Centre for Hellenistic Studies

Thanks to a recent posting on Jim Davila's blog Paleojudaica, based on information provided by Athens News, I have been made aware of the establishment of a Centre for Hellenistic Studies at the Libray of Alexandria in Egypt:"With a capacity of eight million volumes, the Library of Alexandria will host a Centre for Hellenistic Studies as of 2008. The Alexander S Onassis Foundation and the Vardinoyannis Foundation will share the centre's funding as part of their efforts to boost Greek culture abroad and promote the history of the Hellenistic era, during which the ancient library was created.
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The Alexandria Centre for Hellenistic Studies will offer diplomas and degrees at the master's and PhD levels. The Library of Alexandria will provide the centre with classrooms, lecture rooms and meeting areas. All lessons will be conducted in English, and students will have access to the library premises for their research.

The director of the Library of Alexandria, Dr Ismail Serageldin announced that the centre will receive its first students in September 2008. Referring to the centre's Hellenistic focus, he pointed out: "This was a period when Greece and Egypt joined hands... We should once more reach hands across the Mediterranean to bring that period to life for a new generation of scholars.""

Even though this particular centre will focus on the Hellenistic times, it should be relevant also for students of Philo and his Roman times. It should be thus be interesting to see how the development of this centre will be.