Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies celebrates 40 years of scholarship

The Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS) has marked four decades of research, education and cultural advocacy with a joint anniversary event celebrating its history and the global Greek diaspora.

The event was co-organised with the Society for Macedonian Studies on Wednesday, September 23, at the Society’s lecture hall. It commemorated the 40th anniversary of AIMS, established in 1986, and 10 years since the creation of the Society’s Macedonian Diaspora Communication Network.

A central part of the program was the presentation of the collective volume Hellenic Diaspora: Studies in Honor of Michael Damanakis, published in recognition of Emeritus Professor and former University of Crete Vice-Rector Michael Damanakis.

Speakers included Society for Macedonian Studies president Dr Vasileios N. Pappas and AIMS president Professor Anastasios M. Tamis. Professor Damanakis also addressed the event, reflecting on the global Greek diaspora and the education of Greek communities abroad.

Established in Melbourne on August 10, 1986, AIMS grew from the earlier Macedonian Cultural Society and was founded to promote the history, language, literature and culture of Greek Macedonia.

Its creation followed a public lecture by Professor Tamis on developments surrounding the Macedonian issue. Organised by the Association of Thessalonians, the event attracted about 400 people and raised $11,000 towards establishing the Institute and a permanent secretariat.

Professor Tamis became the founding president, leading an inaugural team that included community figures from across Melbourne’s Greek Macedonian diaspora.

AIMS quickly developed an international academic presence. Its first International Conference on Macedonian Studies, held in February 1988, brought together more than 200 academics from 35 universities across Australia, Europe and the United States.

The conference featured 63 papers examining Macedonian history and cultural heritage. Its proceedings were later published in the 1990 volume Macedonian Hellenism.

Further international conferences followed at the University of Melbourne in 1991 and 1995, exploring the history and archaeology of ancient Macedonia and the identity, art, architecture, music and religious traditions of Byzantine Macedonia.

Alongside its conferences, the Institute produced academic and community publications, including the literary journal Makedonikos Logos, the monthly Macedonian Bulletin and its Publication Series on Macedonia.

Professor Tamis’ book Immigration and Settlement of Macedonian Greeks in Australia received a literary award from the Academy of Athens in 1995.

From 1997 until 2008, AIMS operated as an academic entity within La Trobe University’s National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research, contributing books and research on migration, identity and Macedonian history.

Its work also extended beyond academia through public lectures, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, theatre productions and educational tours of northern Greece.

National student competitions organised by the Institute involved more than 3,000 students from 400 schools across Australia and New Zealand. AIMS also provided scholarships, grants and financial assistance to university Greek Studies programs, Greek schools, sporting organisations and charities.

Throughout its history, the Institute has participated in public debates surrounding Macedonian history and identity, submitting policy papers, petitions and correspondence to Australian and Greek governments, the United Nations and other international bodies.

As it enters its fifth decade, AIMS is looking to younger academics and professionals to continue its work preserving and examining the history and cultural legacy of Macedonian Hellenism in Australia.

SOURCE: GREEK HERALD – AUSTRALIA
LINK: https://greekherald.com.au/community/australian-institute-of-macedonian-studies-celebrates-40-years-of-scholarship/