The AAIA has Friends Groups around the country and in Greece. The Friends Groups are an invaluable nexus between our research community and the general public. Through our Friends Groups, our scholars and students are able to share their research and travel experiences directly with the local community in which they live, study and work, and to become involved in the civic cultural activities and events run by the Friends Groups themselves. The AAIA itself provides financial support to each Friends group and supports the events calendar of each with a public lecture by our annual Visiting Professor.