Island sessions: Hellenic Studies in Molyvos

A place of reflection

Lesvos has been known as a site of refinement and reflection since antiquity, home to poets, philosophers, emperors and even pirates, and bears the traces of Classical, Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations. Located on the “frontier” between Europe and Asia, the island continues to play an important role in contemporary Greek, European and global affairs by its continued presence in the frontlines of the dramatic population movements that culminated in the human drama of 2015.

Sovereignty, space and aesthetics

In 2019, the village of Molyvos on Lesvos was selected as the location for a workshop entitled “Sovereignty, Space and Aesthetics: Greece and Europe in the World.” The event was a joint production of SFU’s SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies and Rutgers University – Newark which gathered a diverse group of academics, students and activists to critically engage with discussions on pressing global challenges, as a way to create networks dedicated to connecting theoretical work to contemporary social, cultural, and political issues.

Island sessions

Following the success of this first outing, the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies has dedicated funding to establish on the island of Lesvos a site of critical reflection, where scholars will gather annually in the village of Molyvos to critically engage a new contemporary theme every year.