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39th Conference Venue: KU Leuven



June 4 – June 7, 2019

at

KU Leuven, Belgium

About KU Leuven


The Foundation for Critical Thinking, together with CRITHINKEDU and University Colleges Leuven Limburg (UCLL), will host the 39th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking at one of the world's most esteemed universities: KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium.

Tracing its roots to 1425 A.D. when the Old University of Leuven was first founded, KU Leuven is today consistently ranked among the fifty greatest universities in the world, and was named by Reuters in 2016 and 2017 as Europe's most innovative university.

We are thrilled to take our international conference overseas for the first time in its nearly four-decade history, and to invite those from all walks of life to learn with us at this historic event. University professors and grade school teachers, CEO's and independent consultants, government personnel and military officers - all are welcome to come and elevate their thinking under the guidance of the world's oldest organization dedicated to critical thinking.

About the City of Leuven


The earliest known record of Leuven, Belgium dates to 891 A.D. The founding of the University in the late Middle Ages enabled the area to blossom with greater Europe during the Renaissance, establishing a tradition of learning, trade, and culture that continues to this day.

Rich with history and complex architecture, Leuven is a genuine marvel for those with an appreciation for the aesthetic. Attractions in and around the city include St. Peter's Church, the ornate City Hall, the Oude Markt, the Vanderkelen Museum, Abbey Park, and the Groot Begijnhof.



Please do not pass this message by.

CRITICAL THINKING IS AT RISK.

Here are some of the big reasons why:

  1. Many people believe that critical thinking should be free and that scholars qualified to teach critical thinking should do so for free. Accordingly, they do not think they should have to pay for critical thinking textbooks, courses, or other resources when there is "so much free material online" - despite how erroneous that material may be.
  2. There are many misguided academicians, and some outright charlatans, pushing forth and capitalizing on a pseudo-, partial, or otherwise impoverished concept of critical thinking.
  3. Little to no funding is designated for critical thinking professional development in schools, colleges, or universities, despite the lip service widely given to critical thinking (as is frequently found in mission statements).
  4. Most people, including faculty, think they already know what critical thinking is, despite how few have studied it to any significant degree, and despite how few can articulate a coherent, accurate, and sufficiently deep explanation of it.
  5. People rarely exhibit the necessary level of discipline to study and use critical thinking for reaching higher levels of self-actualization. In part, this is due to wasting intellectual and emotional energy on fruitless electronic entertainment designed to be addictive and profitable rather than educational and uplifting.
  6. On the whole, fairminded critical thinking is neither understood, fostered, nor valued in educational institutions or societies.
  7. People are increasingly able to cluster themselves with others of like mind through alluring internet platforms that enable them to validate one another's thinking - even when their reasoning is nonsensical, lopsided, prejudiced, or even dangerous.
  8. Critical thinking does not yet hold an independent place in academia. Instead, "critical thinking" is continually being "defined" and redefined according to any academic area or instructor that, claiming (frequently unsupported) expertise, steps forward to teach it.

As you see, increasingly powerful trends against the teaching, learning, and practice of critical thinking entail extraordinary challenges to our mission. To continue our work, we must now rely upon your financial support. If critical thinking matters to you, please click here to contribute what you can today.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE OUR WORK.

Thank you for your support of ethical critical thinking.