Dr. Petros D. Kapsaskis is the President and Founder of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy. Mr. Kapsaskis was born in Athens, but his family originates from Zakynthos, where they settled around 1534.

He attended the Italian high school “Vittorio Alfieri” in Rome and continued his studies at the internationally renowned Italian Institute “Maria Montessori” in Rome. He then entered Panteion University, where he studied Political Science and History, while simultaneously completing his internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diplomatic Academy.

After completing his military service, he pursued further studies in London, at the Department of Geopolitics and Security of the Royal Holloway University of London, while also interning at the commercial section of the Greek Embassy in London. He also completed an internship at the European Parliament, in the DGCOM (Department of Art).

In February 2017, he founded the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy, based in Athens. In December 2018, he established the Soft Power Awards, a new institution presented at the Old Parliament House of Greece. He contributed an academic paper to the collective volume on Cultural Diplomacy, published in 2020 by Sakkoulas Publications under the auspices of the Krispis Foundation. In 2024, he was awarded a PhD in Cultural Diplomacy with distinction. In 2025, his first book was published by Sideris Publications, titled “The Art of Cultural Diplomacy: Soft Power in the Conduct of Foreign Policy.”

He has been invited by TEDx and the National School of Public Administration to teach Cultural Diplomacy. He has also been invited as a guest speaker by both Greek and international universities and institutes (LSE, ISPI, ISTAO, Panteion University, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), and has participated as a speaker in domestic forums such as the Delphi Forum, Regional Growth Conference, and Blue Heritage Forum. He has written articles for major newspapers including To Vima, Kathimerini, and Ethnos. He speaks Italian, English, and French, and has worked as a translator, columnist, consultant, and research associate for companies, cultural organizations, and research institutes.