Established in 1996, the Hellenic Observatory is internationally recognised as one of the premier research centres on contemporary Greece. It brings together a core group of LSE academics, and a range of Research and Visiting Fellows, to create a multidisciplinary network of scholars focusing on the social sciences. Observatory staff and visitors conduct individual and group research projects, published in high quality outlets, and the Observatory also supports its own publications. Further, the Hellenic Observatory has an extensive schedule of public lectures, seminars and conferences (including a biennial PhD Symposium), enabling the Observatory to be a leading forum for the exchange of views and opinions on the Greek economy, politics and society in its domestic and international contexts. In 2011 it expanded its coverage to include contemporary Cyprus.