Greek Diaspora Project

The John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation is among the supporters of the Greek Diaspora Project; a systematic research effort to record the contemporary aspects of Greek diaspora in the world, conducted by the University of Oxford, and more specifically by the South East European Studies Centre (SEESOX), led by the project’s coordinator and SEESOX Director, Dr Othon Anastasakis. This multidimensional project explores the relationship between Greece and its diaspora in the current context of the financial crisis; it studies how the Greek diaspora can influence Greece’s political and financial transformation and examines methods of interaction between the Greek state, the economy and society with the diaspora.

The main and interconnected goals of the Greek Diaspora Project are: firstly, for the Greek case to be examined within the framework of a broader comparative research on global diaspora, assisted by the immense research resources of the University of Oxford, and, secondly, for research to be conducted that will contribute decisively to the public debate and the policy making regarding the relationship of the Greek diaspora with Greece. The programme is purposely designed so that, apart from the academia, it can also be comprehensible by the general public.

The multifaceted research work of the Greek Diaspora Project at SEESOX focuses mainly on areas such as philanthropy, political participation of the diaspora, Greeks of Great Britain, the profile of the new Greek immigration wave and comparative research. Moreover, among its research activities is also the development of the Global Greek Diaspora Digital Map, a dynamic tool that records and displays the presence of Greek communities and organisations of the diaspora in the world, and provides a platform for communication and interaction for global Hellenism.

• 22 people from 8 countries participate in the Project.