Meeting-discussion “Greece’s culture is far more than the Acropolis” held at BAS

A public meeting-discussion on “Greece’s culture is far more than the Acropolis” was held today at the “Acad. Ivan E. Geshov” Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It is part of a series of events on cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Center for Thracology at BAS (IBSCT-BAS) in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (SIC). The initiative is carried out within the framework of the project “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Century: Achievements, Problems, Challenges for the Future” funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The public meeting-discussion was opened by the project leader, Sen. Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, scientific coordinator of IBSCT-BAS. Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova, Director of IBSCT-BAS, and Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, Director of SIK, welcomed the participants.

The lecturer of the event was H.E. Mr. Alexios Marios Liberopoulos, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Bulgaria. He introduced the attendees to the main aspects of Greek culture beyond the well-known symbols, presented the contemporary cultural policy and diplomacy of Greece as well as the country’s participation in international cultural exchanges, including within UNESCO. The discussion touched upon topics related to scientific and university cooperation, tourism, the relationship between culture and security and many others.

Special guest was H.E. Mr. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Bulgaria. The event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Ivanov, Scientific Secretary of Division 8 “Cultural and Historical Heritage and National Identity”, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariana Tian, Scientific Secretary of Division 9 “Man and Society”, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albena Taneva, Head of the Department of Public Administration at the Faculty of Philosophy of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, journalists from the Bulgarian National Radio, representatives of the cultural sector, scientists, lecturers, PhD students and students.