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39th Conference Background


June 4 – June 7, 2019

at

KU Leuven, Belgium


Organized by The Foundation for Critical Thinking in Partnership with CRITHINKEDU, KU Leuven, and University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL)

About the Conference and the Foundation for Critical Thinking
Since 1981, The Foundation and Center for Critical Thinking – sister organizations that together represent the world's oldest think tank dedicated to critical thinking – have hosted the world's longest-running critical thinking conference. The conference emphasizes the Paul-Elder Framework for Critical Thinking, which stands apart from other critical thinking theory in that, first,  it applies to all human thought in all fields, professions, and domains of life; second, it relies on natural, rather than technical, language to provide tools and concepts that enable the thinker to break down, assess, and enhance his or her own thinking; third, it accounts for human emotions and desires; and fourth, it emphasizes the importance of ethics in reasoning.

Regardless of your professional, educational, or personal background, The Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking provides a unique opportunity for you to improve your understanding of critical thinking, as well as your ability to apply it to your everyday work, learning, and life.

June 3: European Summit for Critical Thinking Education


The 39th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking will be preceded by the European Summit for Critical Thinking Education on June 3, 2019. The summit is organized by the ERASMUS+ project CRITHINKEDU, in cooperation with the Foundation for Critical Thinking. The meeting will unite higher-education researchers and educators, deans, student support agencies, policymakers, and employers eager to invest in critical thinking education. This one-day summit will challenge participants to take a stance for the future of critical thinking education in Europe , and is free of charge for those who choose to attend.


The European Summit for Critical Thinking Education will be a unique opportunity for people from around the world to gather and discuss critical thinking teaching and learning strategies, as well as other important related matters. Read more here.

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.

To read more about the university and city of Leuven, please visit our venue page .

About the University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL)


One of the major universities of applied sciences in Flanders, the University of Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL) is working with KU Leuven to bring the Annual International Conference to Europe for the first time. UCLL is a member of the KU Leuven Association, which is a major higher-education association comprised of thirteen institutions.

About CRITHINKEDU
The Foundation for Critical Thinking is pleased to partner with CRITHINKEDU in organizing and hosting the 39th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking.

CRITHINKEDU, or 'Critical Thinking Across the European Higher Education Curricula,' is a project funded by the European Commission. Arising from the background and experience of higher-education institutions, businesses, and other organizations from nine different European countries, the venture aims to assess and improve the quality of reasoning that is taught and learned in Europe's universities and across various labor sectors. CRITHINKEDU will deliver and present a set of guidelines and recommendations for critical thinking development in higher education. 

About Leuven MindGate



We are grateful to have Leuven MindGate as a communications sponsor for the 39th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking. It represents one of the world's prime regions for health, high- tech, and creativity – a region with a unique ecosystem of companies × cooperating with knowledge institutions and the government, creating a perfect breeding ground for companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and international talent. Simply put, it is a great place to study, work, and live.

Leuven MindGate participates in national and international projects, missions, and trade fairs, and it constantly aims to be a worldwide leader when it comes to health, high-tech, and creativity. Leuven MindGate also improves cross-pollination between these sectors by letting them interact, cooperate, and co-create.



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.