On Thursday 13 June 2024 at 12:00 at the Ionian Academy, in Corfu, the prominent Hellenist José Antonio Moreno Jurado was awarded an honorary doctorate of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpretation.

The ceremony was held by the Rector of the Ionian University, Professor Andreas Floros and the Deputy Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpretation, Professor Yorgos Kentrotis. The ceremony was attended by the Vice Rector for Quality Assurance, Student Affairs and Lifelong Education, Professor Elias Yarenis, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Athanasios Efstathiou, the Chair of the Department of Music Studies, Professor Anastasia Siopsi, as well as representatives of the local police and ecclesiastical authorities.

The Rector of the I.U., Professor Andreas Floros, in his address to the honoured, referred to the long and multifaceted contribution of Mr. José Antonio Moreno Jurado to Greek letters.

The Deputy Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpretation, Professor Yorgos Kentrotis, in his praise of the honoured, first of all referred in detail to the deep education of the honorary doctor, which covers Greek literature throughout its history. He then praised the translation work of Mr. Moreno Jurado, who, a poet himself, using Spanish as a vehicle, a language with the widest diffusion in the world, travelled Greek poetry throughout the world. Finally, reference was made to the wide recognition and the numerous awards that the poet and translator has received for all his work.

In his speech entitled “Those distant years”, the honorary doctoral candidate made a vivid retrospective of his acquaintance with the new Greek language when, many decades ago, having only his classical studies in his luggage, he visited Greece, and explained that the difficulties he encountered steeled his will to conquer our language. He referred in particular to his acquaintance with Greek poets in person during his repeated trips to our country and to the fascination that Greek poetry, especially that of the 20th century, exerted on his soul, a fact that gave birth to the desire to translate it into his mother tongue and thus make it known in distant lands.

The ceremony was concluded with a brilliant musical epilogue curated by the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University and included works of classical music performed by excellent students of the Department.