1776 and the Making of the Modern World: Ideas, Education, and the Informed Citizen

As part of the America 250 celebrations, “1776 and the Making of the Modern World: Ideas, Education, and the Informed Citizen” will be a roundtable discussion using 1776 as a point of departure for a broader conversation about the history of ideas and the forces that have shaped the modern world.

Bringing together international and comparative perspectives, the discussion will explore the enduring relevance of ideas and concepts such as democracy, education, civic participation, the informed citizen, diplomacy, and the international order.

The conversation will also move from the history of ideas to contemporary questions, particularly the role of education and knowledge in shaping citizens and the importance of critical thinking in an age of digital information overload and rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.

In this context, 1776 provides an opportunity not only to reflect on a defining historical moment, but also to consider how education, knowledge, and critical thinking can contribute to informed and engaged citizenship and a vibrant democratic society today.

The discussion will be in English. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

About the discussants

Nikiforos Diamandouros

Born in Athens, Greece, in June 1942, Nikiforos Diamandouros (Ph.D. Columbia, 1972) is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Athens. In 2014, he was elected member of the Academy of Athens and, for the year 2026, serves as its President. Between 2012 and 2022, he also served as Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges).He has served as European Ombudsman (2003-2013), as founding Ombudsman of Greece (1998-2003), and as Director and Chairman of the Greek National Centre of Social Research (EKKE). He is also Doctor honoris causa of the Panteion University (2015) and of the American College of Greece (2011). He has been decorated by the Presidents of France (Légion d’ honneur-2014), Poland (Golden Cross of Merit-2010), and Greece (Order of the Phoenix-2004). His recent published work focuses on democracy, the rule of law, the ombudsman and public administration, and the relationship between politics and culture.

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Konstantina E. Botsiou

Konstantina E. Botsiou is Professor of History and International Relations at the Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus, and General Director of the Council for International Relations-Greece (CfIR-GR). Since 2015 she is Visiting Professor at the Hellenic National Defense College (HNDC). She graduated with honors from the Department of History-Archaeology at the University of Athens and holds a PhD from the University of Tübingen.  She has published 15 books and 190 articles and chapters in collective volumes. Her focus is on modern history, the Cold War, Greek foreign policy, European integration, Euro-Atlantic relations.

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Amanda Katz

Amanda Katz investigates how the physical world – from highway networks to engineering systems – quietly dictates how we live, govern, and participate as citizens. An Assistant Professor of U.S. History at Utah State University and a 2025–2026 Fulbright Scholar to Greece, her work bridges transatlantic histories of technology, infrastructure, and public policy. She is also a research affiliate with the PhEPoC-ST Lab at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and leads study abroad programs in Greece exploring the global intersections of technology and society.

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George Kalpadakis

George Kalpadakis is Senior Researcher and Fulbright Outreach Ambassador at the Academy of Athens (KEINE). A Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Harvard University (2021–22), he has also been Lewis–Gibson Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University and visiting professor at the University of Vienna. He is the author of The Cyprus Conflict (2026), Une confédération des Balkans (2026) and The Macedonian Conflict (Academy of Athens Award, 2013). He studied at UCL, the LSE and the University of Athens (PhD, 2009).