From July 17 to 26, Chios is scheduled to host the internationally prestigious Euroclassica – Homeric Academy conference, a scientific and educational meeting with a long history and significant impact.
As noted by the organizing committee, from 1997 to the present, more than 6,300 conference participants have participated in corresponding conferences: academics, university professors, PhD holders, researchers, educators of all levels, as well as scientists from a wider range of disciplines, professors of letters, undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as doctoral candidates.
All of them, it is characteristically stated, immerse themselves in the Homeric epics and the timeless value of Greek literature, language, history and culture, and upon leaving our country, they become its best informal ambassadors worldwide.
During their stay, they visit places of high historical and cultural value, such as the Acropolis and its New Museum, the Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Aristotle Lyceum, the Plato Academy, Mycenae, Epidaurus, but also all the important places of Chios and Oinousses: Daskalopetra, the island’s museums, Nea Moni, the holy pilgrimage of Agia Markella, the Mastic Museum, the Mastic Villages, the medieval villages, Volissos and other sights.
As emphasized by the organizers, the courses offered to students focus on the Homeric Epics, while the scientific presentations by academics and scholars are considered original and of particular value.
At the same time, in the special Department of Professors and Students, the participants are taught Modern Greek Language and Literature, History and Culture, while they are offered – optionally – the opportunity to attend Greek traditional dance classes, thus contributing to the acquaintance with the intangible cultural heritage of Greece.
The Homeric Academy operates as a non-profit organization and its annual global organization is under the auspices of the President of the Republic.
As pointed out by the Committee that recommends supporting the action, the financial support for the conference is considered necessary, as it serves both the purpose of promoting Chios as a tourist destination and the development of conference and educational tourism.
The organizers believe that conferences of this magnitude strengthen the island’s position on the tourist map, since the participants act as agents for disseminating experiences and positive impressions, thus contributing to attracting similar future events.
At the same time, their stay directly strengthens the local economy through spending on food, transportation, entertainment, and shopping, while the natural and cultural sites of Chios are extensively promoted.
Human interaction is also considered a crucial factor: conference participants come into contact with the local community, exchange views, learn about the daily lives of the residents, transfer elements from their own culture, and gain knowledge from the culture of the island.
The ultimate goal, as mentioned, is the institutionalization of corresponding synergies, both within and outside Greece, that will strengthen special and alternative forms of tourism – a prospect that is expected to have a positive impact on local income, employment, but also on the dissemination of the intellectual and cultural heritage of Chios.
