humanities, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia; the Reserve Fund of the President of Georgia; LEPL Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation; LEPL National Book Centre of Georgia and others.

The Institute functions within the framework of the TSU Faculty of Humanities. It is widely supported by Georgian and Greek Go- vernments and different educational and research centres of both countries. In 1997-2018 the Institute was visited by Presidents of Greece and Georgia, including Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, Eduard Shevardnadze, Giorgi Margvelashvili, as well as by the Prime Minister of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis, and by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II.

The Institute was founded by the renowned Georgian scholar and public figure, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of Saxony and Member of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia, Professor Rismag Gordeziani.

In 1997 the Institute was made up of the following units: 1. The Department of Classics founded in 1918, headed by prominent scholars Grigol Tsereteli, Simon Kaukchishvili, Rismag Gor- deziani; 2. The Centre for Mediterranean Studies established in 1982. The Centre conducted research in Mediterranean cultures and languages – Ancient Orient, Ancient World, Byzantium, Greek-Georgian Relations etc. 3. The Division of Modern Greek Studies, founded in 1987; 4. The Simon Kaukchishvili specialized library, established in 1995, containing up to 30 000 books in the sphere of the Institute; 5. The Information and Publishing Centre, Programme “Logos”, established in 1996 with the aim to prepare publications and events in the sphere of the Institute; 6. The Greek

and Latin Library, aimed at translating into Georgian and preparing texts of Greek and Latin authors for publication.

• Structure of the Institute

Currently, the Institute includes the following structural units: Departments of Classics, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, the Scientific Research Laboratory of Mediterranean Studies, and the Simon Kaukchishvili Library.

• Educational Programmes and Scholarships

The Institute offers educational programmes at all three levels:

BA programmes: Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Philology (“major” and “minor” fields of studies) (240 ECTS);

MA programme: Greek and Roman Philology with three modules: Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Philology (120 ECTS);

PhD Studies in Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Philology function within the framework of the PhD programme in Philology of the Faculty of Humanities.

Courses offered by the Institute are very popular as electives among the students of all faculties of the University. Also, the Centre of Foreign Languages offers courses in Ancient Greek, Latin and Modern Greek languages to all students of the University.

The students of Byzantine Philology have the possibility to study for free with a scholarship from the Dionysios Varelas Foundation, and the students of Modern Greek Philology can apply for scholarships for free studies from the David Bezhuashvili Education Foundation, from different Ministries and Foundations

of Greece. The Bachelor and Master students of the Institute may apply for Alexander Aleksidze Scholarships offered by the Alexander Aleksidze Foundation for the development of Georgian- Greek Relations.

• Educational and Research Activities for Students

The Institute organizes a competition in Ancient Greek and Latin languages – VICTORIA. The competition is open not only to students of Tbilisi State University, but also to students from any Georgian higher educational institution and secondary school. The winners are awarded by a trip abroad and the vouchers for the publishing programme “Logos”.

Every two years the Institute organizes internationally recognized certification exams in the Greek language, in collaboration with the School of Modern Greek Language of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece).

The Institute runs the Students’ Scientific Circle, Students Club and Studio of Ancient Drama, ODEON. Students regularly organize conferences, seminars, poetry evenings, movie and theatre projections, festivals and excursions. They also stage theatre performances themselves. Since 2005 the following plays have been performed: “Trojan Women”, “Iphigenia in Aulis” and “Orestes” by Euripides; “Assembly of Women” by Aristophanes; “Pseudolus” by Plautus; “Supper” by Iakovos Kambanellis and others. The students also participated in the performances “Variation on Antique Clothing”, Artistic Trials “Complex of Clytemnestra, Electra, Odysseus” and “The Trial of Medea”, among others.

Since 2015, the Institute has systematically held a student con- ference with the theme of “Contemporaneity of Antiquity”, which has become international since 2022. Selected papers of the conferences are published in the Institute's Student Scientific Journal "Mnemosyne".

In 2017 the Institute celebrated the International Festival of Greek and Latin Languages. In the framework of the festival, people from all over the world read “The Odyssey” by Homer simultaneously in more than 20 countries and in more than 40 languages, including Georgian.

• Activities for Secondary Schools of Georgia

Since 1996, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic the Institute has coordinated the “Greek Language in Georgian Schools” programme. Currently, graduates of the Institute use textbooks compiled by the professors of the Institute to teach Modern Greek in Georgian secondary schools.

Other activities include a cultural and educational festival, called “Golden Fleece”, organized by the Institute since 2013. Students of Georgian schools take part in the festival that aims to introduce Greek culture among Georgian youth. Many conferences, public lectures, contests, competitions, movie projections, theatrical performances, etc. are held during this festival.

The Institute also takes an active part in the work of the Children’s University of TSU. Representatives of the Institute’s staff periodically conduct workshops and training for teachers of Georgian schools of general education.

• International Collaboration

The Institute has established profound relations with distinguished educational, scientific and research centres in Greece, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, France, UK, USA, Bulgaria and elsewhere. Annually, the professors and students of the Institute travel abroad for different periods to participate in scientific conferences, deliver lectures, make speeches, take professional development courses, etc. Professors and students of the Institute are frequently awarded Erasmus Mundus/Erasmus+ scholarships, etc. The Institute started collaboration with Academia Vivarium Novum (Italy) and became a member of EUROCLASSICA in 2023.

In 2015-2018 the Department of Classics, in collaboration with the Department of Ancient History, participated in a large international project, SunoikisisDC, coordinated by the Humboldt Chair of Digital Humanities (University of Leipzig) in collabo- ration with the Harvard Centre for Hellenic Studies, the Institute of Classical Studies of London, the Universida de Estrada Paulista (UNESP) – Campus de Araraguara, the Université Lumière Lyon 2 and the Universities of Tufts, Florida, Oslo, Sofia, Zagreb and others.

In 2010-2023, in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the Institute coordinated a francophone PhD programme in European Literature (DESE – Doctorat d'Études Supérieures Euro- péennes Les Littératures de l’Europe Unie). Successful graduates of the programme were awarded a double degree by Tbilisi State University and the University of Bologna.

In 2023 the Institute joined the International Consortium coordinated by the University of Bologna (Italy) which runs the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Programme in European Literary Cultures / Master CLE (Consortium Partner Universities: Univer- sity of Bologna (Italy), University of Haute-Alsace (Mulhouse), University of Strasbourg (France), University of Thessaloniki (Greece), University of Lisbon (Portugal), University of Dakar (Senegal), University of Mumbai (India).

The Institute systematically organizes international scientific conferences with the participation of scholars from all over the world. In 2014 the Institute restored a former tradition of holding joint international conferences in collaboration with the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (Germany). Since 2014 the Institute has organized summer and winter schools in collaboration with TSU’s Department of Ancient History. In 2015-2017 the Institute took part in Science and Innovation Fest, organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

The Georgian Association of Modern Greek Studies and the Georgian Society of Nikos Kazantzakis now function under the umbrella of the Institute, and in 2022 the Institute began collaborating with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.

In 1999, the Development Fund of the TSU Institute of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies was organized with the goal of finding resources for material incentives to support the activities of the Institute.

• Research Activities

The Institute carries out research in the fields of Classical, By- zantine and Modern Greek Studies in the following fields: phonetic, morphological and syntactic aspects of ancient and modern Greek and Latin languages; History of Greek and Latin languages; philosophical and artistic aspects of Classical, By- zantine and Modern Greek Literature and Culture; Reception of Antiquity in Late Antiquity, Byzantium and the Contemporary World, Georgian-Greek and Georgian-Byzantine literary and cultural relations, and others.

Research seminars, public lectures, presentations, discussions and round-tables are held regularly at the Institute’s “Agora” – an open forum where the staff of the Institute as well as Georgian and

foreign colleagues from leading educational and research centres of Georgia and abroad meet and discuss the topical issues of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies.

• Important Research Projects

1. Encyclopaedia “Caucasus Antiquus”
2. Reception of Antiquity in Georgian Literature
3. Greek-Georgian Dictionary
4. Georgian-Greek Dictionary
5. Online Catalogue of Greek Inscriptions in Georgia

• Publishing Activities

The Institute operates a publishing programme called “Logos”, which has published more than 230 publications, including monographs, handbooks, dictionaries, an encyclopaedia, transla- tions, article collections, research journals, etc.

• Periodicals

The Institute publishes the following journals in relevant fields:

1. International peer-reviewed scientific journal in Greek- Roman Studies PHASIS (since 1999) indexed in ERIH-PLUS and SCOPUS;
2. Scientific journal in Greek and Roman Studies LOGOS published in Georgian;
3. Students’ scientific journal MNEMOSYNE published in Georgian.

• International Events Organised by the Institute

Conferences and Symsosia:

1. “Hellenic Studies on the Verge of Centuries”, 21-26 IX, 2000
2. “Hellenophilic Days”, 3-10 V, 2004
3. “The Argonautica and World Culture”, 1-5 V, 2007
4. “Greek Civilization and Dialogue Between the Cultures”, in collaboration with the University of Trache (Greece), 5-7 V, 2011
5. “Greece – European Identity – Georgia”, 27-29 VI, 2012
6. “Topical Issues of Ancient Culture and Its Heritage”, in colla- boration with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Ger- many), 23-27 IX, 2014
7. “The Idea and Forms of Innovation in Greek Culture (Anti- quity, Middle Ages, Modernity)”, Science and Innovation Fest – Tbilisi 2016, 19- 20 IX, 2016
8. “Medea in World Artistic Culture”, 17-20 IX, 2017
9. “Plato’s Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Context”, 28-30 V, 2018
10. “Teaching Classical Languages in XXI c. – Vitae Discimus”, 24-27 II, 2021 (online)
11. “The Ancient and Byzantine World in the Light of Inter- disciplinary Research”, 22-23 IX, 2021 (online)
12. “Modern Greek Studies in Georgia – 4”, 19-20 XI, 2021 (online)
13.  
14. “Perception of Caucasus in Myths and Literature from Anti- quity till Contemporaneity”, in collaboration with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany), 20-22 IX, 2023
15. “Two Iberias – Two Gates of Europe”, in collaboration with Compultense University of Madrid (Spain) and Caucasus University (Georgia), 12-14 VI, 2024

Summer and Winter Schools

1. Winter School “Introduction to Digital Philology”, 14-18 I, 2014
2. Winter School “Government and Ideology in Ancient
3. World”, 11-14 II, 2014
4. Summer School “Digital Research Tools in Philological
5. Sciences”, 25-29 VIII, 2014
6. Winter School “Ancient World and Caucasus”, 6-11 III, 2017

Contact:

13 Ilia Chavchavadze Ave., 0179, Tbilisi

TSU 8th Building

Email: greekstudies@tsu.ge