Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies
The Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies is an institution dedicated, for more than fifty years, to Greek culture study in its entire history and time. This studies centre spanning the archaic, medieval and modern versions of Greece. It is located in Santiago and depends on Universidad de Chile. Since its foundation, the Center has had as its headquarters the Greek Pavilion, a building donated to Universidad de Chile by Messrs. Gabriel and Jorge Mustakis Dragonas, General Consuls of Greece in Santiago and Valparaíso, respectively. Since 1998, institution's official name is Centro de Estudios Griegos Bizantinos y Neohelénicos Fotios Malleros. His research field and teaching extends to Greek culture's three great social and political stages: Ancient, Byzantine and Neo-Greek. This institute have been a mainstay in Chile-Greece relations.
History
It was founded as Centro de Estudios Bizantinos y Neohelénicos in 1968, being Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Hernán Ramírez Necochea. The decision was made on the proposal of Professor Fotios Malleros and was unanimously adopted. Its founding professors were Fotios Malleros, Héctor Herrera Cajas, Alejandro Zorbas and Miguel Castillo Didier. In 1972, the institution published Herrera Cajas thesis on Byzantine Empireinternational relations during migration period. Its releasing was a milestone due to, in words of Medieval HistoryPhD José Marín: "Its a study of great intellectual rigor, with an impeccable critical apparatus which all existing sources for the subject are cited and commented; in short, its a highest level research which has deservedly placed its author among most important Byzantinists of century second half" considerating that German historian Günther Weiss included it in his specialized bibliographic repertoire. Likewise, Günter Weiβ pointed out: "On Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies Centre publication in Santiago, scholar Professor Héctor Herrera Cajas presents all the important diplomatic relations at great migrations time, treated from Persian border to Danube. The text is worked directly from sources and illustrates very well each moment's political background. Byzantine diplomacyoscillates between demand for universality, and harshest, often painful and distressing". One of its most important members, Miguel Castillo Didier, was condecorated by Ministry of Culture & Arts of Chile due to his international as a result of his more than 160 works on Greek studies and musicology translated into English, French and Greek.
