The Navarino Network, aiming at promoting extroversion, innovation and excellence in Greece, has undertaken the organisation of the annual Olympia Summer Academy, which has been taking place since 2002, initially in Olympia and since 2015, in Nafplio. The Academy is an intensive summer school for postgraduate and PhD students, as well as young professionals in the fields of political science and international relations, and was founded with the purpose of establishing a forum for high-quality academic work on one hand, and a platform for the creation and consolidation of scholarly collaborative networks on the other.

It is considered to be one of the best summer programmes of its kind in Greece and one of the most successful programmes abroad, in which visiting professors from leading universities in Europe, America and the rest of the world teach; since 2014 it has been operating under the auspices of the European International Studies Association (EISA). Through its activities, it has contributed significantly to the revitalisation of political science and international relations in Greece and has encouraged young and promising researchers in their efforts to establish themselves and offer valuable work to the international academic community.

Approximately 30-40 Greek students study in the Academy every year and many of them receive significant academic and research awards. The Foundation covered the participation cost for 10 postgraduate Greek students in the Olympia Summer Academy held in Nafplio in July 2019.

• 2019 was the 18th year that the Olympia Summer School was held; 18 professors and 107 participants from 28 countries came together.

“Thanks to the Foundation’s support, the 2019 Olympia Summer Academy managed to attract the professors and students that have rendered it the number one international relations and political science summer course in Europe. For all of us who have been working for decades to enhance the extroversion of university education in Greece, the Foundation has confirmed its role as a key pillar supporting our efforts.”

Dimitris Keridis Professor of International Relations, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences

Director of the Olympia Summer Academy