On Sunday, July 7, 2024, the first Summer School organized by the Department of Classics of the Department of Philology at the University of Crete concluded with great success. The event, titled “Summer School in Classics: Crete Past and Present,” lasted 8 days (from June 30 to July 7, 2024) and was hosted at the Gallos campus in Rethymno. It welcomed 30 students of all study levels from around the world, including prestigious universities in Europe (Oxford, Edinburgh, Southampton, Reading, Lincoln, Siena, Utrecht, Brussels, Athens, Patras) and the Americas (Penn State, New York University, University of Southern California, UFMG, Brazil). The instruction was conducted in English.

The Summer School aimed to familiarize students with both the past and present of Crete, offering a blend of experiential learning and academic teaching. Its interdisciplinary approach was based on the study of both literary texts and the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Crete. Participants had the opportunity to explore the island’s cultural wealth through in-class text and inscription studies, as well as field trips to museums and significant sites in Rethymno and Heraklion (Knossos, Phaistos, Gortyna, Archaeological Museums of Rethymno, Heraklion, and Mesara). The Department of Classics collaborated with colleagues from the Heraklion Ephorate of Antiquities and ELMEPA, as well as professors from the University of Crete’s Department of Physics and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s Department of Philology for the successful implementation of the program.