Foundation of the School of Philosophy

The Faculty of Philosophy was the first University School, which was founded in Ioannina in November 1964, as a branch of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Its establishment and operation were the result of coordinated, long-standing initiatives and actions of the political and intellectual world of Epirus (Sotiris Dakaris, Konstantinos Frontzos, Spyros Katsadimas, Grigorios Sakkas, Konstantinos Agnantis, Christos Derdemezis, Charilaos Tsogkas, Ioannis Dallas, Angelos Kitsos, Georgios Exarchopoulos, Georgios Melanidis, Eleftheria Sombola, etc.).

In the early 1960s, efforts to create a Higher Educational Institution in Ioannina intensified, with the formation of the “Central Committee for the Struggle for the University of Ioannina” in Athens. The final official state commitment to the establishment of the School of Philosophy of Ioannina was given by the government on May 7, 1964. A few days later, preparatory visits by the Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Loukis Akritas, to Thessaloniki and Ioannina followed. At the same time, on the afternoon of May 7, 1964, a ceremony was held in the Central Square of Ioannina a large rally, initiated by the student associations of Epirus, which demanded the establishment of the third Greek University in the Epirus capital. The massiveness of the demonstration led the MP for Ioannina and Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Georgios Mylonas, to commit, by telegram, on the same day, to the establishment of a University in Ioannina.

On November 7, 1964, the official inauguration of the School of Philosophy of Ioannina took place as a branch of the School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The inauguration ceremony took place in the building of the Zosimaia Pedagogical Academy with the presence of members of the Government, professors of the Aristotle University, as well as intellectual and political figures of Ioannina.

Solemn speeches were delivered by the Metropolitan of Ioannina and later Archbishop of Athens, Seraphim, the Rector of the University of Thessaloniki, Nikolaos Aspiotis, the Dean of the School of Philosophy, Michael Sakellariou, and the oldest Professor of the School of Philosophy, Ioannis Kakridis. On behalf of the intellectual world of Ioannina, the philologist and writer Ioannis Dallas and Georgios Vavaretos, member of ESIEA, spoke as a representative of the Epirotes, who also announced the first financial donation of 25,000 drachmas from ESIEA for the establishment of the Philosophical Society of Ioannina. The event concluded with speeches by Prime Minister and Minister of Education, George Papandreou, and Deputy Minister of Education, Loukis Akritas. George Papandreou likened the inauguration to a mysticism and described the establishment of the University as mental passionLoukis Akritas spoke of a spiritual landmark of Hellenism and for a great spiritual and cultural center in the capital of Epirus.

The School was founded with the Royal Decree 735/1964 (Government Gazette A' 240), which was signed on November 28, 1964 by the then Crown Princess Irene, the Minister of Finance Konstantinos Mitsotakis and the Deputy Minister of Education Loukis Akritas. The first core of the University operated for the first time during the academic year 1964-65 and the organization of the new School included a four-year cycle of studies, which granted degrees in Classical, Middle and Modern Greek Studies.

Teaching staff

During the first academic year, the teaching staff of the School consisted of Stylianos Kapsomenos, Professor of the 3rd regular chair of Ancient Greek Philology of the School of Philosophy of the University of Thessaloniki, Stamatios Karatzas, Professor of the extraordinary independent chair of Modern Greek Philology at the same School, and the Professors on contract: Dimitrios Loukatos of Folklore, Lambros Housiadas of Psychology, Theofanis Kakridis of Classical Philology and Christina Dedousi (D.F.), Professor of Ancient Greek at the University of Thessaloniki.

In the same direction, in the same academic year, the following Studies Centers operated: a) Classical Literature and Ancient History, b) Medieval Greek Literature and Byzantine History, c) Modern Greek Literature and Folklore, d) Philosophy and Pedagogy, e) History of Art, f) Linguistics, g) History of Modern Times. Workshop and the Folklore Museum and Archive.

The newly founded School was initially located in the old building of the Zosimaia Pedagogical Academy, then, in 1965, it was relocated to the building on Dompoli Street with the contribution of the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Georgios Mylonas, who, on April 29, 1965, after the death of Loukis Akritas, assumed the duties of Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs.

In 1970, with Legislative Decree No. 746/1970, an independent Higher Educational Institution was established in Ioannina. At the same time, the School of Philosophy of the University of Ioannina was established, to which the branch of the Aristotle School of Philosophy was incorporated. The School of Philosophy initially included 23 regular chairs, which were gradually increased, according to the needs of the curriculum.

During the academic year 1977-1978, the awarding of degrees in Historical Studies began, and during the academic year 1980-1981, degrees in Archaeology and Educational Sciences.

From 1964 to 1984, a total of 6,922 students enrolled in the School of Philosophy, of whom 3,648 received a degree, while the first student swearing-in took place in the academic year 1969-1970 with just eight graduates. During the same period, 55 Doctoral Degrees were awarded by the Faculty of Philosophy. During the academic year 1984-1985, the previously unified Faculty of Philosophy, based on Presidential Decree 445/18.10.1984, was divided into three Departments: of Philology, History and Archaeology and of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology. The Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology was renamed the Department of Philosophy from the academic year 2019-2020 (Government Gazette 142/Β΄/3-8-2018).

The Dodoni Scientific Yearbook has been published since 1972. Volumes 1 (1971) to 13 (1984) concerned the unified School of Philosophy, while from 1985 onwards each Department publishes its own issue of the Yearbook each academic year.

The famous Dean of the School was established in 1971. It is about the περιστερά μετά στεφάνου ελαίας, η οποία αντιγράφει απεικόνιση αρχαίου νομίσματος της Κασσώπης.

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Katerini Liambi
Nikolaos A. Anastasopoulos