Paris Institute for Critical Thinking
| Institut de Paris pour la Pensée Critique | |
| Abbreviation | PICT |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Website | https://parisinstitute.org/ |
The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking (PICT) 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]
History
Established in 2018, PICT focuses on the humanities and arts, offering a range of academic activities such as courses, workshops, conferences, and public lectures.[6][7]
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]
Partnerships
PICT fosters diverse partnerships at local, national, and international levels to enhance its mission and broaden its impact.[12]
- Association of Former UNESCO Staff Members (AFUS)
- Cambridge Society of Paris
- Centre for Critical Thought, University of Kent
- Collège d’Études Mondiales
- École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
- Fondation Biermans-Lapôtre
- Fondation Danoise
- Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (FMSH)
- Goethe-Institut Paris
- Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF)
- London Group of Multilingual Writers (LGMW)
- Maison de la Vie Associative et Citoyenne de Paris Centre — site Marais
- Maison des Écrivains et de la Littérature
- Maison des Étudiants Suedois
- Reporters Without Borders
- San Francisco Books Paris
- Sorbonne pour l’Organisation des Nations Unies (SONU)
- The Abbey Bookshop
References
- ^ "Atelier des médias - Mortaza Behboudi: «Les fixeurs sont un pont entre la presse étrangère et les populations locales»". RFI (in French). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Détail d'une annonce | Associations — Journal Officiel". www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ a b Selim Sayers, David; Sayers, Evrim-Emir. "Professional Development: Academic Life Beyond the University". as.nyu.edu. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ ""The value of PICT lies not in a diploma but in our teachers" - K24". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "Professional Development: Academic Life Beyond the University". as.nyu.edu. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "VII Conferência José Saramago da Universidade de Vigo – «A herança filosófica e sociopolítica de José Saramago»". catedrasaramago.webs.uvigo.es. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ journalist, Connexion (5 October 2018). "Studying for the sake of learning, not degrees". www.connexionfrance.com. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "EVRIM EMIR-SAYERS". The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "MACHA (MARIA) MATALAEV". The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "DAVID SELIM SAYERS". The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Flucht als akademisches Geschäftsmodell? Eine Polemik wirbelt die Türkeistudien auf". FAZ.NET (in German). 19 May 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ a b c "FAQ - The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking". 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ "FAQ - The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking". 12 March 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Premier Magazine PH Vol. 2 - Issue 9 September 2022 The Thinker by Premier Digital Life - Issuu". issuu.com. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Podcast delves into the prevailing narrative about older adults in the age of COVID-19 – Brookdale". Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "#FreeMortaza - Support committee created for jailed French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi | RSF". rsf.org. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2024.