Research Collaboration between Ionian University Museology Research Laboratory and Harvard University, the Center for Hellenic Studies

The Museology Research Laboratory of the Department of Archives, Library Science and Museology of Ionian University (MRL-IU) announced its collaboration with Harvard University and the Center for Hellenic Studies. Dr Artemi Papandritsa, educator and researcher, received the highly competitive Early Career Fellowship in Hellenic Studies for the academic year 2024-2025 for research on "Museum Tours for Inmates – the ancient Greek encounters (MuTourIn)" in collaboration with MRL-IU supervising this research.

According to Assoc. Prof. Georgios Papaioannou, MRL-IU Director and research supervisor, the MuTourIn will organize museum-led e-tours and follow-up discussions with male and female inmates/students at Second Chance Schools in prisons in Greece. It will assess the impact on stakeholders, including inmates/students of various ages, educators, museum staff, researchers, and others. In addition, the project will contribute to the development of policies for museums and prisons. This initiative will shed light on how ancient Greek culture can be effectively communicated to inmates and the potential impact of their exposure to it. Related work has addressed education, art, and culture in prisons, indicating multiple benefits for the inmates, the prison community, and society. Cultural activities in prisons influence abstinence from crime, enhance life-long learning, serve correction, and improve inmates.

It is worth noting that MRL-IU has already carried out a voluntary research project in collaboration with the Second Chance School of Corfu Prisons, entitled "Museum Whispers in the Panopticon". This project is a non-funded initiative that offered e-tours in museums of the world (Cambridge, Antwerp, Johannesburg, Doha, etc.), as well as follow-up discussions, to inmates/students at the Second Chance School in Corfu Prison (Panopticon) in Corfu, Greece, opening museum and cultural windows to the world.

Moreover, in the next few weeks, a permanent exhibition at Corfu Prisons will open within the framework of the above research project. This exhibition has also been designed and will operate under the supervision of MRL-IU.