The Socrates Kokkalis Program on
Southeastern and East-Central Europe

The Socrates Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe at the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University is an integrated network of educational and research activities which aims to support the transition to democracy now underway in the Balkans. The Program will underwrite scholarships to the John F. Kennedy School of Government, as well as research in contemporary issues affecting the region. The John F. Kennedy School's mission is to prepare leaders for service in government and other institutions in democratic societies and to contribute to the solution of important public problems.

The Kokkalis Program honors the vision of its benefactor, a prominent Greek businessman, Socrates Kokkalis. Founder and chairman of Intracom, S.A., a leading telecommunications and electronics firm in the Mediterranean, Kokkalis is committed to supporting recent democratic and economic reforms in Southeastern and East-Central Europe.

The Kokkalis Program will fund scholarships for residents of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia to pursue degree and executive programs at the Kennedy School to develop leaders trained in economics, politics and international affairs with a special emphasis on new technologies. In addition, the Kokkalis Program will support conferences, lectures and publications analyzing the conditions for the development of "networks for peace" in the Balkans and promoting the region's integration into the wider European structures.

"Post-war Balkan countries face enormous hurdles to lasting stability. The Socrates Kokkalis Program opens doors for individuals committed to seeing democracy and market economies flourish." said Dean Joseph Nye, Jr. "The Program will tap into one of the School's strengths: the intersection of international affairs, socio-economic analysis and technology policy. I can't think of a better fit. We are grateful to Mr. Kokkalis for supporting a new level of outreach, research and scholarship in this important and vital region."

"With Kennedy School expertise we can infuse the next generation of leaders with strong economic and political skills, which in turn can help them achieve lasting stability in the region." said Kokkalis. "Greece, as the area's oldest and strongest democracy is intensely interested in the development of open and democratic societies in the Balkans."