The Nikos Kazantzakis Visiting Scholar Program was created in University of California, Berkeley after a $1 million donation from Foundation for Modern Greek Studiesbased in San Francisco.

As Christina Filou, professor of history and director of the Modern Greek Studies Program at Berkeley, commented, this is an opportunity to open up new discussions about the history, culture and literature of modern Greece. “By paying tribute to the life and work of Nikos Kazantzakis, we honor the complex, beautiful and often experiential life of the Greeks in the modern world,” he said.

The goal of the program, which will begin in 2023, is to support visiting scholars working in the field of Modern Greek studies, with a special focus on Modern Greek language, literature, cinema, history and culture. Fellows will present the annual “Nikos Kazantzakis Lecture” and will be able to conduct workshops and research during their stay. The Foundation and the University are also seeking to increase donations to fund the Kazantzakis Chair.