1st ASREC Thematic
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1st ASREC Thematic Workshop 2025: Religion, Economics, and Culture in Historical and Contemporary Perspective
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The 1st ASREC Thematic Workshop 2025, organized under the auspices of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture (ASREC), was successfully held in Thessaloniki on December 15–16, 2025, bringing together 19 speakers from more than 15 countries. The workshop served as a vibrant forum for interdisciplinary dialogue on the relationship between religion, culture, and economic behavior, encompassing historical, political, and contemporary perspectives.
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The conference was hosted at the War Museum of Thessaloniki, a site of significant historical importance, and benefited from the museum’s excellent facilities and a particularly inspiring environment. The Organizing Committee warmly thanks the Director, Colonel Mr. Athanasios Papathanasiou, Warrant Officer Mr. Leonidas Kapenekas, Second Lieutenant Anastasia Papoulia, our guide Mr. Charalampos Gourtoulidis, as well as the soldiers performing their service, for their exemplary hospitality and support throughout the event.
The scientific program comprised seven thematic sessions over two days, covering topics such as political cleavages, religiosity and economic behavior, gender norms, migration, historical development, financial literacy, and identity formation. Contributions were delivered by distinguished scholars affiliated with institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Paris School of Economics, the European University Institute, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, the University of Luxembourg, the University of Birmingham, the University of California San Diego, the University of Bologna, among many others, highlighting the strongly international character of the workshop.
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A highlight of the conference was the keynote lecture by Professor Samuel Bazzi (University of California San Diego), whose work lies at the forefront of development economics, political economy, and cultural and institutional economics. His address stimulated extensive discussion and set the tone for the broader scholarly exchange that characterized the workshop.
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The Organizing Committee extends its sincere thanks to the ASREC Association and Mr. Charles Martinez for their excellent collaboration and continued support. We also thank the University Research Institute (U.R.I.) of the University of Macedonia and Mrs. Daphne Koukoutsi for their valuable assistance. Special appreciation is due to the Research Committee of the University of Macedonia for its generous financial support of the event, as well as to the Rectorate, the Department of International and Public Relations, and the Technical Support Department of CPS, with particular mention of Mr. Lazaros Seremetidis and Mr. Stathis Tsakidis for their outstanding technical support. We also thank Gutenberg Publications for their sponsorship and continued support.
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Above all, we thank all speakers, discussants, and participants whose contributions and active engagement made the 1st ASREC Thematic Workshop 2025 a great success. We look forward to building on this momentum in future ASREC thematic initiatives.
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Link to the Programme
Linkedin here​
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The Organizing Committee
Anastasia Litina
Lefteris Filippiadis