There are women to whom we owe so much, even though we’ve never met them; these women have silently carved paths for us younger ones with their courage, their convictions, and their hard work. One such woman is Ismini Phylactopoulou, who, in 1962, founded an educational project of great scope: College Year in Athens (CYA), which will soon celebrate six decades of existence. In today’s terms, we could describe the establishment of the CYA as the realization of a cultural diplomacy start-up as, over the years, Phylactopoulou managed to make generations of American students fall so passionately in love with Greece that they remained lifetime “ambassadors” of the country. Equally important as the results she achieved, however, is how she came to be in the position to accomplish them in the first place.

In 1922, at the age of 15, Phylactopoulou fled war-torn Smyrna (present-day Izmir), reaching the island of Chios by boat with her four brothers and her parents. In 1925, thanks to both her scholastic performance and her refugee status, she was given a special scholarship – these refugee scholarships were instituted by the Greek statesman Eleftherios Venizelos – to study at the renowned Wellesley College in the US. Returning to Greece, she became a professor of Biology at Athens College and the American College of Greece – Pierce, met her husband and started a family. The idea for College Year in Athens was born in the 1960s as a result of a number of Phylactopoulou’s American friends asking her where they could send their children to study in Greece. It seemed the country was rapidly becoming an attractive educational destination for Americans.

The first steps were risky because, while Phylactopoulou would show excellent business acumen as her undertaking took root, she came from a background in academic education and thus did not possess any practical knowledge of business management.

CYA was founded as a non-profit organization, which helped it establish credibility more rapidly and attract excellent partners. Thanks to this, and to her son Alexis Phylactopoulos, who carried on her vision, CYA – which later became known as DIKEMES as well – grew larger and stronger. Today, each year CYA brings around 1000 students from leading American universities to Greece; some come for a semester, some for an entire academic year, and some attend short academic programs. Students study subjects that focus on ancient, Byzantine, and contemporary Greece. Despite the enormous difficulties that the pandemic has caused in the education sector, especially for foreign students, the institution is not only continuing its operations, it is also continuing to contribute to the Greek community as well.

“American students come here feeling empathy for others and increased sensitivity towards issues of racism and discrimination which are prevalent in their lives, making them more observant of them. The voices of these young people enrich our own public debate,” president of CYA/ DIKEMES Alexis Phylactopoulos says. “Today’s students who are coming from abroad possess an idealism that drives them to contribute to their host society; they seek ways to serve the common good through work with NPOs and other activities. At the same time, they’re also fully engaged in their own professional development and in acquiring skills that will lead them to success in the job market.”.

“Our job is to show them that a deeper knowledge of history, philosophy, languages and the humanities in general, as well as an understanding of different cultures, will make them adaptable to different contexts and lifestyles. These elements will help them successfully face pandemics, expected and unexpected career changes, personal life decisions and even the question of which political leaders to choose. Most of all, these tools will inspire them and help them create their own future.”

This article was first published in Greek on ekathimerini.com