Save the Department of Balkan, Slavic, and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
We, the faculty, administrative staff, students, and alumni of the Department of Balkan, Slavic, and Oriental Studies, who believe that the acknowledged outstanding academic excellence of our Department will be severely compromized at the face of the upcoming merger that the government is enforcing on our University. Our unique educational infrastructure deserves to survive, in order to continue its widely recognized educational activities to Thessaloniki, Greece, Eastern & Southeastern Europe, and the Middle East.
Our department is under threat of extinction leaving no trace of its flourishing international academic profile at the face of budget cut requirements. Established in 1998 with the vision of creating an area studies department with an emphasis on the social transformations in Eastern and SE Europe and the Middle East, it was the only Greek academic institution ever to launch the teaching of Slavic and Oriental languages integrated into its Social Sciences and Humanities curriculum. The same is true for its successful MA on Politics and Economics in Eastern & SE Europe, addressing market and business needs. Moreover, it is included in the Joint degree MA TEMPUS program, “History of SE Europe” coordinated by Uni Graz and its associates. It’s a shame that the only dynamic department in terms of faculty, publication record, and international conference organization should be sacrificed. We strongly believe that we still have a lot to offer. Please sign our petition and circulate it widely.
www.xenesglosses.eu
