“Women and Diplomacy"

On the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of its founding, the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus, in collaboration with the organization “WOMEN ACT,” organized the second conference titled Women and Diplomacy on May 26.

Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Maira Myrogianni, delivered a speech entitled “Women in International Relations and in the Greek Diaspora” and Director General for Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Katerina Koika, participated in a panel discussion entitled “Women in High-Level Diplomacy: Breaking the Glass Ceiling”.

Study in Greece interviewed Professor Panayotis Glavinis on the International LL.B. of the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης), its features and what it has to offer to international students. Panayotis Glavinis is Dean of the Faculty of Law and Professor of International Economic Law at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He teaches International Trade Law, International Investment Law, International Business Transactions, Development Cooperation, and Energy Law at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Maira Myrogianni outlined the Greek government’s priorities for the diaspora

Speaking to journalists at the Greek Consulate General in New York, the Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Maira Myrogianni, presented the key priorities of the General Secretariat, emphasizing that the strategy for the Greek diaspora is “a dynamic plan” built on continuous dialogue with expatriate communities.

She explained that the government’s main priorities include engaging younger generations, strengthening Greek-language education, improving consular services, advancing digitalization, and fostering closer cooperation with diaspora organizations. The overarching goal, she noted, is to strengthen younger generations’ connection to Greece, the Greek language and cultural traditions.

Ms. Myrogianni placed particular emphasis on Greek language and education, describing them as central pillars of the Secretariat’s initiatives, while acknowledging the challenges faced by Greek community schools abroad.

Referring to programs that host young members of the diaspora in Greece, Ms. Myrogianni said the aim is to help participants “get to know Greece better” while building connections with peers both from Greece and from Greek communities around the world.

Addressing public diplomacy, she emphasized that Greece seeks to project not only its ancient and Byzantine heritage, but also its contemporary cultural, scientific, and technological achievements.

She also highlighted collaboration with Greek scientists, academics, physicians, lawyers, and innovation professionals in the United States, stressing the importance of linking Greece’s ecosystem with European and international networks and promoting the country as a hub of knowledge, creativity, and innovation.

Ms. Myrogianni additionally described postal voting as “a new development” that must be effectively communicated to the diaspora. She noted that the reform removes previous barriers for Greeks living abroad, allowing them to participate in elections “without any other prerequisite.”