Marking 100 years since its founding, the Academy of Athens is inaugurating a new chapter in international cooperation by hosting, the opening symposium of the International Community of Academies, on Feb. 9–10.

The gathering signals the launch of a permanent forum designed to foster dialogue among academies and leading figures in science, the humanities, and the arts worldwide.

The initiative begins with the participation of 36 academies, underscoring its global scope from the outset. Rather than seeking quick conclusions, the forum aims to cultivate sustained interdisciplinary discussion on the pressing challenges of our time, as technological, environmental, and social transformations reshape contemporary societies.

A key focus of the symposium will be the impact of climate change on Mediterranean monuments of cultural and natural heritage. Climate stress is increasingly viewed as a serious threat to the resilience of sites of exceptional historical value.

In this context, Professor Christos Zerefos, Greece’s National Representative for Climate Change and Chair of the International Community of Academies, will present findings from a recent study assessing the vulnerability of Mediterranean UNESCO heritage monuments.

The research evaluates exposure to risk through six climate indicators alongside a seismic risk index, offering a comprehensive picture of the dangers facing the region’s heritage.

The program also turns to the enduring dialogue between culture and power. Academician Theodore D. Papanghelis will examine how literature engages with authority and historical continuity, tracing poetic timelessness from archaic and lyric Greek traditions to the literary production of the Augustan era.

Bridging classical thought and modern science, mathematician Athanassios S. Fokas will explore how foundational concepts of ancient Greek philosophy can shed light on contemporary understandings of human cognition and behavior.

Through these diverse perspectives, the symposium seeks to establish Athens as a new crossroads for global intellectual exchange.