Paris Institute for Critical Thinking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Institut de Paris pour la Pensée Critique | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | PICT |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Website | https://parisinstitute.org/ |
The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking is a non-profit educational organization located in Paris, France, dedicated to promoting critical thinking through the humanities and arts. It offers university-quality courses alongside a variety of events such as lectures, conferences, and workshops. PICT also creates intellectual content for a global audience, including podcasts, blogs, videos, and through its publishing house, PICT Books.[1] The institute emphasizes inclusivity, welcoming participants from diverse backgrounds and conducting all programs in English, fostering an accessible environment for learning and engagement.[2][3][4][5]
Organizational Structure
The organization's co-founders include executive director Evrim Emir-Sayers, managing director Macha Matalaev, and editor-at-large David Selim Sayers. The administrative staff is entirely composed of volunteers, reflecting PICT's commitment to community involvement.[8][9][10][11][12]
Funding Sources
As a registered non-profit association in France, PICT invests all its funding back into educational activities. A significant portion of the enrollment fees is allocated directly to instructors, whose vision and dedication are essential to the institute's existence.[13]
PICT Community
All supporters of PICT are integral to its community, which includes the PICT team, members of the association, participants who support in-person activities through enrollment fees, and an international audience that engages with PICT's books and online content.[12]
Activities
The institute operates mostly in English and is dedicated to providing high-quality education accessible to the public regardless of their educational background.[3][14][15] PICT also engages in public outreach via online journals and articles that are available in open-access format as well as through its imprint, PICT Books.[11]
In 2022, the PICT website published a 25-page essay by co-founders David Selim Sayers and Evrim Emir-Sayers about the field of Turkish studies in Germany, which triggered intense controversy in the national media in Turkey. [11]
In 2023, PICT participated in the successful campaign by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to secure the release of Franco-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi from prison in Afghanistan.[16]