HELLENIC

STUDIES
AT THE
UNIVERSITY
OF TORONTO

CATCHING
APOLLOS FIRE
HELLENIC LANGUAGE
& EDUCATION
The Hellenic Heritage
Foundation (HHF) Partners
with the University of Toronto
One of the Hellenic Heritage Foundations core
missions is to promote Hellenism in Canada.
We believe that this is best achieved through
educational initiatives. In 2002, for example,
with funds raised by the HHF, the first permanent
Chair of Hellenic Studies was established at York
University. This was a momentous achievement for
the HHF, together with the establishment of our
two HHF Graduate Fellowships in Modern Greek
History (2006 and 2010) and the five undergraduate
scholarships in Hellenic Studies, also at York.

The HHF has long hoped to see Modern Greek

studies restored at the University of Toronto (U of
T) after an over decade-long absence. Although
Greek language and history courses had not
been offered at U of T in years, the universitys
Greek Students Association (GSA) was undaunted
and made a strong case for their revival. Their
enthusiasm for the restoration of Modern Greek
studies at the U of T aligned with our Foundations
mandate and mission, and, inspired by their
unrelenting commitment, we responded by raising
the initial $180,000 needed to fund Hellenic
Studies for the first three years.
In the Fall of 2014, in collaboration with the Centre
for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (CERES)
at U of Ts Munk School of Global Affairs, a Modern
Greek program was re-instituted on a three-year
pilot basis.
Since its reintroduction, the program has attracted
remarkable and widespread interest and is
cited as one of the most popular Modern Greek
programs offered at a North American university.
The extraordinary success of this program has
been more than encouraging it has been
overwhelmingly positive.
Thus, in 2016 the HHF committed to raise $2
million towards an endowment to establish a
permanent Hellenic Studies program at the
University of Toronto. Devoted to the history,
politics, language, culture and current affairs of
contemporary Greece, it will have an important
place in the undergraduate curriculum.

A Vision and an Opportunity

This is a timely opportunity to establish a
permanent Hellenic Studies program at the
University of Toronto, one not to be missed.
Our proposed endowment will ensure that Modern
Greek studies will continue to be offered at the
University of Toronto, in perpetuity. An endowed
Hellenic Studies program will build on the
distinctive characteristics and notable strengths
of the European Studies curriculum at CERES,
informing new generations of students interested
in this part of the world. As well, with additional
support from donors, the University will be able to
expand important opportunities for undergraduate
and graduate students to study and conduct
research in Greece.
Our partnership with the University of Toronto
through CERES furthers the fulfillment of the HHFs
founding vision to build broad and advanced
awareness and understanding of Hellenism,
thereby promoting diversity and multiculturalism
in Canada.
University of Toronto

Munk School of Global Affairs

THE HELLENIC
HERITAGE
FOUNDATION

The Hellenic Heritage Foundation is a charitable,

not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 with a
mission to preserve, promote and advance Hellenic
education, culture and heritage in Canada. From
the outset, one of our main objectives has been to
provide Canadian youth, of Hellenic descent or not,
with ample opportunities to learn about Hellenic
language, history, heritage and culture.
Over the years, the HHF has raised more than
$5.5 million to fulfill this mission and has
successfully funded and supported many projects,
facilities and services that have shared Hellenic
culture and heritage with the broader Canadian
community. Recently, we articulated an ambitious
and comprehensive plan to ensure ongoing
support for our cultural, linguistic and educational
initiatives at both the university and primary levels.
We have aptly named it the Apollo Project.
4

One of the Apollo Projects strategic objectives is

to create a first-class experience in Hellenic Studies
in partnership with the University of Toronto. The
underlying goal, achieved through a culture of
collaboration and partnership, is to expand the
broader understanding of the significant role
Greece has played in modern history and continues
to play on the world stage to this day. Clearly,
the University of Torontos Hellenic studies pilot
program to date has demonstrated significant
student demand and interest, validating every
effort to make this a permanent program.

THE UNIVERSITY
OF TORONTO
At the Munk School, we believe that the world needs better public
policy and better governance. Citizens of all countries deserve
greater security, wider opportunity, and the chance to lead healthy
and fulfilling lives. We draw together the most creative minds,
people whose research can improve our collective future.
We educate great students who move seamlessly across
disciplines to tackle global problems. We engage our community
by convening enlightening discussions, and by identifying
and sharing opportunities for action.
Director, Stephen J. Toope

Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is

Canadas premier institution of higher learning, with
one of the strongest research and teaching faculties
in the world. The University of Toronto offers
students an intellectual environment unmatched in
depth and breadth on any other Canadian campus.
U of T is home to the Munk School of Global
Affairs, an interdisciplinary academic centre whose
renowned research and educational programs
bring together the best minds to advance the latest
thinking on global issues. As part of the Munk
School of Global Affairs, the Centre for European,
Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES) is one of
North Americas leading academic institutes for
the study of the member countries of the European
Union, the countries of the former Soviet Union,
and Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing upon
the expertise of more than fifteen departments
and dozens of faculty members, CERES promotes
interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching in the
social sciences and humanities.

The HHF is proud of its partnership with the

University of Toronto. By providing the platform
for serious academic inquiry, the University of
Toronto is giving students the opportunity to
understand the important role Greece has played
in the modern era as well as to develop Greek
language skills.

HELLENIC STUDIES
AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF TORONTO:
NOW AND FOR
THE FUTURE
Our Greek language course had one of the highest enrollment
rates among all universities in North America and the students
feedback was great. Everyone involved with this program
shares the goal for permanent Modern Greek studies at
the University of Toronto.
Themistoklis Aravossitas,
Instructor, Modern Greek, University of Toronto

As of Fall 2014, Modern Greek languages courses,

a course on Contemporary Greek Politics and
a fourth-year seminar focusing on Greece, the
Balkans and the European Union were on offer
again at the University of Toronto.
In September 2015, the Modern Greek program
comfortably entered its second year at U of T,
offering four language streams: Introductory
Modern Greek, Elementary Modern Greek, and
Advanced Modern Greek I and II.

The teaching of Modern Greek will be the

cornerstone of the permanent Hellenic Studies
program at the University of Toronto. Moreover,
because an understanding of Modern Greek
history, language, institutions and politics is central
to understanding contemporary Europe, course
components in Hellenic Studies will focus on
the integral role Greece has played in European
politics and its impact on Western civilization.
Today, Greece is again the centre of attention.
The Hellenic Studies program will promote a
deeper understanding of Greek history, culture
and politics and Greeces relevance in the global
economic issues of today.

LEAVE A
LASTING LEGACY
What you leave behind is not what is engraved on stone
monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
Pericles

The popularity of the Modern Greek pilot program

reaffirms our commitment to this worthy initiative.
The goal now is to secure the permanence of the
program. This, as we have indicated, will require
the establishment of an endowment of $2 million.
The $2 million in endowment funding, raised
over the next five years, will establish a robust,
sustainable and permanent Hellenic Studies
program at the University of Toronto.

However, time is of the essence because we are

already halfway through the three-year Hellenic
Studies pilot program. To ensure that the pilot
program becomes a permanent program, it is
imperative that we begin to raise the crucial
funding now. For this, we need your generous
support.
At the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, we continue
to build on our many previous successes.
We know that it is within our reach to establish
a permanent Hellenic Studies program at the
University of Toronto. The campaign to raise
and invest $2 million to establish an endowment
in Hellenic Studies will accomplish that, but only
with your help.
An endowed program in Hellenic Studies at the
University of Toronto will be a source of immense
pride for our community, garnering attention on
a national scale and creating a lasting legacy for
generations of young students. Your generosity
will make this remarkable opportunity a reality.
We owe it to our young people, who have so
tirelessly and passionately called for a regular
and permanent Hellenic Studies program at the
University of Toronto.
Your donation is an investment in education, an
historic opportunity to play a vital role in promoting
Hellenism to the next generation of Greeks in
Canada and to all Canadians. Ultimately, you are
giving the gift of education, which is one of the
greatest gifts of all.
7

www.hhf.ca