In 1971, Eco co-founded "Versus: Quaderni di studi semiotici" (known as "VS "among Italian academics), a semiotic journal. "VS" is used by scholars whose work is related to signs and signification. The journal's foundation and activities have contributed to semiotics as an academic field in its own right, both in Italy and in the rest of Europe. Most of the well-known European semioticians, including Eco, A. J. Greimas, Jean-Marie Floch, and Jacques Fontanille, as well as philosophers and linguists like John Searle and George Lakoff, have published original articles in "VS". His work with Serbian and Russian scholars and writers included thought on Milorad Pavić and a meeting with Alexander Genis.