Academy of Latinity’s 11th International Colloquium Meets at Bilkent
(19/04/2005 - www.bilkent.edu.tr)
The 11th International Colloquium of the Academy of Latinity convened at Bilkent University on April 12-14, 2005. The theme for the Colloquium was Islam, Latinity, and Transmodernity.
The Academy of Latinity was founded in Rio de Janeiro in March 2000 by UNESCO's former Director-General Federico Mayor (President), former Perpetual Secretary of the French Academy Maurice Druon and Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo (Vice-Presidents), member of the Brasilian Academy Candido Mendes (Secretary-General), and Honorary Perpetual Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences François Gros, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes and Romanian representative to UNESCO Dan Haulica (Advisers).
The Academy's purpose is to constitute “an independent moral authority that reinforces the solidarity among the countries and peoples of the Latin culture” and to guarantee “the legitimate presence of past, present and future contributions of Latinity in all areas of civilization.” To meet this aim, it undertakes and develops cultural and scientific projects, and also supports exchanges with all of the cultures in the world.
The opening ceremony of this year's Colloquium took place at Mithat Çoruh Auditorium on Tuesday, April 12. Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gül sent a message and Iranian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Hamid Reza Asefi, Academy of Latinity Secretary - General Mendes and Prof. İhsan Doğramacı, President of Bilkent University, spoke at the ceremony.