Press Release
We are proud to announce that, following approval by the LSE Council, the Hellenic Observatory has been upgraded to the status of an LSE Research Centre—the HO Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus—launching its operations from this academic year.
This transformation comes under the new leadership of Professor Vassilis Monastiriotis, who was appointed to the Eleftherios Venizelos Chair of Contemporary Greek Studies last year. Structured around three broad disciplinary clusters (Politics & Geopolitics, Economy & Public Policy, and Society, Identity & Rights), the Centre aims at advancing world-leading scholarship on contemporary Greece and Cyprus across the social sciences, drawing on the expertise of a large team of senior LSE academics and external Research Associates; as well as on strategic collaborations with research institutes and public bodies in Greece and Cyprus.
In its first phase of development, the new Centre will prioritise on three key thematic areas: Gender and the position of women in Greek/Cypriot economy and society, Growth strategies and the green transition, and Citizenship, civic engagement and the State. We are currently launching a number of projects under these themes, including work on gender stereotypes and the representation of femicides; gender-based occupational segregation; demand for skills and hiring practices by employers; strategic investments, capital misallocation and productivity gaps; decarbonisation of energy-heavy industries; regional inequalities and political discontent; housing affordability; and others. The Centre also incorporates LSE’s Research Group on Southeast Europe (LSEE), reflecting its ongoing interest in the wider region of which Greece and Cyprus are a part.
Building on the rich legacy of the Hellenic Observatory, the Centre will also continue its public engagement and talent-nurturing activities, including the biennial PhD Symposium, its LSE seminar series, its programme of high-profile public lectures in London, Cyprus and Greece, its discussion papers series, its programme of external research calls, and many others.
We marked this new chapter in our history with a public lecture by Professor Costas Arkolakis (University of Yale), who spoke on the challenges and opportunities within the renewable energy paradigm and the transition to cleaner economic growth—one of the most significant industrial challenges of our time.
Watch the video Listen to the podcast
Learn more about the Hellenic Observatory Centre
Read our Press Release in Greek.
The Hellenic Observatory Centre in the news
The Observatory's upgrade was warmly received by the Media, with articles published at the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), ERT news, Kathimerini and the Hellenic Post.
Eugenia Anastassiou wrote the article Renewable Energy and The Hellenic Observatory’s New Chapter at the LSE for Kerkyra Publications.
Professor Vassilis Monastiriotis gave interviews to ERTnews, ERT radio and RIK.