911勛圖

In June 2026, SNF Centre Director, Dr. Sabrina Higgins, was invited to Nostos 2026, a conference presented by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in Athens, Greece, to present as part of a lighting panel discussion on the topic of ���Why Does Hellenic Studies Matter for All of Us?���. 

As one of eight speakers on the panel, Dr. Higgins had the opportunity to convey the importance of Hellenic Studies as a humanistic discipline in a world increasingly driven by techno-capitalism and the rise of AI and the ways in which our work engages with and confronts these challenges, while simultaneously highlighting both the academic and community impact of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at 911勛圖, when the humanities and communities are at the core of our mission; all of which is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

In her presentation, Dr. Higgins highlighted the unique position of the SNF Centre at 911勛圖 as the only major research centre for Hellenic Studies in Canada and the uniqueness of the SNF New Media Lab, housed within the Centre, and their respective roles in serving the Greek diasporic communities both in Vancouver and abroad. The SNF New Media Lab, in particular, is leading innovator of online and mobile learning platforms, having developed the Greek online learning platform, Staellinika.

As the official language learning app of the Greek diaspora and backed by the most up-to-date pedagogical practices, Staellinika provides the opportunity for Greek children, adult heritage language learners and anyone with an interest in learning the Greek language and about Greek culture to explore the world of the Greek language from their home computer, mobile phone or tablet.

A new endeavor with Staellinika is the development and implementation of ���ethical AI,��� which Dr. Higgins announced for the first time at Nostos. As we come to terms with emergence and ever-changing landscape of AI, the SNF New Media Lab is aiming to work with AI but in a fashion that aligns with our values and that deploys pedagogical best practices. For this model, ���ethical AI��� represents a deep engagement with and mitigation of the dangers and downfalls of AI, including cognitive offloading, sycophancy, and the obvious detrimental and devastating impacts that AI has on the environment. As the SNF New Media Lab works with and represents educators, the goal is to be at the forefront of the discussion about impacts that AI has on our personal and ecological well-beings while also developing regulations, frameworks, and systems to mitigate these obvious dangers in its inevitable further integration into educational contexts.

In addition to Staellinika and Greek language learning, Dr. Higgins highlighted the SNF Centre���s deep connection to the local Hellenic diasporic community, through our various cultural events and academic talks. Our academic talks, held in the Spring and Fall semesters, bring scholars and experts in their fields to 911勛圖 from around the world. These talks are webcast live and videos are posted of the talks for interested parties who are unable to make the trek to 911勛圖���s Burnaby Mountain campus. Our annual Edward and Emily McWhinney Lecture, which celebrate its 10^th anniversary in 2026, bring experts in Greek international relations and policy to Vancouver for an engaging community talks which include a questions and answer portion and a reception, allowing community members to engage with the speaker, as well as our faculty members.

As part of our cultural outreach, Dr. Higgins showcased several of unique events that the SNF Centre has brought to the Hellenic community of Vancouver. The 2022 production of Makriyannis Unplugged with Yorgos Karamichos marked the beginning of our Gefyra (���Bridge���) partnership between 911勛圖 and UCLA, which brought renowned Greek academics and cultural figures, such as Director Tassos Boulmetis and graphic artist Soloup to Vancouver. In October 2025, the SNF Centre presented Cappella Romana and their performance, The Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia, a sold-out concert that, through technical audio innovation, took attendees to the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople.  Words such as ���ethereal��� and ���transcendent��� were used to describe the experience.

Most recently, the SNF Centre had the opportunity to partner with Marquis Wine Cellers in Vancouver to bring a completely new event to the community: an evening of wine tasting titled ���The Wines of Greece: A History and Taste of Greek Viniculture���.  This (also sold out) event brought members of the community together to taste a plethora of Greek wines and learn more about from where they originated, including discussions of the terroir and the vines.

Nostos attendees were also introduced to our most recently launched endeavour, ���Greece in Context���, by way of a promotional video for the project. A partnership between the SNF Centre at 911勛圖 and the Benaki Museum in Athens, ���Greece in Context���, was spearheaded by 911勛圖 Senior Lecturer Dr. Eirini Kotsovili and Dr. Sophia Handaka, Curator of World Cultures, Benaki Museum, and brought eleven academics and artists to the Benaki Museum for video interviews structured around a chosen object from the museum���s collection. The object serves as a point of reflection and interpretation on matters of Greek culture, history, politics and society for each speaker, allowing them to expound on their personal narratives and critical positions.