Rhodes College, Political Science/Public Policy

For two weeks in May 2023 Professor Nikolaos Zahariadis, Mertie Buckman Chair at the Department of International Studies of Rhodes College (Memphis, TN, USA), was a Fulbright Specialist at the Center for Research on Democracy and Law of the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki with a project titled, “EU Crises: Comparing European and American Responses.  With the valuable assistance of Fulbright Greece, Dr. Zahariadis was offered the opportunity to meet with the Rector of the University and faculty members of the Department of International and European Studies to discuss mutually beneficial institutional and departmental collaborative possibilities, provide valuable input and feedback on undergraduate/postgraduate courses and curriculum development, deliver guest lectures in departmental courses on crises, politics and security, and collaborate with faculty and research members of the Center. The Fulbright Specialist imparted important expertise within the context of the Center's research projects “Politics and the Justice System of the United States of America” (USPOLJUST) and “Observatory of Government Restrictive Measures for the COVID-19 pandemic” (GovRM-COVID19) and participated as a keynote speaker at the Center's event, “Political & Judicial Crisis in the USA: Challenges and Prospects.” Dr. Zahariadis also gave an interview in Greek on U.S. national elections and the Trump presidency to the nationwide broadcaster ERT3. Despite the intense schedule, or perhaps because of it, the Fulbright Specialist visit was a particularly meaningful exercise in professional and personal growth. As the scholar emphasizes: it is a short-term experience that lasts a lifetime.