On Wednesday, 22 May 2024, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation had the pleasure of welcoming Associate Professor of Italian and Mediterranean Studies Konstantina Zanou, Senior Lecturer of Modern Greek Nikolas P. Kakkoufa, and a group of 15 students from Columbia University, as part of the program Mediterranean Humanities in Athens. The students were given a tour of the Foundation’s Historical Library, had the opportunity to visit the permanent and temporary exhibitions, and examined some of the rarest items of the Historical Library. They then enjoyed a brief tour of the city of Piraeus.
During the visit, the Vice President of the Foundation, Katerina Laskaridou, and her associates held a productive meeting with Dr. Shannon Marquez, Dean of Global Engagement and Director of the Columbia University Center of Undergraduate Engagement (UGE), August Runge, Executive Director of UGE, and Professor Zanou. They explored potential ways of communication in support of the international academic community. They specifically focused on their mutual interest in promoting student collaboration and enriching educational experiences through student and researcher mobility and integration into the global academic community. Finally, within the framework of this collaboration, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation has accepted to concede the use of its classrooms for the needs of the Columbia in Athens program.