Launched in 2021 by the University of Piraeus, and developed in collaboration with New York University (NYU), a new MSc in American Studies is taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study of what makes the US the US—from foreign policy, politics and economics to history, culture and society. Business Partners spoke to Dr. Aristotle Tziampiris, Program Director and Professor of International Relations at the University of Piraeus, and President of the Council for International Relations-Greece (CFIR-GR), to find out more.
The new MSc offers students a unique opportunity to explore the key forces that shaped the US and are still shaping US policy today. Tell us a bit about it.
The MSc in American Studies: Politics, Strategy and Economics is the first master’s program in Greece dedicated to teaching about the United States. Its curriculum is formulated in consultation with NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. The US has an incredibly complex political system and a very complicated, fascinating history, and it’s also the world’s largest economy. There’s a lot to cover, so our approach is interdisciplinary and we have professors from various universities, including NYU, participating as guest lecturers. The program teaches the what and how of the United States of America, allowing students to learn the good and the bad and develop a deep understanding of the US and its role in the world. It’s incredible that this has not happened before, but I’m very glad that we are fulfilling something that was missing.
The program teaches the what and how of the United States of America
Who is this program for?
The program is designed for recent graduates as well as professionals from all kinds of backgrounds, from senior armed forces officers whose professional dealings involve NATO and the US to ministry employees who want to prepare for a posting in the US or want to be better equipped to advise government officials and policymakers on matters concerning the United States, and of course, people who want to do business in the US or with US companies—it’s very important to speak the same language, so to speak. Furthermore, as a hybrid program that is accessible online and is taught entirely in English, the MSc is open to students not just from Greece but from across the region, and that international aspect is part of our goal.
What kind of funding opportunities are there for students and what professional prospects can graduates expect?
We offer scholarships that are both need-based and merit-based, and qualifying students can have their tuition fees waived or reduced. As for prospects, a lot of our students already have careers, so it’s often not so much a matter of finding a job as it is of enjoying better prospects within their existing career path. For other students, there are numerous opportunities in the private sector. That is one of the things that we want to work on with the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, to offer more internships with companies and work that angle more. The economics element of our master’s program is particularly relevant in this, and the employment opportunities are simply tremendous and multiple.
What are some of the program’s highlights for the coming year?
We have a number of special events planned for this year. We are organizing a department trip for our graduate students to New York City and Washington DC as well as a five-day summer school in Evia in early summer 2023 with a group of NYU students and professors, and later next summer, we will also host a ceremony to award an honorary doctorate to Alexandra Papadopoulou, the first woman to serve as an ambassador of Greece to the United States. We also have a conference in the works, but we’ll announce more on that soon.
Special thanks to Alexandra Papaisidorou, Communications Specialist & UNESCO observateur