4-5 June 2015
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
On 4-5 June 2015 the Hellenic Observatory hosted the 7th Biennial PhD Symposium on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus. The generous financial support by the A. G. Leventis Foundation was crucial in order to allow us to welcome 37 participants from 23 different universities working on relevant subjects in social sciences. The basic aim of the Symposium is to create a space for dialogue where PhD candidates conducting research on Greece and Cyprus are able to present a part of their thesis.
The presentations were divided in 12 panels that took place over both days. The research students presented their work in front of experienced scholars and academics and had the opportunity to exchange ideas and gain valuable feedback. Moreover, they benefited from a unique workshop on Quantitative Political Analysis, offered by Dr. Spyros Kosmidis (Oxford University) on the second day.
Traditionally, key experts provide their insights in plenary sessions and facilitate the debate in current topics. The first plenary session of the 7th Symposium was given by Professor Nicos Christodoulakis (Professor of Economic Analysis, Athens University of Economics and Business) who presented the relation between the socio-economic conditions in Greece since 2009 and the sudden rise of Golden Dawn. Professor Achilleas Mitsos (Professor of International Economic Relations, University of the Aegean) chaired this session and coordinated the discussion after Professor Christodoulakis’ presentation. The historical far-right voting behaviour was a topic discussed during the Q&A section where the PhD participants had the opportunity to ask their questions.
The second plenary session was given by Professor Manolis Galenianos who shed light on an interesting and burning issue; the external dimension of the Greek economic crisis. Dr. Vassilis Monastiriotis chaired the session and also offered his valuable insights to the topic. The first part of the presentation focused on the origins of the Greek crisis and the second part was devoted to the challenge of trade adjustment in Greece.
The third plenary session which took place on the second day was much appreciated by all PhD candidates. Professor Kevin Featherstone explained all stages of the PhD process and offered a detailed guide for students researching Greece and Cyprus. Having the experience of supervising over 30 PhD candidates, Professor Featherstone advised the students on multiple issues related to their current research and their future publications.
We feel that the PhD Symposium is one of the most important international meetings for PhD students working on contemporary Greece and Cyprus in the social sciences and we hope to continue this tradition in the following years.