The health and cultural needs of ageing migrants will be a focus of the 9th International Conference on Greek Research at Flinders University next week.
The four-day event, jointly presented by the Department of Modern Greek and the Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, will incorporate the Ageing in the Migrant Diaspora Conference.
Conference convenor, Professor Michael Tsianikas, said the conferences bring together international experts from academia, as well as the government, service and not-for-profit sectors.
“In addition to presenting the latest international research on Greek and Cypriot cultural studies, the conferences aim to focus on, understand and give voice to people from non-English speaking backgrounds that are ageing in a foreign land,” Professor Tsianikas said.
“Ageing migrants from Greek and other culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia and overseas have their own, unique issues regarding health, the provision of services and cultural identity,” he said.
“The conferences will explore these issues in detail and provide a forum for debate on ways to address and improve their quality of life that is important for policy makers and the community at large.
“It is an example of how the unique collaboration between Modern Greek and the Southgate Institute, with the support of Dr Lareen Newman and Dr Ruth Walker, is working – not outside or above the communities but within and alongside them.”
Professor Tsianikas said the 9th International Conference on Greek Research has “a vibrant program” of papers covering ancient Greek philosophy, classical studies, literature, language and Cyprus.
“Among our many special guests, we are honoured to have as a keynote speaker Professor Van Coufoudakis from Indiana University-Purdue University in the USA, whose lecture Turkey’s Systematic Destruction of Historic Non-Muslim and Non-Turkish Communities and International Law promises to spark a lively debate,” Professor Tsianikas said.
Full program and registration details for the 9th International Conference on Greek Research and the Ageing in the Migrant Diaspora Conference.
Flinders University has hosted the International Greek Research Conference, the most important event of its kind in Australia, since 1997.