About

General track (1 year)

People

Join the Program

invitation to break through stale patterns of thought ● toolkit of methods and frameworks of thinking ● intense workout for the intellect: disciplined yet open-ended ● postgraduate studies that help change your mind

School of Thinking is a postgraduate studies program that invites you on a quest to challenge and refresh your relationship with what happens inside your head. A mind-boggling mixture of philosophy, psychology and personal exploration, it helps students to build a flexible yet rigorous approach to complex, ‘wicked’ problems of today’s organizations and communities.

School of Thinking is an intense 1-year program for people from all walks of life. It is organized as a mixture of intense, on-campus workshop sessions, remote lectures, individual consultations, and self-managed study.

'To think out of the box will require to rethink the box as well!'

Jean Paul Van Bendegem

Jean Paul Van Bendegem, Instructor at the School of Thinking, mathematician, philosopher of science, VUB professor

School of Thinking
2019-05-30T14:01:25+00:00

Jean Paul Van Bendegem, Instructor at the School of Thinking, mathematician, philosopher of science, VUB professor

Jean Paul Van Bendegem
'To think out of the box will require to rethink the box as well!'

"SoT offers its students unique, adventurous and surprising experiences. Watch out - some mental calcifications may get wiped out, while hungry and curious pseudopods of mind appear to replace them!


Marta Nordhoek, Student at the School of Thinking (year Delta, 2021-2022), clinical psychologist, psychotherapist

School of Thinking
2022-05-28T13:44:46+00:00

Marta Nordhoek, Student at the School of Thinking (year Delta, 2021-2022), clinical psychologist, psychotherapist

"SoT offers its students unique, adventurous and surprising experiences. Watch out - some mental calcifications may get wiped out, while hungry and curious pseudopods of mind appear to replace them!" 

'A Post-Graduate School of Thinking to bolster extraordinary intelligence! Practice in embodied thinking, systems thinking, game playing, complexity, individual and collaborative thinking! What a great and timely idea! I wish I’d had such a curriculum instead of having to cobble together my own exploration of these topics. So take advantage of this curriculum if you can: it’s an unparalleled opportunity that will prepare you for anything you ever want to achieve!'


Robert Root-Bernstein
School of Thinking
2019-05-28T15:15:36+00:00
[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/12" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="5/6" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column_text]'A Post-Graduate School of Thinking to bolster extraordinary intelligence! Practice in embodied thinking, systems thinking, game playing, complexity, individual and collaborative thinking! What a great and timely idea! I wish I’d had such a curriculum instead of having to cobble together my own exploration of these topics. So take advantage of this curriculum if you can: it’s an unparalleled opportunity that will prepare you for anything you ever want to achieve!'[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/12" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
'School of Thinking feels like coming home.'

Sacha Moens, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Iota 2020-2021)

School of Thinking
2021-03-12T08:32:54+00:00

Sacha Moens, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Iota 2020-2021)

'School of Thinking feels like coming home.'
'If you like to rediscover the joy of doubt and wonder, the School of Thinking might be a great place to start.'

Joris De Kelver, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Iota, 2020-2021), Co-founder of Multiversity

School of Thinking
2021-03-12T08:29:46+00:00

Joris De Kelver, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Iota, 2020-2021), Co-founder of Multiversity

'If you like to rediscover the joy of doubt and wonder, the School of Thinking might be a great place to start.'
'SoT takes you on a journey of rethinking your perception of thinking, inviting you to work on your personal boundary conditions.'

Dirk Van Helder, Fellow at the School of Thinking, Consultant at Stanwick

School of Thinking
2021-03-12T08:35:12+00:00

Dirk Van Helder, Fellow at the School of Thinking, Consultant at Stanwick

'SoT takes you on a journey of rethinking your perception of thinking, inviting you to work on your personal boundary conditions.'
'Once a critical thinker, always a critical thinker. Unexpected perspectives lead to deeper insight. Asking questions to which there are not always answers, rather new questions, are the lubricant to wisdom.'

Jan De Maeyer, Fellow at the School of Thinking, Guest Professor U.Gent, Consultant at Denkpalet

School of Thinking
2021-03-11T13:34:51+00:00

Jan De Maeyer, Fellow at the School of Thinking, Guest Professor U.Gent, Consultant at Denkpalet

'Once a critical thinker, always a critical thinker. Unexpected perspectives lead to deeper insight. Asking questions to which there are not always answers, rather new questions, are the lubricant to wisdom.'
'We have been waiting for a School in which thinking again becomes a challenge, a commitment, an adventure, a responsibility. It's here, it's SoT.'

Karin Verelst

Karin Verelst, Instructor at the School of Thinking VUB, Researcher at the Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies VUB

School of Thinking
2020-01-27T13:00:37+00:00

Karin Verelst, Instructor at the School of Thinking VUB, Researcher at the Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies VUB

Karin Verelst
'We have been waiting for a School in which thinking again becomes a challenge, a commitment, an adventure, a responsibility. It's here, it's SoT.'

'The School of Thinking is just what you need to hone your skills in dealing with complex, multidisciplinary problems. This postgraduate teaches you the "Four Cs", the most important skills required for 21st century education: Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication. Effective thinking is the most critical skill of all, yet you cannot study it anywhere. The School of Thinking finally fills that gap!'


Francis Heylighen

Francis Heylighen, Instructor at the School of Thinking,  VUB Professor, Director of the Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies VUB

School of Thinking
2019-05-28T15:25:24+00:00

Francis Heylighen, Instructor at the School of Thinking,  VUB Professor, Director of the Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies VUB

Francis Heylighen
[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom" bg_image_animation="none" shape_type=""][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/12" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="5/6" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column_text]'The School of Thinking is just what you need to hone your skills in dealing with complex, multidisciplinary problems. This postgraduate teaches you the "Four Cs", the most important skills required for 21st century education: Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication. Effective thinking is the most critical skill of all, yet you cannot study it anywhere. The School of Thinking finally fills that gap!'[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_link_target="_self" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/12" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
'Each of us is a whole world created by our imagination. In the School of Thinking, the process of creating this unique world becomes conscious, harmonious and free. We rediscover ourselves!'

Gella Dybman, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020)

School of Thinking
2020-01-27T12:03:47+00:00

Gella Dybman, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020)

'Each of us is a whole world created by our imagination. In the School of Thinking, the process of creating this unique world becomes conscious, harmonious and free. We rediscover ourselves!'
'During The School of Thinking, you gradually become the conductor of your thoughts. You discover that the many different ways of thinking are actually all pieces of your own mind – sometimes large, sometimes little, often contradicting and paradoxical, sometimes recognisable, mostly strange – but always beautiful. Taking part in the The School of Thinking is like writing an anthology of all the kinds of thinkers you are or can be. You discover your own intimate strangers. And the most beautiful thing is: you are writing the anthology together with others, who are engaging in the same adventurous journey. Thinking is not just about knowing or learning, but is in fact the vulnerable yet powerful process of becoming, in an active way with an open-end.'

Eline Dehullu, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Delta 2021-2022), Author, editor and publisher of publications on contemporary architecture (A+ Architecture in Belgium)

 

School of Thinking
2022-05-18T17:50:17+00:00

Eline Dehullu, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Delta 2021-2022), Author, editor and publisher of publications on contemporary architecture (A+ Architecture in Belgium)

 

'During The School of Thinking, you gradually become the conductor of your thoughts. You discover that the many different ways of thinking are actually all pieces of your own mind – sometimes large, sometimes little, often contradicting and paradoxical, sometimes recognisable, mostly strange – but always beautiful. Taking part in the The School of Thinking is like writing an anthology of all the kinds of thinkers you are or can be. You discover your own intimate strangers. And the most beautiful thing is: you are writing the anthology together with others, who are engaging in the same adventurous journey. Thinking is not just about knowing or learning, but is in fact the vulnerable yet powerful process of becoming, in an active way with an open-end.'
'The School of Thinking is exactly how I expected it to be: nothing like I thought it would be and more!'

Tom Van Damme, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Senior Manager at TomTom

School of Thinking
2020-01-27T12:50:22+00:00

Tom Van Damme, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Senior Manager at TomTom

'The School of Thinking is exactly how I expected it to be: nothing like I thought it would be and more!'
'The School of Thinking provides a unique way to integrate information, tools, data, techniques, perspectives, concepts and theories from multiple disciplines to emphasize on fundamental understanding of how thinking processes are involved in every part of life. A multi-creative, sometimes confrontational but must-experience approach, a brainiac adventure and an eyeopener.'

Gys Godderis

Gys Godderis, Fellow at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Founder of Planet Polaris - Clever & Cool

School of Thinking
2020-01-27T12:31:11+00:00

Gys Godderis, Fellow at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Founder of Planet Polaris - Clever & Cool

Gys Godderis
'The School of Thinking provides a unique way to integrate information, tools, data, techniques, perspectives, concepts and theories from multiple disciplines to emphasize on fundamental understanding of how thinking processes are involved in every part of life. A multi-creative, sometimes confrontational but must-experience approach, a brainiac adventure and an eyeopener.'
'Welcome to School of Thinking. A school of craziness, passion, logic, weirdness, transformation, intelligence, philosophy and above all... personal growth" 

Gunther van  Lany, Student at the School of Thinking (year Delta 2021-2022), Strategic Leader @ TBWA Group Belgium - Lecturer KDG University of Applied Sciences

School of Thinking
2022-05-18T18:01:41+00:00

Gunther van  Lany, Student at the School of Thinking (year Delta 2021-2022), Strategic Leader @ TBWA Group Belgium - Lecturer KDG University of Applied Sciences

'Welcome to School of Thinking. A school of craziness, passion, logic, weirdness, transformation, intelligence, philosophy and above all... personal growth" 
'What an inspiring and refreshing experience, this Postgraduate. The joy of being a student again, the miracle of meeting so many like-minded people and the bittersweet frustration of not having enough time to read all you want to read about the subjects!'

Lies Poignie, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Publisher at Academia Press

School of Thinking
2020-01-27T16:37:58+00:00

Lies Poignie, Student at the School of Thinking (Year Alpha 2019-2020), Publisher at Academia Press

'What an inspiring and refreshing experience, this Postgraduate. The joy of being a student again, the miracle of meeting so many like-minded people and the bittersweet frustration of not having enough time to read all you want to read about the subjects!'
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School of Thinking

News

Year Upsilon is on its way

| General announcements | No Comments
We've done it! As 2023 comes to a close, the refreshed School of Thinking is well under way. A large, diverse,  and open-minded group of…

School of thinking is rethinking itself

| General announcements | No Comments
Three years of delivering an innovative, trans-disciplinary program for thinkers has taught us what our students find most valuable: the process of opening one’s mind,…

Noosphere Outside In: A Workshop Invitation

| Open seminars, Research Track | No Comments
Mirrors should reflect a little before throwing back images -Jean Cocteau Members of the SoT community, CLEA research community, and other interested scholars are invited…

10 Commandments, 10 Committments

| Principles of Thinking Challenge 2022, Year Delta | No Comments
10 Commandments 10 Commitments A personal(ised) Thinking Decalogue Arno Geens (Student SoT Delta), June 2022.   #1 Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish Keep a state of…

The Fragmentation Decalogue

| Principles of Thinking Challenge 2022, Year Delta | No Comments
The Fragmentation Decalogue An ode to the beauty of the unsolved. Gunther Van Lany (Student SoT Delta), january 2021.   Inspired by Rudolf Boehm and…

The Decalogue of Thinking (a 2021 post that started it all)

| Principles of Thinking Challenge 2022, Year Delta | No Comments
The Decalogue of Thinking by Edward Nęcka, 2021   1. Never take anything for granted If one takes an idea for granted, one does not…

The ‘Principles of Thinking’ Challenge 2022

| General announcements, Year Delta | No Comments
Long, long ago, about this time last year, the Iota students have challenged their instructor, prof. Edward Nęcka, to formulate a set of principles that…

YEAR EPSILON (2022/2023) – APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

| General announcements, Year Epsilon | No Comments
We are pleased to announce that we are now taking applications for the regular track of Postgraduate School of Thinking. The fourth year, dubbed 'Epsilon'…

Year Delta (2021/22): Application deadline

| General announcements, Year Delta | No Comments
We are still accepting applications for the third edition of the School of Thinking - regular track (‘Year Delta’ 2021/22), but the application deadline is…

Marta Lenartowicz on the train of thought

| General announcements | No Comments
“Thought is but a flash between two long nights, but this flash is everything.” A less known quote by Henri Poincaré that is the important…

Filosoof Jean Paul Van Bendegem over de School of Thinking

| General announcements | No Comments
Denken is een redelijk essentieel onderdeel van elke opleiding of elke studie. De School of Thinking gaat nog een stap verder. Het eenjarige postgraduaat aan…

Year Delta (2021/22): Applications are open

| General announcements, Year Delta | No Comments
We are now accepting applications for the third edition of the School of Thinking - regular track (‘Year Delta’ 2021/22). See 'Admissions' in order to…

The ‘Principles of Thinking’ Challenge

| Principles of Thinking Challenge 2021, Year Iota | No Comments
In one of the recent classes at the School of Thinking, Year Iota, the students challenged the instructor, prof. Edward Nęcka, to formulate a set…

The Fellows (2020/21): Inauguration of The Fellows

| General announcements, The Fellows | No Comments
The Fellows is a first of its kind thinking initiative at The School of Thinking, designed to advance the participants' expertise in selected heuristics and…

Year Alpha (2019/20): Approaching the grand finale…

| General announcements, Year Alpha | No Comments
While our Alpha Thinkers are getting ready for the final session of their (corona-extended) curriculum, you might be interested to know that we have been…

Year Iota (2020/21): Ready to launch

| General announcements, Year Iota | No Comments
As of 1.09.2020, new registrations to the Iota Year are now closed* and the group is ready to launch. In mid-September the students will receive…

The SoT Research Track: a reorganized and extended curriculum

| General announcements, Research Track | No Comments
The Research Track of the SoT is currently undergoing a reorganisation and will not be admitting students for the Year Iota (2020/21). We are working…

Year Iota (2020/21): Updated schedule

| General announcements, Year Iota | No Comments
We continue to accept applications for the second edition of the School of Thinking - regular track (‘Year Iota’ 2020/21). In response to requests for…

Year Iota (2020/21): Applications are open

| General announcements, Year Iota | No Comments
We are now accepting applications for the second edition of the School of Thinking - regular track (‘Year Iota’ 2020/21). The application letters are reviewed…

Five OSB-funded scholarships for VUB students and researchers!

| General announcements | No Comments
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Five OSB-funded scholarships for VUB students and researchers to join the 2019/2020 cohort (Year Alpha) of the Postgraduate School of Thinking VUB.…

Year Alpha fully booked!

| General announcements, Year Alpha | No Comments
The first stage of admissions to the 2019/2020 student cohort (‘Year Alpha’: the regular track) has ended on August 20 and all available places have…

Applications are now open

| General announcements, Year Alpha | No Comments
We are now accepting applications for the first edition of the School of Thinking (‘Year Alpha’ 2019-2020). The applications are being reviewed continuously, on a…

First edition: October 2019 – June 2020

| General announcements, Year Alpha | No Comments
The first edition of the School of Thinking ('Year Alpha') has been scheduled for the 2019-2020 academic year and will soon start accepting applications. The…

Officially launched!

| General announcements | No Comments
Today, the Postgraduate School of Thinking has been approved the Academic Council of the VUB and officially included to the educational offer of the university.…