History

In 1984 university students of Macquarie University with Greek and Cypriot backgrounds established the Macquarie University Greek Society (MUGS). Later named the Macquarie University Greek Association (MUGA). Since then, MUGA’s primary objective has been to maintain Greek Identity by the promotion of Greek language and culture. 

On the 5^th November 1986, the late Vasilis Georgiou at the MUGA Annual General Meeting moved a resolution, which was accepted unanimously by the students “that an independent Greek Studies Foundation be established at Macquarie University and the Trustee Committee be made up primarily of graduate students and members of the Greek community to assist the students’ efforts”. Along with this, Mr. Theophilus Premetis put forward a guarantee.

Vasilis and the Trustees made an agreement with Macquarie University that the Modern Greek Program will start in the 1988 academic year on a temporary basis provided a bank guarantee be given for all costs. The Greek brotherhood and the entire Greek community gave generously in donations, advertising, media, and all sorts of other kinds.

Due to an immense increase in the number of students studying Modern Greek Studies (from 52 students in 1992 to 123 students in 1996) and the lobbying of the Macquarie University Greek Studies Foundation, Macquarie University decided in 1996 to commit itself to the successful program and to establish a permanent Modern Greek Studies Program.

Macquarie University agreed to fund the Modern Greek Studies Program with the assistance of the Greek Studies Foundation (Appendix A). The Foundation in order to assist this funding passed a resolution to raise a capital fund of $375,000. The annual income earned from this fund would contribute to the cost of maintaining the Modern Greek Studies Program by the University. The University manages the capital fund, which will be used for educational purposes in promoting the Greek language and culture. In the event that the agreement between Macquarie University and Greek Studies Foundation defaults, the total fund will be returned to the foundation.

After Vasilis Georgiou’s death in 1996, the Macquarie University Fund Raising Committee was established as an extension of the Foundation in order to assist in raising necessary funds so as Vasilis’ vision to continue to flourish.

Macquarie University Greek Studies Foundation then decided that the program be named ‘The Vasili Georgiou Modern Greek Studies Program of Macquarie University. In March 1997 Dr. Elizabeth Kefallinos was appointed as the new Lecturer in charge of the Modern Greek Studies Program.