Webster Athens

🏛️📚 World Teachers’ Day: From Homer’s Words to a Living World of Stories

For thousands of years, Homer’s *Odyssey* has crossed languages, cultures and generations — continually read, studied and reinterpreted.

From "Ulysses" (1954) and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) to "The Return" (2024) and Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey", filmmakers have returned to Homer’s epic, bringing new perspectives to an ancient story.

Yet every new interpretation also invites us to return to the original. "Teachers and scholars play an enduring role in that journey"— helping students explore original works, understand their cultural and historical contexts, and discover why stories written thousands of years ago still resonate today.

On World Teachers’ Day, Webster Athens recognizes Dr. Susie Michailidis, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Head of the English Department, whose more than 30 years of teaching and research include scholarship in literature, literary criticism, philosophy and history.

“From Homer’s Odyssey to its modern interpretations, studying in Athens offers students a unique opportunity to connect the original myths and stories of classical literature with the culture, history and places that inspired them.”

— Dr. Susie Michailidis

At Webster Athens, this connection extends beyond the classroom. Through the "Odyssey in Athens" study abroad program and courses such as "Greek Mythology and Religion" and "Myth and Classical Literature", students explore ancient stories in the cultural setting that shaped them — while examining their continuing influence on literature, film and contemporary culture.

This World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate educators who keep knowledge alive by inspiring new generations to read, question, interpret and understand.

🎓 Discover Odyssey in Athens and study where history, literature and culture meet:
https://webster-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10015

🌍 International Translation Day: When ideas cross languages

On International Translation Day, Sept. 30, Webster Athens celebrated the role of translation in connecting people, cultures and ideas across languages.

The occasion also provided an opportunity to share a recent Greek-language article published by HuffPost Greece by Anthi Kalomiri, head of the Communications Department and assistant professor of media studies at Webster Athens.

Her article, «Μάθε, παιδί μου, γράμματα: Την πρώτη και τελευταία λέξη την έχουμε εμείς όχι η ΑΙ», can be rendered in English as:

“Learn to Read and Understand, My Child: We — Not AI — Have the First and Last Word.”

The Greek expression «Μάθε, παιδί μου, γράμματα» invokes the broader concept of literacy and education — not simply the ability to read words, but to understand, interpret and think independently.

That distinction is central to Kalomiri’s article, which examines functional illiteracy, critical thinking and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education. She argues that AI is here to stay as a tool to serve people, not replace human judgment, and offers practical suggestions for using it responsibly.

As she writes: “People guide machines; they do not surrender responsibility, ethics and accountability to tools. It is our ethical obligation to give the next generation the ability to invent what comes next.”

On International Translation Day, it is a timely reminder that reading — and translating — words is only the beginning. Understanding, interpreting and thinking critically give them meaning.”

🔗 Read the original article in Greek on HuffPost Greece: https://www.huffingtonpost.gr/blogs/mathe-paidi-mou-grammata-tin-proti-kai-teleftaia-lexi-tin-echoume-emeis-ochi-i-ai/

🌍 International Translation Day: When ideas cross languages

On International Translation Day, Sept. 30, Webster Athens celebrates the role of translation in connecting people, cultures and ideas across languages.

The occasion also provides an opportunity to share a recent Greek-language article published by HuffPost Greece by Anthi Kalomiri, head of the Communications Department and assistant professor of media studies at Webster Athens.

Her article, «Μάθε, παιδί μου, γράμματα: Την πρώτη και τελευταία λέξη την έχουμε εμείς όχι η ΑΙ», can be rendered in English as:

“Learn to Read and Understand, My Child: We — Not AI — Have the First and Last Word.”

The Greek expression «Μάθε, παιδί μου, γράμματα» invokes the broader concept of literacy and education — not simply the ability to read words, but to understand, interpret and think independently.

That distinction is central to Kalomiri’s article, which examines functional illiteracy, critical thinking and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education. She argues that AI is here to stay as a tool to serve people, not replace human judgment, and offers practical suggestions for using it responsibly.

As she writes: “People guide machines; they do not surrender responsibility, ethics and accountability to tools. It is our ethical obligation to give the next generation the ability to invent what comes next.”

On International Translation Day, it is a timely reminder that reading — and translating — words is only the beginning. Understanding, interpreting and thinking critically give them meaning.”

🔗 Read the original article in Greek on HuffPost Greece: https://www.huffingtonpost.gr/blogs/mathe-paidi-mou-grammata-tin-proti-kai-teleftaia-lexi-tin-echoume-emeis-ochi-i-ai/

Μάθε, παιδί μου, γράμματα: Την πρώτη και τελευταία λέξη την έχουμε εμείς όχι η ΑΙ Στην εποχή της τεχντητής νοημοσύνης, το μεγάλο στοίχημα της εκπαίδευσης είναι να μάθουμε στα παιδιά.

🎀 Join the Webster Athens Team for Greece Race for the Cure!

Webster Athens students are invited to come together for the Greece Race for the Cure on Sunday, Oct. 4, supporting breast cancer awareness and programs that help improve the lives of patients.

🚶 Webster Athens will participate as a team in the 2K walk.

📅 Sign-up deadline: Monday, Sept. 21
📍 Register: Office of Student Affairs
💶 Participation fee: €10
📍 Meeting point: Webster Athens
🕣 Oct. 4 at 8:30 a.m.

“The annual Race for the Cure attracts people of all ages and is a wonderful event that Webster Athens students have participated in over the years. This year, organizers are estimating more than 30,000 participants, and Webster Athens would like to be part of it again. Come and join us in this great event that raises awareness, empowers individuals and funds programs that help improve the lives of breast cancer patients.”

— Dina Skias, Director of Student Affairs and Odyssey in Athens Study Abroad Program

🎀 Walk with Webster Athens. Support the cause. Make a difference.

Learn more about Greece Race for the Cure:
https://greecerace.gr/

Αρχική Σελίδα – Greece Race for the Cure® Αγώνας δρόμου και συμβολικός περίπατος ενάντια στον καρκίνο του μαστού – Αθήνα – Πανελλήνιος Σύλλογος Άλμα Ζωής

🎬 From International Film Festivals to Greek Public Television

Webster Athens is pleased to share that “A River Called Vakirtzis,” written and directed by Panos A. Thomaidis, professor of Media Studies at Webster Athens, will be broadcast on ΕΡΤ3 on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 10 p.m.

The documentary brings to life an important chapter of Greek cinema and visual culture through the work of George Vakirtzis, whose monumental hand-painted cinema posters helped shape the visual identity of Greece’s golden age of film in the 1950s and 1960s.

The film has received recognition through its 2025 festival journey, including selections and presentations at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Mediterranean Documentary Festival and Chania Film Festival.

Its journey from film festivals to national public television brings this distinctive part of Greek cinematic and visual history to an even wider audience.

📺 Saturday, Sept. 19 | 10 p.m. | ERT3

The documentary will also be available for 30 days on Ertflix and ERTFLIX International.

🔗 Learn more about the documentary and Professor Thomaidis’ work on the Webster Athens blog: https://www.webster.edu.gr/blog/2025/professor-spotlights-greek-cinema-art.php

Webster Athens Professor Spotlights Greece’s Cinema Art Globally "A River Called Vakirtzis," directed by Webster Athens professor Panos A. Thomaidis, pays tribute to Greece’s hand-painted movie posters. The film was featured at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival under the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek National Tourism Organization...

Webster Athens thanks AHEPA Hellas - District 25 for its extensive and moving tribute to our late rector and managing director, Professor Vasilis J. Botopoulos, and for honoring him at his funeral service in his hometown of Tripoli.

In its tribute, “The AHEPA Family Bids Farewell to a Great Brother,” AHEPA Hellas reflected on his life, contributions and lasting impact: “For Vasilis, education was about more than academic knowledge. It was a way to bring young people closer to their roots and build bridges between Greece and the Greek diaspora.”

“The thousands of young people who experienced Greece through Journey to Greece will forever remain a living part of his legacy.”

We are grateful to AHEPA for honoring his dedication to education, youth and Hellenism.

Ahepa Hellas District 25

Webster Athens thanks AHEPA Supreme President Chris Kaitson and the AHEPA family for their heartfelt tribute to our late Rector and Managing Director, Professor Vasilis J. Botopoulos.

His dedication to education, Hellenism and the AHEPA Journey to Greece program leaves a lasting legacy.

Order of AHEPA
Webster University

“Vasilis has spent over a decade building something rare at Webster Athens, a campus that reflects his and Webster's own character: rigorous, warm and deeply rooted in place, time and opportunity,” said Ryan Guffey, executive vice president of Webster International.

“What strikes me most is his instinct for stewardship – the sense that a university is something you’re entrusted with, not something you simply run,” Guffey added. “Webster Athens today, and everyone it has shaped, carries his imprint and we couldn't be prouder to carry it forward.”

Webster Mourns Webster Athens Rector Vasilis J. Botopoulos The Webster community mourns the passing of Webster Athens Rector and Managing Director, Professor Vasilis J. Botopoulos. Botopoulos served Webster Athens as its inaugural rector and managing director since 2014.

Webster Athens Mourns the Passing of Rector Professor Vasilis J. Botopoulos

It is with profound sorrow that the Webster Athens community announces the passing of our Rector and Managing Director, Professor Vasilis J. Botopoulos.

His sudden passing has left our community in deep shock and sorrow. A respected academic leader, Professor Botopoulos dedicated more than three decades to advancing American higher education in Greece. Since 2014, he served Webster Athens as its inaugural Rector and Managing Director, leading with integrity, dedication and a deep commitment to education and its students.

“Our beloved Vasilis has passed away,” shared his wife, Professor Ino Korbaki, and their daughters, Anastasia and Eleni. “He departed peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

“We are all deeply saddened by the devastating news of the passing of our beloved and respected Rector Vasilis Botopoulos,” said Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Dr. Susie Michailidis.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, Aug. 29, at 11:30 a.m. at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Basil in Tripoli, Arcadia, Greece, his hometown.

The Webster Athens community extends its deepest condolences to his wife, Ino, his daughters, Anastasia and Eleni, and all his family and loved ones.

May his memory be eternal.

⛽ Power the future of energy leadership. 🌍

The global energy sector is evolving rapidly, creating new opportunities for professionals with expertise in business, management and energy operations.

At Webster Athens, the Graduate Certificate in Oil and Gas provides an advanced understanding of the petroleum industry, combining business and managerial knowledge with practical insight into upstream and downstream operations, project management, supply chain, economics and leadership.

Exclusively offered at Webster Athens, this graduate certificate prepares professionals to navigate the challenges of today's energy industry and develop the strategic skills needed to lead in a changing global marketplace.

📅 Classes start Aug. 24 — Register now!

🔗 Learn more about the program:
https://www.webster.edu.gr/academics/graduate/oil-and-gas.php

📩 Request more information:
https://webster.edu.gr/admissions/request-more-info.php

📞 Contact our Admissions team:
https://webster.edu.gr/admissions/contact.php

📧 [email protected]