2nd “Beauty in the Same Air”: A Sino-Hellenic Comparative Summer School REGISTRATION OPEN!

Summer School | Second Edition | 1–5 August 2025 |Greece

We are pleased to announce the second edition of “Beauty in the Same Air,” an interdisciplinary summer school that will take place in Greece from 1 to 5 August 2025. This year’s program will combine guided exploration of Greece’s ancient heritage with comparative lectures on philosophy, history, politics and archaeology, offering participants a unique opportunity to explore the intellectual traditions and cultural developments of both ancient Greece and China. Teaching will be led by respected scholars and professors from both countries.

Our Instructors

Prof. Dr. Stelios Virvidakis: Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is the initiator, first President, and current Secretary of the Steering Committee of KELKIP (Center for Ancient Greek and Chinese Civilizations). He has delivered numerous lectures and intensive courses at leading Chinese universities, including Southwest University in Chongqing, Wuhan University, Peking University, Nanjing University, and Sudan University. His areas of specialization include epistemology, moral philosophy, and comparative Sino-Hellenic ethics and philosophy. 

Prof. Dr. Giorgos Vavouranakis: Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the National University of Athens. He taught as adjunct faculty at Athens, Crete and the Peloponnese, and at the Hellenic Open University. He also worked as a contract archaeologist for the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Specialisation: Aegean Prehistory, Archaeological theory and history of the discipline, Public archaeology, Sino-Hellenic Comparative Archaeology.

Prof. Dr. Giorgos Moraitis: Assistant professor at the department of political science, University of Crete. Specialization: China’s early interactions with Western international law, late 19th- to 20th-century Chinese and Japanese history, and 20th-century Sino-Greek maritime history.

Dr. Georgia Kordatzaki is a postdoctoral researcher and archaeologist, currently working as a freelance specialist in ceramic petrography and experimental archaeology. She is also affiliated with the Department of History at the Ionian University.

Meilin Lyu: PhD candidate at National University of Athens, Academy initiator & assistant director. Specialisation: Climate change & cultural heritage management. 

Dr. Yue Wu: Post-doc researcher with degrees from Peking, Tsinghua University and National University of Athens, focusing on Sino-Greek relations in the 20th century. Her research examines Greek political and media perceptions of China during this period. 

Detailed Program

Day 1 — The Heritage of Greek Philosophy and Its Reception in Contemporary Greece: Parallels in China
The first day will begin at 9:00 with participant introductions, during which each attendee will have the opportunity to briefly present themselves and their research interests. 

From 10:00 to 12:00, classroom teaching will focus on the early stages of Greek philosophy, from the Presocratics of Ionia and Southern Italy to the Classical era. Topics will include metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics, with attention to the philosophical turn from mythos to logos. These developments will be placed in dialogue with early Chinese thinkers, including Laozi, Confucius, and Mengzi, encouraging a comparative approach to the emergence of philosophical reasoning in East and West. 

Lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00

The afternoon session (13:00 to 15:00) will consist of a guided walking tour through Athens, visiting Aristotle’s Lyceum, the site of “Socrates’ Prison”, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Day 2 — Hellenistic Philosophical Schools and Chinese Parallels
The second day will begin at 9:00 with a lecture on the major philosophical schools of the Hellenistic period: the Epicureans, Stoics, and Skeptics. Discussion will address their differing approaches to happiness, knowledge, and emotional life, and how these relate to Chinese traditions such as those of Mozi, Zhuangzi, and Hanfeizi. The session will conclude with a brief exploration of Neoplatonism and its concern with the salvation of the soul, placed in conversation with early Buddhist teachings. 

A lunch break will take place from 12:00 to 13:30. 

In the afternoon, from 13:30 to 15:30, participants will enjoy a guided tour of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, led by Greek archaeological experts who will provide insights into material culture and ancient techniques. 

Day 3 — China and Greece from Antiquity to Modern Times
The third day will focus on modern comparative history. From 9:00 to 12:00, lectures will explore the presence of Greece in twentieth-century China, followed by an overview of socio-political and economic transformations in China and Japan during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

After the lunch break (12:00–13:00), the afternoon session from 13:00 to 15:00 will delve into Sino-foreign legal dynamics in late Qing China through the case of Robert Hart and the Maritime Customs Service. 

This will be followed by a guest lecture (1 hour) given by a post-doctoral researcher on modern Sino-Hellenic relations, focusing on diplomacy, cultural exchanges, and institutional cooperation.

Day 4 — Archaeology, Craft, and Contemporary Issues
On the fourth day, the morning session (9:00–12:00) will offer a session on Aegean prehistory and the development of Greek archaeology as a discipline, with a comparative analysis to Chinese prehistoric archaeology. 

After lunch (12:00–13:00), the afternoon will feature a hands-on workshop from 13:00 to 15:00, where participants will be introduced to the basic techniques of ancient pottery-making.

Day 5 — Full-Day Excursion and Closing Ceremony
The final day will be dedicated to a full-day cultural and archaeological excursion. Departing in the morning, participants will visit the archaeological site and museum of Mycenae, including the renowned Treasury of Atreus. The excursion will continue to Ancient Corinth and the Corinth Museum, followed by a stop at the Isthmia Canal. 

In the afternoon, there will be time to swim near the ancient site of Heraion at Perachora. The summer school will conclude with a closing ceremony, during which participants will receive their certificates of attendance. A farewell group dinner will follow back in Athens. 

Practical Information
Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel, including flights, visas, and insurance. Discounted accommodation recommendations will be provided, and in some cases, one complimentary accommodation spot at the institute may be available—please express your interest in this when registering. A minimum English language proficiency of B1 is advised to be able to interact with fellow students. Although lectures will be in English, Chinese-English translation will be available for support purposes.

Participants who wish to transfer credits (ECTS) to their home university may request a full syllabus with teaching hours. The recognition and credit transfer process should be handled by the participant with their home institution.

Fees and Registration
The program fee is €650 per person. An early bird rate of €600 is available until 1 May 2025. The summer school will proceed with a minimum of 8 registered students. Those registering with a friend are eligible for a 10% discount each.

To register, please send an email to our assistant director Meilin Lyu at sarameilin1712@gmail.com or contact via WeChat (lvmeilin-sg). For further inquiries or clarification, do not hesitate to reach out using the same contact details.

We warmly welcome students and early-career researchers from around the world to join us for this unique experience in philosophical and cultural exchange!