MYSTRAS, Greece – The International Academic Conference on Byzantium and China: Relationships and Parallels, co-organized by the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice and Peking University, takes place on October 2-3, in Mystras, Greece.

The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice is the only institute-research center abroad owned by the Greek State and supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With its varied activities, it is a beacon of Greek culture in the heart of Europe. In the context of strengthening extroversion and promoting collaborations and synergies worldwide, the Institute has organized, together with Peking University, the conference Byzantium and China: Relationships and Parallels.

The Conference will be opened by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, as well as Secretary General of Hellenes Abroad and Public Diplomacy Ioannis Chrysoulakis will address the audience.

A number of academics from Europe and China will participate with interventions in the context of the conference, covering the wide-ranging issue of the long-standing relationship between Byzantium and China, which is gaining increasing interest in both the recent archaeological evidence as well as with the ever-increasing presence of Eurasia on the world geopolitical scene.

Trade relations, religious missions, cultural exchanges, spiritual pursuits, and material culture prove that Byzantium was the bridge between the peoples of Eurasia and the Western world, launching policies of cooperation and competition, innovating in many fields and responding dynamically to geography and different cultural references.

The international conference will be held October 2-3 in Mystras and will be broadcast live on the Hellenic Institute’s YouTube channel.

The relevant links are:

October 2:

https://youtu.be/cfCZ-Qp6VgI

October 3:

https://youtu.be/iERjwK_ntDw