Stavros Niarchos Foundation supports Penn education program

The University of Pennsylvania on Thursday announced a 6-million-dollar gift to launch the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program, inspired by the ancient Greek ideals for education.

Aimed at the university's undergraduate students, the program is designed to encourage informed civil discourse.

"Among the many aims of a great university, none is more essential than fostering the free exchange of ideas and the robust civil expression of divergent views," university president Amy Gutmann said in the announcement.

"The concept of 'paideia,' of educating young people not only to become successful professionals, but also active and engaged citizens, who are part of something greater than themselves, has particular resonance today," added Andreas Dracopoulos, co-president of the SNF.