My years at the Department of Mediterranean Studies, from 2001 to 2005, could be characterized as the beginning of a very successful academic, scientific and professional career. As I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies of the University of Macedonia and the University of Kuwait, I can confirm that my years at the Department of Mediterranean Studies defined my career path.
The fruitful cooperation with the highly qualified professors and the interdisciplinary approach (geopolitical, economic, sociological-anthropological, cultural, religious) of the areas of northern Africa, eastern Mediterranean and Middle East which are studied, as is indicated in the declaration of the Department, allows any new socio political scientist to create the background needed so as to obtain the necessary tools to further his/her research in more specialized areas.
Additionally, the most important contribution of the Department to the Greek scientific community regards the combined study of the areas in relation to their languages (Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew). It was this contribution of the Department which allowed me to obtain the necessary encouragement so as to perfect my knowledge of the Arabic language and define my scientific identity in the Arabic studies.
The most recent publication of the first Arabic grammar in Greek with the title: Arabic grammar for Greeks (Zitros publications: 2012) by a graduate of the Department, constitutes proof of the potential of development one has when graduating from a “small” regional department like that of Mediterranean Studies in Rhodes. It is an honour for me today, to say that I was once a student there.
Panos Kourgiotis, Phd in political Science at the Aristotle University, Teacher of Arabic and writer of teaching manuals. Graduate of the Department of Mediterranean Studies in 2005.
