Center for Hellenic Studies

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HARVARD SUMMER PROGRAM IN OLYMPIA, GREECE

Professor Gregory Nagy (Harvard) and contributing faculty

Program dates: July 2-August 5

Program cost: $7,000

Deadline: April 15 or as soon as possible thereafter

Full payment due: May 15

Some financial aid may be available. Students interested in applying should contact Dr Dimitris Kastritsis: kastrits@fas.harvard.edu

Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, is a historical and symbolic
reminder of the ideals of peace and international cooperation. Located next
to one of the most important sites of the ancient world, the program in
Olympia seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding by combining
historical, literary, philosophical, and linguistic approaches to cultural
exchange. Thanks to the diverse and wide-ranging interests of its faculty,
the program offers a very rich and broad curriculum composed of several
seminars and several interdisciplinary extracurricular activities,
including guided tours and attendance at dramatic and musical performances
in the most important historical and archaeological sites of Greece. In the
past four years, the program has brought together a diverse group of
students from several countries, including the United States, England,
France, Bulgaria, Greece, Guatemala, Turkey, and the Philippines.

Course of Study COMP S-107 Study Abroad in Greece: Cross-Cultural Contact
Between East and West from Ancient Times to the Present (31605). The Harvard
Summer Program in Olympia focuses on the problems and possibilities of
cross-cultural contact between East and West from ancient times to the
present. Its aim is to expose students to historical, philosophical,
literary, and political models for studying this interaction through a
series of interrelated weeklong seminars. Seminar topics are listed below.
Prerequisites: None.

The two research topics in 2006 are EMPIRE and EUROPEAN ENCOUNTERS;
specialized seminars focus on the following themes:

I. EMPIRE

Prof. Gregory Nagy, 'Homer as a "Spokesman" for the Athenian Empire'

Dimiter Angelov, 'The Byzantine Empire: Ideology, Propaganda, and
Subversion'

Dr Dimitris Kastritsis, 'The Ottoman Empire: Power, Diplomacy, and
Representation'

II. EUROPEAN ENCOUNTERS

Professor Sahar Bazzaz, 'Colonial Encounters and European Modernities'

Professor Ilham Khuri-Makdisi, 'Mediterranean Encounters in the Modern
period, 1850-2000'

Dr. Anna Stavrakopoulou, 'The Uses of Comedy'

Credit

Harvard College Credit. For Harvard College students, this program counts
as 8 units (one full-year course) of Harvard College degree credit. Harvard
Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most
colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary at different
schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their
home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.

Faculty Gregory Nagy is Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek
Literature in the Department of the Classics and Professor of Comparative
Literature in the Department of Comparative Literature at Harvard
University. Professor Nagy is also Director of Harvard's Center for
Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC.

Contributing Faculty Dimiter G. Angelov (Medieval and Byzantine History) is
Assistant Professor of History at Western Michigan University. Yota Batsaki
(Comparative Literature) is Newton Trust Lecturer in English at Cambridge
University. Sahar Bazzaz (History and Middle Eastern Studies) is Assistant
Professor of History at the College of the Holy Cross. Dimitris Kastritsis
(History and Middle Eastern Studies) is Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center
for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. Ilham Khuri-Makdisi
(History and Middle Eastern Studies) is Assistant Professor of History at
Northeastern University. Anna Stavrakopoulou (Theater Studies, Modern Greek
Literature) is Lecturer in Theater Studies at Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki.

Application Students should submit the Harvard Summer Program in Olympia,
Greece application form*, official transcripts, a $50 nonrefundable
application fee, and a supplementary statement that includes proof of
English language proficiency for students whose first language is not
English; travel experience abroad (not a prerequisite); and the reasons for
their interest in the program to Dr. Dimitris Kastritsis, Postdoctoral
Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 1430 Massachusetts Avenue,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA. Students must have official
transcripts sent directly from their schools to Dr. Kastritsis; unofficial
copies of transcripts will not be accepted. Students must be 18 years of
age or older.

* Application forms may be downloaded from this website. (To download PDFs
students must have Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed on their computers.)

Cost

The cost of the program is $7,000, plus a nonrefundable $50 application
fee. In addition to the program fee, students are responsible for a $110
health insurance fee (which is waived if students have US insurance
coverage) and for their transportation to and from Olympia. The program fee
covers: • tuition • room and board • all course materials • all scheduled
excursions and extracurricular activities A nonrefundable deposit of $700
must be received by April 15 to ensure the admitted student's place in the
program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged
for payments received after this date. Students who do not purchase health
insurance through the Harvard Summer School should confirm that their
insurance provider offers coverage outside the United States.

Accommodation

Olympia, Greece, is an idyllic site for intellectual endeavor, combining a
green hilly landscape with the beautiful site of the ancient Olympic Games,
museums, and picturesque seaside towns.

Accommodation is provided in the Hotel Europa. Students share
double-occupancy rooms and eat meals at the hotel. Dinner is usually eaten
outside in the garden. Buffet breakfast and dinner are included in the
price of tuition. The hotel has internet facilities, a tennis court, and a
swimming pool. Students make their own arrangements for lunch.

Additional Information Contact Dr. Dimitris Kastritsis, Postdoctoral
Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 1430 Massachusetts Avenue,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA; kastrits@fas.harvard.edu;
(857) 928-5095.

For information about accommodation, students with disabilities should
contact Joanne Eno, Disability Services Coordinator, at (617) 495-0977 or
(617) 495-9419 (TTY) as soon as possible. Request for accommodation forms
and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 29,
2006. See Disability Services.

The Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with
international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel
warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is
planned, the program in that country may be cancelled.

A student's experience of the Olympia Program: "I wanted to write and thank
all of you for the wonderful experience that was the 2004 Harvard Summer
Program in Olympia. Each of you were responsible for making some amazing
material come alive every week and for letting us-such a motley crew of
people-really have a coherent identity about ourselves and about the stuff
we were learning about. I believe I echo a unanimous sentiment when I say
that each of us took away something from Olympia that was unique and
intensely personal and enriching, be it an appreciation for the classics or
Greek sculpture and poetry, a better understanding of the Balkans or of the
imperial and urban encounter, or just a compendium of Greek swear words,
pet rocks, sand, and Mediterranean salt. Congratulations to all of you for
organizing a fun and highly educational program. It was fabulous." -
Olympia Summer School student