University of Crete Successfully Concludes the 3rd “Crete Past and Present” International Summer School
July 9, 2026 2026-07-09 10:39University of Crete Successfully Concludes the 3rd “Crete Past and Present” International Summer School
University of Crete Successfully Concludes the 3rd “Crete Past and Present” International Summer School
On Friday 26 June 2026, the third edition of the “Crete Past and Present” Summer School, organized by the Division of Classical Studies of the Department of Philology at the University of Crete, concluded with great success. Earlier that week, the members of the organizing committee – Zacharoula Petraki, Stelios Panayotakis, and Georgia Tsouni – welcomed thirty-one participants to Rethymno for a rich, six-day programme of events (21-26 June). The Summer School brought together an international cohort from across Europe (the Czech Republic, Norway, Spain, and Greece), the United Kingdom, the United States, Asia (China and the Philippines), and Australia. All teaching was conducted in English.
This year’s Summer School focused on the theme “Receptions of Crete,” which explored how the island’s landscapes, myths, archaeological sites, literary traditions, and cultural memory have been represented and reinterpreted across different historical periods. The programme took an interdisciplinary approach, combining courses in literature, archaeology, reception studies, and film studies. In addition, the students participated in a workshop on the use of digital methods and artificial intelligence in Classical Studies. They also gained a deeper appreciation of Crete’s cultural heritage through a series of lively class discussions and guided visits to museums and important historical and archaeological sites across the island.
The programme combined teaching sessions at the “Xenia” Student Cultural Center with educational excursions in Rethymno and Heraklion. The participants visited the Old Town of Rethymno and the Fortezza, the Arkadi Monastery, Knossos, the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno, the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna, and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The academic programme was delivered by teaching staff from the Division of Classical Studies, with contributions from colleagues in the Department specializing in Modern Greek Literature and Film Studies, as well as collaborators from the TALOS Lab. The Summer School also had the privilege of welcoming back Costas Panayotakis, Professor of Latin at the University of Glasgow, who, as guest instructor, offered teaching sessions on the Labyrinth and its receptions, as well as on Crete in Roman literature.
From the Organizing Committee
Summer School webpage: https://welcome.uoc.gr/2026/02/05/crete-past-and-present-receptions-of-crete/
