The program featured Dr. Stavroula Nikoloudi, coordinator of the Greek Studies Program at La Trobe University, joining from Melbourne.
The conversation was inspired by the celebration of World Greek Language Day, observed globally on February 9. Dr. Nikoloudi spoke passionately about the program, which is the only Greek Studies program offered at a university in Australia. She noted that currently, 50 undergraduate and 2 postgraduate students are enrolled in Greek language and culture courses. Some students are of Greek descent and wish to master the language to communicate with their relatives in Melbourne and Greece, while many others, with no Greek heritage, are drawn to Greek culture, music, history, gastronomy, and more.
The program also offers students internship opportunities within Greek community organizations, aiming to support their professional development. Additionally, La Trobe has signed collaboration agreements with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and the University of Macedonia to further engage students, particularly those of fourth-generation Greek descent. They also organize study trips to Greece, providing students with firsthand experiences of Greek culture.
To promote and preserve the Greek language, the program actively participates in the “Pharos” campaign and collaborates with Greek community organizations and the state government of Victoria to ensure the program’s continuity.
“This linguistic decline is reversible,” Dr. Nikoloudi emphasized.
Photo Source: Getty Images/Adel Bekefi/La Trobe