Funding for the establishment of the "Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies"

Source: Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation

The President of the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, Mr. Anthony S. Papadimitriou, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Board of Directors of the Library of Alexandria Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyanni, and the Director of the Library of Alexandria Dr. Ismail Serageldin, held a common press conference announcing the establishment of the Center for Hellenistic Studies in the Library of Alexandria.

The initiative for the establishment of the Center belongs to the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, the Vardinoyannis Foundation and the Library of Alexandria. The Onassis Foundation and the Vardinoyannis Foundation, have commonly decided to fund the Center, in the framework of their activities for the promotion of Greek culture abroad and for the promotion of the history of the Hellenistic era, during which the ancient library was created.

The center for Hellenistic Studies in the Library of Alexandria will be named "Alexandria Center for Helllenistic Studies" and will comprise academic departments for the study of History, Philosophy, Literature and the Arts. The Center will be housed in the Library of Alexandria, which is academically affiliated with the University of Alexandria and will grant diplomas and degrees at the Master and Ph. D. levels. The Library of Alexandria will provide the Center with the classrooms, lecture rooms and meeting rooms required for the needs of the Center and students will have free access to the Library premises for their research. All lessons will be conducted in the English language.

The Center will be managed by a Board of Directors comprising seven persons and chaired by the Director of the Library of Alexandria, and an Academic Council made up of eminent academic personalities specialized in the fields of the Center. The Council will be responsible to advise the Board with regard to the operation of the center, the designing of the academic curriculum, the setting of criteria for the selection of students, the selection of academic staff, the review and approval of the operational plans of the different departments, as well as the monitoring of the progress of students.