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hanghai International Studies University (SISU) opened the “Marilena Laskaridis Greek Cultural Center” on its Songjiang campus on October 11, 2025. The center was established with support from the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation and aims to promote Greek studies and cross-cultural understanding.

Yin Dongmei,Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai International Studies University, thanked the Foundation for its long-term support of Greek studies and cultural exchange at SISU during the opening ceremony. She added that she hoped the new center would promote academic cooperation and research projects in a more specific way.She also emphasized that SISU would support the center to combine talent training, academic research, and international cooperation.

Panos Laskaridis,President of Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, acknowledged SISU’s role in establishing the center. He said the center, building on SISU’s contribution to Greek Studies, would develop more Greek language programs for Chinese scholars and Chinese cultural programs for Greek students.

The Foundation donated a Latin edition of The Complete Works of Plato, published in Venice in 1556 during the opening ceremony, . According to Laskaridis, the donation was intended to provide primary-source material for scholars working in the field of classical studies.

During the visit after the opening ceremony, Laskaridis met with students majoring in Greek, and encouraged them to continue exploring Greek culture.

For students, the new center brings a sense of excitement and belonging because it offers new opportunities to engage with Greek language and culture. 

Li, a third-year student majoring in Greek Studies said that the most exciting thing is to exchanges with Greek universities. He noted that having such a cultural center on campus made him more connected to the world. He said he hopes the new platform will give students more chances to experience Greek culture in person.

The Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation has long been active in promoting Greek culture internationally. At SISU, it has set up a special fund within the university’s Education Development Foundation to support the center’s growth and future projects.

Attendees of the opening ceremony included representatives from the Foundation, SISU’s Foreign Cooperation Office, the School of Western Languages, and students and faculty of the Greek Studies program.