Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities
Ideas that Impact the World
The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities is a home for engaged and worldly thinking that elevates democratic discourse. In the spirit of Hannah Arendt, the leading political thinker of our era, The Arendt Center promotes deep and provocative exploration of those difficult and most critical contemporary issues. Recent Arendt Center conferences have included: "Thinking in Dark Times," "The Intellectual Origins of the Financial Crisis," "Lying and Politics," and "Human Being in an Inhuman Age." The Arendt Center also sponsors regular lectures and "Lunchtime Talks" on political and ethical themes by leading thinkers in the humanities. By insisting that liberal arts thinking is at the core of an enlightened politics, the Arendt Center prepares students for active citizenship that can humanize an often inhuman world.MORE >>
Human Rights Project
The Human Rights Project (HRP) enables students to learn about and engage in the contemporary human rights movement. The project focuses on the philosophical foundations and political mechanisms of human rights. HRP also maintains a special interest in freedom of expression, the public sphere, and media. Since 2001, HRP has supported dozens of student internships at human rights and humanitarian organizations; governmental and international agencies; local community groups, hospitals, and clinics; and research centers from Peshawar to Albany. The Human Rights Project also sponsors individual students who pursue research abroad and at home. MORE >>Institute for International Liberal Education
The Institute for International Liberal Education (IILE) was formed at Bard in 1998. Its mission is to advance the theory and practice of international liberal arts education. Its long-term partnerships depend on the exchange of students, faculty, and curricula; these collaborations culminate in dual-degree and dual-credit programs. Historically, IILE has focused on countries that have recently overthrown authoritarian regimes—so-called “emerging democracies”—because of an intrinsic interest in these nations, and because transitional moments are especially open to progressive change. The institute’s projects are located in regions undergoing rapid political and economic transformation: Russia, central Europe, southern Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. MORE >>Institute for Writing and Thinking
Focused on the critical role that writing plays in both teaching and learning, the Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT) brings together secondary and college teachers for workshops, conferences, and on-site consulting. IWT's offerings are innovative, intellectually stimulating, and practically useful. The institute's mission is to enliven and enrich classroom learning through writing. To this end, IWT designs workshops and professional development programs for teachers. Practical, hands-on instruction in a collaborative learning environment gives teachers the tools to lead students on a journey of intellectual discovery, in which they explore ideas, listen to their peers, and seek their own answers. The philosophy and practice of IWT are one: Writing is both a record of completed thought and an exploratory process that supports teaching and learning across disciplines. At all levels, writing allows the writer to discover what she or he wants to say.MORE >>
