The special significance of the conferral of an honorary professorship upon His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew by the Department of Environment of the Ionian University was highlighted by Professor Christos Karydis, President of the Department of Environment, who described the occasion as a historic moment of profound symbolism and international importance.
As he noted, the ceremony will take place on 26 June at the historic Phanar, a site of unique significance for Orthodoxy, culture, and global dialogue. According to Professor Karydis, the decision constitutes recognition of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s longstanding contribution to environmental protection and to promoting ecological responsibility as a moral and spiritual obligation of contemporary humanity.
Professor Karydis further observed that His All-Holiness ranks among the first religious leaders to draw international attention to the close relationship between the environmental crisis and human behaviour, culture, as well as the quality of democracy and social cohesion. He also emphasised that, through a series of international initiatives, the Patriarch has helped cultivate a new ecological consciousness that transcends national borders, religions, and ideologies.
The President of the Department of Environment stressed that, for the Ionian University, this conferral represents not only a distinguished academic honour but also a meaningful symbolic act expressing the institution’s commitment to serving science with social sensitivity, an international outlook, and active engagement in addressing the major challenges of our time.
In concluding, Professor Karydis described the occasion as a historic day for the University, the academic community, and the broader public dialogue on the environment and sustainability, expressing sentiments of pride and optimism for the future.
Source: zantetimes.gr
