Mission + Impact
In ancient Athens, the agora served as a central gathering place for the city’s residents. Citizens met to exchange ideas, debate policies, and shape public life. It supported conversation, contestation, and collective action.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute builds on the idea of the ancient agora to create academic, civic, and institutional spaces where people come together across differences. We support open dialogue, active debate, and collaborative efforts to address public problems; we strengthen democracy through these efforts.
We are an academic and public forum. Our work combines research, teaching, and applied projects, studying democracy, promoting civic learning, and encouraging broad participation in political life. We translate academic insights into practical knowledge for individuals who support democratic institutions and foster a more pluralistic society.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation established the institute in 2017 with a $150 million gift. Since then, we have worked to connect scholars, students, and civic actors across sectors. We draw on the spirit of the ancient agora to support democratic life in today’s world.
Students, faculty, civic leaders, nonprofit advocates, public thinkers, and people shaping public institutions are leaders of the modern-day agora. These individuals connect communities to the political process, sustaining norms and systems that make democracy possible.
We Organize Our Work Around Three Core Functions:
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We advance transformative, multi-disciplinary research to address democratic decline and identify sources of resilience.
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We collaborate with practitioners to develop usable knowledge that transforms academic insight into real-world impact.
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We create spaces for inclusive civic discourse, public convenings, and educational programs that empower citizens to engage meaningfully in democracy.
