Dear friends
Yesterday the European Society for Modern Greek Studies launched an online petition to save the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Kingʼs College London. The petition can be accessed at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/sdbmgs10/petition.html
The College has initiated a consultation process on proposals to restructure the School of Arts&Humanities. Formally this process ends in early May. Under these proposals the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies is due to disappear, because it is too small to be ʽsustainable,ʼ both in terms of staff numbers and student recruitment, especially at BA level. Some staff posts are likely to be lost, others will be re-assigned to up to four different departments, thus dispersing the unique concentration of expertise that has been built up over many years. For information on the Department and its activities see:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/bmgs/
As well as signing the petition, do please consider writing personally to express your concern about these proposals. The address to write to is: Professor Rick Trainor, The Principal, Kingʼs College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS (principal@kcl.ac.uk) and copy to Professor Jan Palmowski, Head of the School of Arts and Humanities (jan.palmowski@kcl.ac.uk). It would be appreciated if you would also copy your letter, or just send a message to indicate that you have sent one, to the Head of Department, Professor David Ricks (david.ricks@kcl.ac.uk).
with best wishes
Roderick Beaton
Koraes Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature
Major Leverhulme Fellowship 2009-2012
Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies
King’s College London.