Institute of Historical Research . Section of Neohellenic Research

The Program focuses on the history of science and technology in the Greek world from the end of Antiquity to the contemporary period, also approaching the topics of philosophy and didactics of science. It is a Program of the Institute of Historical Research in collaboration with the Laboratory of Science Education, Epistemology and Educational Technology (ASEL) of the University of Athens, Greece.

HPDST originates from two initially complementary teams, the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology team and the team for the Didactics of Science, merged into one single team. The merge was brought through the acknowledgement that there is a strong need for science to be reestablished in society and engage its stakeholders. This is to be accomplished through state of the art research using an interdisciplinary approach. Since 2000, HPDST has developed into one of the most promising research teams in Europe.
The HPDST team received funding for the project Hephaestus (Hellenic Philosophy, History and Environmental Science Teaching Under Scrutiny) from FP7 for a three-year period (2009-2012). The aim of project Hephaestus was to constitute HPDST a European team of excellence in the domain of the history of Greek science and didactics of Physics by funding research visits of young members of the team to European centers of excellence, research visits of renowned scholars for collaborations and seminars, the organization of research seminars and international conferences, the publishing of books and scientific journals, the organization of international exhibitions, educational events, a documentary film etc.

Research Projects

Since 2013, HPDST has implemented three funded research projects:

Project DACALBO - Digital Archive Concerning Alchemy in Byzantium and in Greek-Speaking Communities of the Ottoman Empire, which aimed at studying the history of Greek alchemy (manuscripts, sources, metadata, database of alchemical recipes, alchemy-society relations, educational applications of the history of alchemy). The project was funded by the Action THALES, NSRF 2007-2013, and was implemented from 2012 to 2015.
the project NARSES - Nature and Religion in South Eastern European Space, which aimed at studying the relations between the Greek Orthodox Christians and Science from the end of Antiquity until the 20th century. The project was funded by the Action ARISTEIA, NSRF 2007-2013, and was implemented from 2012 to 2015.
The project SOW - Science and Orthodoxy around the World, which aimed at studying the relationship between Orthodox Christianity and sciences all over the world with collaborators from 11 countries (Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Russia, Serbia, as well as Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United States of America). The project was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation Inc. and was implemented from 2016 to 2019.

HPDST has implemented 14 research projects with Greek and European partners, has organized the collections of a Science Museum and has created a prominent scientific exhibition on the Antikythera Mechanism which was presented in eight foreign countries (Europe and China).

Conferences and Events

The Program has organized more than 60 symposia, conferences, workshops and lectures and a summer seminar. Detailed information on these events can be found on the webpage of the program http://hpdst.gr/events, on the portal of the project http://dacalbo.hpdst.gr/ on the page events, the portal of the project NARSES http://narses.hpdst.gr on the page events and on the portal of the project SOW http://project-sow.org on the page Conferences and the page Lectures and events.

Collaborations

The Program has established an important international network by signing bilateral collaboration agreements with 8 European institutes and three Chinese, by participating in collaborative research projects with 5 more institutes, and coordinating the network for the History of Science in Southeastern Europe.

Databases - Websites

The Program’s main webpage http://hpdst.gr/ is a hub from which all other webpages of the projects of the Program can be accessed, together with the Digital Museum of Scientific Instruments http://www.hasi.gr and three open access databases: one on Greek Alchemy http://dacalbo.hpdst.gr/archive/search, one on the Greek sources pertaining to the relations between science and religion from the 4th to the 20th century http://narses.hpdst.gr/resources/content, and one on the sources in 10 languages pertaining to the relations between science and Orthodox Christianity http://k2.altsol.gr/archive/search. All metadata of these databases are in English.

Prizes - Distinctions

The director of the Program has served as President of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology / Division of History of Science and Technology (2013-2017), is currently Permanent Secretary of the International Academy of History of Science (2017-) and has obtained Blaise Pascal Chair Prize in 2013.

Publications

The Program publishes the international journal Almagest diffused by BREPOLS publishers.
The series “Science and Orthodox Christianity” published by BREPOLS (first volume to be published in 2019).
The “Newsletter for the History of Science in Southeastern Europe”
Finally, HPDST has published more than 40 books (in Greek, English, French and Chinese), has co-edited four special issues of international Journals and has published nearly 300 articles, some of which are presented on the webpage (articles) and on the webpage publications of the Program’s projects.