25 June 2025 – The Social Architecture of Change: Political, Demographic, and Anthropological Insights

On Monday, 16 June 2025, the Athens Institute successfully hosted a dynamic round-table discussion titled “The Social Architecture of Change: Political, Demographic, and Anthropological Insights”, held at its downtown Athens venue. The event was moderated by Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos, President of the Athens Institute, and featured eight distinguished speakers from around the world.

Dr. Dalton Conley, Henry Putnam University Professor of Sociology at Princeton University (USA), opened with insights on genetic sorting and its sociopolitical impacts. Dr. Nicole Farris, Professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce (USA), explored generational contrasts in student engagement. Dr. Bing Wang from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China) discussed philosophical dimensions of benevolence. Dr. Sonia Salari, Professor at the University of Utah (USA), addressed the erosion of superpower social structures. Dr. Ramli Dollah, Associate Professor at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Malaysia), examined maritime territorialization and human insecurity. Dr. Dawchund (Vain) Jarbandhan, Professor at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa), reflected on social change in post-apartheid South Africa. Dr. Chris Ogden, Associate Professor at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), presented on norm-based frameworks of continuity and change. Finally, Dr. Mark Fagiano, Assistant Professor at Washington State University (USA), offered a philosophical perspective on change as democratic experimentation.

The discussion highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of societal transformation and underscored the importance of global perspectives in addressing contemporary social challenges.