Why CT Summer School?

Inquiry and critical thinking represent a fundamental element of the education and scientific advancement as the basis for the overall development of any society. The critical thinking that usually revolves around the conceptualization, application, objective analysis and synthesis of the facts, evaluation and re-evaluation of the information and widely used ideas, concepts and social norms through logical questioning.

The emergence of new channels of communication enabled rapid spread of information as well as “possession” of information in recent years. Also, the emergence of social networks and media fostered the possibility to impose certain views, ideas and values to its audience. In the current world, information or its possession has become less relevant, but the fact what you will do or how you will react, understand and interpret certain information has become vital. Therefore, critical thinking, in a world characterized by overrepresentation of information, which will teach us to distinguish the important/unimportant, true/false, valuable/worthless information is needed more than ever. In addition, the ethics and morality as the basis for peaceful coexistence and understanding of humanity should represent a starting point for critical understanding and re-examination of the world we live in.       

Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite its ethnic, cultural and religious richness, due to the recent war experience, segregation and division, set the narrow-minded worldview among its citizens. Furthermore, the existence of several narratives usually ethno-centrically defined and oriented, in addition to the high/level corruption, emigration, lack of job opportunities and other socio-political issues demands a new approach and critical (re)evaluation.

Aims, Description and Learning outcomes

CT Summer School will provide a platform for theoretical, comparative and historical re-examination of the major world processes. This summer school will not only consider or focus on the critical thinking as such, but it will attempt to incorporate major ideas, views and philosophy of  the critical re-evaluation with the requirements of time. The lectures and short-courses will use a multidisciplinary approach aiming to provide an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, early-career scholars and researcher,  but also professionals to:

1. Apply the critical thinking method;
2. Critically re-evaluate all opinions, facts and information;
3. Enable independent use and assessment of the information focusing on fake-news and its critical reevaluation;
4. Examine and critically re-asses the significance of alternative facts in the contemporary world.

The significance of such summer school does not lay only in the fact that participants will acquire knowledge or gather information, but on the ability to think critically and re-think the key processes, information and knowledge that we are facing with in our everyday lives.