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The New Centre for Research & Practice’s central mandate has been to provide new possibilities for our Members and Students, especially those who practice their work outside or in-between existing institutional frameworks in the Arts, Humanities, & Sciences. We help those transitioning between one degree and one institution and another, or one field and another, to expand their research networks beyond what can be offered by any single academic space. We believe that technological developments of the last few decades not only are fundamentally changing the way knowledge is disseminating in the global society but transforming the very idea of knowledge if not also how we remunerate and award knowledgeability to individuals and collectives. Our Members and Certificate Students enjoy access to face-to-face, real-time engagements with emerging thinkers and scholars, collaborating with them, and building together the future of higher education.
To apply in our rolling Certificate Programs please visit our Programs section. All of our Seminars are conducted online via Zoom, enabling participants to engage from anywhere in the world. Our Certificate Students automatically become Members of The New Centre and thus receive all Members’ benefits, including access to our Re:search Groups, our Writing Centre, our Member Symposia, Discord community, reading groups, and roundtable events, as well as opportunities to publish their research on our &&& Journal.
If you prefer to become involved with The New Centre prior to applying for a Certificate Program, we recommend becoming a Friend or Member, or enrolling in any of our available Seminars. Among other services, becoming a Member provides you access to our entire Archive of videos, while Friends gain lifetime access to all of our Member services.
BECOME A MEMBER & HELP CREATE A PARALLEL ACADEMIA
Login / Public / About / People / Membership / Programs / Seminars / Archive / Connect / Refund Policy / Apply Now / Visit our Art and Education Profile
The New Centre for Research & Practice is an international, non-profit, higher education institute in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, offering online graduate & professional-development level certificate programs, workshops, seminars, exhibitions, residencies, and conferences in Art & Curatorial Practice, Critical Philosophy, Post-Planetary Universal Design, and Transdisciplinary Studies. Our carefully selected network of thinkers and scholars use the latest available technologies to advise and assist those seeking to make the transition between undergraduate and graduate schools, between graduate school and the professions, and between early career to advanced-career development. Through studying at The New Centre, students practice graduate & professional development-level research in a manner that does not interrupt their existing artistic, academic, or professional aspirations, but instead complements, enhances, and intensifies them. Our objective at The New Centre has been to destigmatize the concept of technological progress and advocate its use in the advancement of humanities knowledge and its production through bridging the gap between sciences and humanities.
The New Centre is conceived upon the idea that the space of knowledge is a laboratory for navigating the links between thought and action as well as critique and construction. Our pedagogical approach bootstraps the conventional role of the arts, humanities, sciences, and technologies to construct new forms of research and practice alongside, within, and between technology. We are a future-forward institution, linking the existing technological possibilities to the changes necessary for the continuation of our global civilization, if not the entire human race and its ecological habitat. The New Centre’s aim is to assemble an environment, both virtual and actual, that inspires our Students, Researchers, and Members to invent alternate understandings that can be put into collective practice. The majority of our Seminars, roundtables and symposia are conducted online via Zoom, enabling participants – from instructors to interlocutors to enrollees – to engage from anywhere in the world.
BECOME A MEMBER & HELP CREATE A PARALLEL ACADEMIA
Login / Public / About / People / Membership / Programs / Seminars / Archive / Connect / Refund Policy / Apply Now / Visit our Art and Education Profile
FAQ Version 2.0 | 1.1.21.4
1. What is The New Centre?
The New Centre for Research & Practice is a non-profit Licensed Proprietary School authorized by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) of the State of Michigan, USA as of August 29, 2014. Our LPS license authorizes us to provide graduate-level Seminars and certificates of competency in the arts, transdisciplinary studies, critical philosophy & social and political thought, amongst other fields. The New Centre is not a degree-granting institution and does not seek this form of social recognition. The New Centre provides graduate-level Seminars in a range of fields and disciplines to open new paths in artistic, philosophical and political practice. We aim to provide advanced college and university students as well as junior faculty with Seminar and research experience in theoretical frameworks outside the conventional canons and in their most recent stages of development.
2. What is The New Centre’s policy on discrimination?
The New Centre for Research & Practice does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, age, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical characteristics, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law, in its educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, employment, or other school-administered programs. The policy is reinforced by The New Centre for Research & Practice, and where applicable, federal laws such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. The New Centre is an equal opportunity educational institution. Inquiries regarding compliance with these statutes, and referrals to designated coordinators under the ADA/Section 504, Title IX, and the Age Discrimination Act may be directed to the Organizing Committee of the New Centre for Research & Practice at +1 (347) 523-6660, 327 2nd Street, Apt 3, Jersey City NJ 07302, 616.439.1338 , or to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-1100, 1-800-421-3481, TDD: 877-521-2172.
3. Where is The New Centre located?
The legal office of the The New Centre is located in 327 2nd Street, Apt 3, Jersey City NJ 07302 | 616.439.1338. The New Centre’s graduate-level Certificate Programs, workshops, seminars, exhibitions, residencies, and conferences are offered by scholars and instructors from a variety of locations including the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.
4. Can I get a graduate degree via The New Centre?
The New Centre does not offer degree programs to its students nor does it seek this form of social recognition. We are not accredited as a degree-granting institution by Title IV-recognized regional or national accrediting bodies, and do not plan to be. We provide graduate-level certificates via our Licensed Proprietary School agreement with the State of Michigan that complement, enhance, and intensify MA and PhD degree-seeking activities from accredited colleges and universities, as well as those who wish to attend our Seminars independently.
5. How are the Seminars operated?
At present, The New Centre functions as an exclusively online institution, save for occasional hybrid online/in-person simulcasts arranged by affiliate institutions and programs. Our Seminars are provided in the context of six different Certificate Programs, each of which requires the completion of twelve 1 credit modules offered each academic year.
6. At what academic level are the Seminars offered by The New Centre?
Each Seminar is graded as introductory, intermediate or advanced. The introductory Seminars do not require any special background, but all of our Seminars involve studying graduate-level texts and concepts.
7. How is The New Centre funded?
The New Centre is funded by a combination of partially tax-deductible monetary donations through our fiscal sponsor and tuition-driven revenue sources. We welcome your support: we accept both monetary donations and other forms of assistance.
8. How do I stay up-to-date with developments at The New Centre?
All enrollees are automatically added to the The New Centre’s newsletter mailing list, from which updates are sent monthly. For ongoing, realtime updates, please follow the The New Centre’s Facebook Page and Instagram.
9. How can I enroll in The New Centre Seminars?
At present, we are an open-enrollment institution: anyone may enroll in The New Centre’s Seminars. Those seeking credit must complete the Seminars and Certificate Program requirements. To enroll, navigate to the front page of the website, select Seminars and enroll in the Seminar you are interested in.
10. How much does a Seminar cost?
Seminars are available in synchronous (live) and asynchronous (archived) modes. The New Centre is primarily organized around synchronous, certificate-seeking students who join the Instructors, guests and other Members live via Zoom. This mode costs 225 USD per 1-credit, 435 per 2-credit seminar and 600 USD per 3-credit Seminars.
11. How can I enroll in The New Centre’s Certificate Programs?
You can apply by visiting the Apply section of the website. Each credit earned prior to being granted into one of our Certificate Programs will be retroactively accepted into the program you choose, or can also be accepted interchangeably into any other program.
12. What is a Membership?
General Membership is normally 150 USD per year, or 15 USD on a monthly basis. It provides 24/7 access to all Seminars in The New Centre’s archive, access to research resources and peer-to-peer reference assistance, access to posting your own announcements on the member mailing list, attendance at The New Centre Summer School at a reduced rate and participation and voting rights in The New Centre’s Annual General Meeting. Members are added to the mailing list through which you will receive our monthly email updates regarding our internal Seminars/events, as well as relevant external announcements from our affiliates and members (calls for papers or book proposals, conferences, workshops, etc.). In addition, you will be invited to join our Google+ Community, a social network of students, instructors, researchers, and affiliates involved with The New Centre.
13. What is a Friend of the New Centre Membership?
A Friends of The New Centre Membership is 750 USD for a LIFETIME membership. It provides everything available to Members, as well as one Seminar attendance at no cost, receipt of tax exemption in accordance with financial support and thanks in writing in all of The New Centre’s publications for one year. As do Members, Friends of The New Centre Members also receive library access to all Seminars in The New Centre’s Archive, access to research resources and peer-to-peer assistance, access to posting your own announcements on the Member mailing list, participation and voting rights in the New Centre’s Annual General Meeting. The Friends of The New Centre Members are added to the mailing list through which you will receive our monthly email updates regarding our internal Seminars/events, as well as relevant external announcements from our affiliates and Members (calls for papers or book proposals, conferences, workshops, etc.). In addition, you will be invited to join our Discord community, a social network of Students, Instructors, Researchers, and affiliates involved of The New Centre.
14. Can I audit a live Seminar?
Yes, however, auditors do not get a slot in the Zoom session and must only view instead. Zoom slots are reserved for students paying tuition, be them Certificate Students or external enrollees. To audit, you must be a member in good standing of The New Centre. If you seek to audit a live Seminar or a Seminar session after this time, please contact organizers@thenewcentre.org.
15. How can I access the video archives from Seminars previously offered by The New Centre?
Members can access them after the live events are complete.
16. What is the difference between Students and Members of The New Centre?
Members of The New Centre are those who have chosen to support our mission through their Membership support, which entitles them to certain resources and services. Students are those who have enrolled in our Seminars as paid participants.
17. How are students enrolled in Seminars evaluated?
The New Centre students enrolled in Seminars are not given academic grades or marks but evaluated based on three criteria of Pass, Incomplete, or Extraordinary. The last category is saved for students who throughout the Seminar have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to contribute to the research and practice involved in the course load.
18. What is The New Centre’s refund policy?
CERTIFICATE: After the full or the first installment of tuition and fees for a Certificate at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by an applicant, they may request it back. If that request is made in writing to registrar@thenewcentre.org within four days after agreeing to the terms by paying in full or Recurring payments, a refund will be made with respect to whatever portion is paid for at that time; however, 10% of the tuition agreed upon, or a minimum amount of 350 USD, will be kept as a non-refundable processing fee plus any transaction fees charged from the transfer operator. If a refund request is issued after the Student has already Enrolled in Seminars, we will also discount the full price of the Seminars in which that Student has Enrolled. The New Centre will return the tuition in installments within 60 days of receiving the written request, following the rules highlighted above. Monthly-based and other piecemeal forms of Certificate payments are considered actionable commitments on the part of the Certificate Student: if the student has fallen in behind in the monthly or any other form of piecemeal payment, yet has still been taking Seminars, the student remains wholly responsible for paying that portion of the certificate.
SEMINAR ENROLLMENT: Up until the second Session of a Seminar at The New Centre for Research & Practice takes place and the fee has been paid by the applicant, he or she may request their money back by emailing studentservices@thenewcentre.org. If that request is not made in writing or verbally within one day after agreeing to the terms by paying for the services or seminars and receiving an email address and password, in whole or in part, however, 15% of the total plus the PayPal fee will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of the request if made within this time period. Suppose the refund is asked for after the second Session, meaning the person is not eligible for a refund. In that case, we will offer other Seminar options for the person and do our best to accommodate the student in finding an alternative seminar.
FRIENDS OF THE NEW CENTRE: After any portion or the full portion of a Friendship at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request them back in full upon request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within two days after agreeing to the terms by paying for the Friendship, but 15% of the total cost of the Friendship will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be made within 30 days of the written request. If the written request is not made within two days, the remaining-to-be-paid portions will remain the responsibility of the payee to pay. Invoice and portion-based Friendships are not monthly memberships, for the purposes of this policy. Please see ‘Membership (Monthly)’ in the Student Handbook for that policy.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP (ONE OR TWO YEARS): After the full portion of Annual Membership at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request it back in full upon written request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within two days after agreeing to the terms by paying for the Annual Membership and receiving an email address and password, in whole or in part, but 20% will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of request, if made within this time period, but if not made within this time period, the fee will remain the responsibility of the Member who accepted the terms by paying the initial portion. Annual memberships are not monthly memberships, for the purposes of this policy. Please see “Membership (Monthly)” in the Student Handbook for that policy.
MEMBERSHIP (MONTHLY): After any portion or the full portion of monthly membership at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request them back in full upon request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within one day after agreeing to the terms by paying for the monthly membership and before receiving an email address and password. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of the request if made within this time period, but if not made within this time period the payment will remain the responsibility of the monthly member who accepted the terms by paying the initial portion, or by agreeing to accept an emailed invoice. Monthly members who cancel their membership will not be charged for additional months.
BECOME A MEMBER & HELP CREATE A PARALLEL ACADEMIA
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"The New Centre is the best para-academic institution in the world, with brilliant professors, emergent topics, a vast network of scholars, intellectuals, artists, and designers. You can develop your theoretical, practical, conceptual, and political skills through studies in philosophy, art, literature, and design. I can say with certainty that The New Centre has provided me with knowledge more intensively and efficiently than all other courses in formal universities. You can accelerate your artists and intellectual development in partnership with others, you can develop curatorial skills, and you can be accessed by qualified professors and classmates full of care and support for your intellectual life. I strongly encourage you to apply."
- Zenobio Almeida, History Design & Worldmaking, Brazil
“I had already been following The New Centre’s work for a number of years as many Instructors were influential to me, and many texts posted on the &&& Platform aided my own research in invaluable ways. However, with my enrollment as a Certificate Student, my experience has been truly transformative. My strongest motivation to apply came from the fact that in my educational journey, I needed an educational format that delivered not only an advanced level of scholarship and methodical rigor but the type of knowledge providing one with intellectual strength. I believe that where many institutional formats fail, The New Centre succeeds in delivering a pedagogical format that is fitting for this century.”
- Georgiana Cojocaru, Transdisciplinary Studies, Romania
“It was by first becoming a Member of The New Centre that I caught a glimpse of the extraordinary quality of the institution, equally present in the high standards of the Instructors and the never stale, always inquiring thorough reflection in each of the Seminar themes. In fact, by watching some of the Seminars I could see how Students who nowadays are my colleagues and mentors were visibly growing and acquiring tools to become autonomous and very critically minded researchers on their own right. Having previously studied film, philosophy came as a late call and in the first couple of weeks I was able to become immersed in the history of philosophy, from Plato to Cybernetics, from Bayesian Epistemology to Emancipatory logics. Remarkably, every syllabus did not force me to emulate academy tropes. At The New Centre, you are given a chance to research what you want and not what the market calls for”
- Filipe Felizardo, Critical Philosophy, Portugal
“The New Centre is a precious platform, and it is an honor to be a part of it. If you are interested in theory and research as a means to aid your practice, this is the right place for you. It is a space where you can connect with various people from all over the planet, from Instructors to Students, from various disciplines, backgrounds, interests, problems, and cultures. Learning from all of them has been one of the biggest highlights so far. Readings, content, and conversations from all Seminars are absolutely cutting-edge. It is a very relaxed yet very rigorous and respectful environment with a lot of support for us Students. It is so much more than an academic, and I believe it is a ground for future practices, jobs, affiliations, educational applications, knowledge, and thinking.”
- Denise Luna Azevedo, History Design & Worldmaking, Mexico
"The New Centre seemed like a platform to bridge that art-academic transition for me back then, but it truly turned out to be more than that. It was a very transformative experience for me. I joined the History, Design and Worldmaking program in 2021, and just in that very short time I was able to navigate a variety of topics not only in the arts but also in design, critical theory, science and technology studies... And it helped me tremendously to figure out and articulate my research focus. The seminars are a great chance to learn from and get in touch with dozens of reputable academic scholars from various practical and theoretical backgrounds. And also an opportunity to interact and collaborate with students and researchers, engaging in discussion with different platforms. I can't insist enough on how formative and transformative it is to be here and I encourage anyone interested in expanding their theoretical knowledge or developing their practice to join our community and be part of a truly inclusive and more ambitious parallel academia."
- Mostafa Elbaroody, Art & Curatorial Practice, Egypt
"Every seminar I attended [at The New Centre] was very challenging in its theoretical aspirations and yet it wasn't felt in any way demanding. The New Centre seminars explore the most serious and multi-scalar philosophical problems. Still, they do it in a way that is very clear and related to the practical concerns of our everyday life. It's been a pleasure for me to participate in The New Centre seminar's exciting discussions and to exchange opinions with researchers from all parts of the world. The wide-ranging community of The New Centre is something that truly impressed me with its enlightened stance and sense of real openness. What I like more about it is that it never closes within its already accumulated knowledge and always accepts others with curiosity and respect. I hesitated to apply to the philosophy program for a while thinking I didn't have enough to knowledge or that my ability to write was low. But this proved to be an illusion. The instructors have beeb very receptive to my research and took my first attempts to do philosophy with seriousness and care. So don't hesitate to apply: The New Centre's certificate program is a chance to exchange ideas with the best thinkers of our time and to attain confidence that will help you in any future works related to philosophy, arts, and education."
- Lika Kareva, Critical Philosophy, Russia
"I studied at The New Centre in 2020. For me, it served as a key supplement to my PhD studies. It helped my research become more innovative, by bringing in themes and concepts that were not necessarily discussed in my own postgraduate program. I was able to discuss my research directly with Reza [Negarestani] as I formulated my final project. So The New Centre is also an extraordinary place to make friends and connections across disciplines and parts of the world. It's a very lively and diverse community which certainly made my pandemic isolation a lot more bearable. And it has also opened doors, allowing me to have contact with thinkers that are relevant for my work, to get involved with parallel academia organizing, and make professional contact with important people in my field. For all of those reasons, I strongly recommend you apply for The New Centre. The process is flexible and clear——you can talk to them and make things viable for yourself. So if you identify with The New Centre, its researchers and subjects, apply now."
- Ze Antônio Magalhães, Transdisciplinary Studies, Brazil
"As soon as my graduate studies completed, a need for well-established transdisciplinarity between artistic practice, technological toolkits, and theoretical foundations started to become more and more clear and urgent [to me]. With the continuing assistance and support from everyone involved at The New Centre, outstanding instructors, moderators, and co-students, I managed to not only establish a pedagogy for navigating through relevant and sometimes hard to grasp concepts but also to steadily translate these into something useful and tangible for my own personal projects. If you're considering The New Centre, don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship. The New Centre is an online heaven open to everyone willing to explore, discuss, and study the most cutting-edge subjects of our era. By joining, you will become part of a welcoming, helpful, and insightful community of individuals from all over the world and across a vast array of professional backgrounds."
- Georgia Skartadou, Art & Curatorial Practice, Greece
"I used to watch a lot of archival footage of previous Seminars as a Member of The New Centre, but after I finished my MFA at Goldsmiths, I decided to apply to the Certificate Program because I wanted to study some of the topics and questions that interested me with a bit more depth and rigor than I was allowed to do in my practical MFA. I knew that The New Centre consistently runs Seminars taught by some of the most interesting thinkers and practitioners of this generation, not only by their reputation but by their pedagogical and intellectual merit. I really think these are some of the greatest teachers anyone can learn from, and this is not a guarantee afforded by institutional affiliation or academic reputation but by their dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and artistic innovation, which becomes apparent in each Seminar. I have always appreciated the level of care and concern taken on the construction of every Seminar and also the continuing relevance of everything we study at The New Centre."
- Enda O’Riordan, Critical Philosophy, Ireland
"I had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of subjects and theories during the seminars I have attended so far. (...) In these seminars, substantial theory, critical philosophy, and pressing questions that centered on recent technologies were raised and discussed. In addition to this, several invited speakers—all accomplished and tremendously knowledgeable academics, researchers, and professionals from a variety of fields—illuminated the seminars' inquiry from different perspectives. I’ve recently had the pleasure of participating in a seminar that focused on exhibition curation. I am enrolled in another seminar that centers on literature and poetry while linking lyrical ephemera to theoretical lines of thought. All in all, I intend to expand on the theoretical backbone of my art practice throughout the Certificate Program, venture into new subjects, and explore the ideas and perspectives emerging throughout my studies. I see the New Centre as an amazing opportunity to become part of a global, intellectual community and connect with people who might experience and relate in different ways to the time and world we live in, observe, and think through. The great flexibility that TNC provides as an online institution, as well as the generous advice and technical support from all of its members, state the competence and vision of this organization. I highly recommend it!"
- Dagmar Moldovanu, Art & Curatorial Practice, Denmark
“With my work, I had to live nomadically, moving around to temporary homes according to where my work takes me. For this and my Masters' study debt, it has been very difficult to find a study program that is both affordable and flexible as The New Centre is. Its virtual format, which is one of the first of its kind, has been a vital inspiration for me to reinvest not only in my practice but also in a community that is hard to find while living nomadically. During my time so far at The New Centre, I’ve had the privilege of taking Seminars with incredible faculty involved, who were given the unique ability to give Seminars and test ideas they would not be able to anywhere else. Instructors are also invited to produce innovative formats and assignments that are particularly suited to the aims of their research and geared towards our understanding, providing methods that both integrate and invite our skill sets as a diverse student body into our own research.”
- Nicholas von Kleist, Transdisciplinary Studies, United States
“Joining the New Centre was a great opportunity to expand my knowledge not only in Philosophy but in a transdisciplinary way which includes the intersections of different scientific enterprises, artistic practices and the humanities in general. It was also a big chance to get in touch with marvelous people from all around the world with multiple theoretical and practical backgrounds, engaging in interesting conversations and collaborative projects. One of the biggest values held by The New Centre for Research & Practice is the maintenance of a healthy pedagogical environment safeguarding the autonomy of Students and Instructors while providing different kinds of support for the development of their research in Seminars, Workshop or Para-Academic platforms.”
- Cássia Siqueira, Critical Philosophy, Brazil
HELP CREATE A PARALLEL ACADEMIA
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The New Centre for Research & Practice’s central mandate has been to provide new possibilities for our Members and Students, especially those who practice their work outside or in-between existing institutional frameworks in the Arts, Humanities, & Sciences. We help those transitioning between one degree and one institution and another, or one field and another, to expand their research networks beyond what can be offered by any single academic space. We believe that technological developments of the last few decades not only are fundamentally changing the way knowledge is disseminating in the global society but transforming the very idea of knowledge if not also how we remunerate and award knowledgeability to individuals and collectives. Our Members and Certificate Students enjoy access to face-to-face, real-time engagements with emerging thinkers and scholars, collaborating with them, and building together the future of higher education.
To apply in our rolling Certificate Programs please visit our Programs section. All of our Seminars are conducted online via Zoom, enabling participants to engage from anywhere in the world. Our Certificate Students automatically become Members of The New Centre and thus receive all Members’ benefits, including access to our Re:search Groups, our Writing Centre, our Member Symposia, Discord community, reading groups, and roundtable events, as well as opportunities to publish their research on our &&& Journal.
If you prefer to become involved with The New Centre prior to applying for a Certificate Program, we recommend becoming a Friend or Member, or enrolling in any of our available Seminars. Among other services, becoming a Member provides you access to our entire Archive of videos, while Friends gain lifetime access to all of our Member services.
Mission Statement
BECOME A MEMBER & HELP CREATE A PARALLEL ACADEMIA
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The New Centre for Research & Practice is an international, non-profit, higher education institute in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, offering online graduate & professional-development level certificate programs, workshops, seminars, exhibitions, residencies, and conferences in Art & Curatorial Practice, Critical Philosophy, Post-Planetary Universal Design, and Transdisciplinary Studies. Our carefully selected network of thinkers and scholars use the latest available technologies to advise and assist those seeking to make the transition between undergraduate and graduate schools, between graduate school and the professions, and between early career to advanced-career development. Through studying at The New Centre, students practice graduate & professional development-level research in a manner that does not interrupt their existing artistic, academic, or professional aspirations, but instead complements, enhances, and intensifies them. Our objective at The New Centre has been to destigmatize the concept of technological progress and advocate its use in the advancement of humanities knowledge and its production through bridging the gap between sciences and humanities.
The New Centre is conceived upon the idea that the space of knowledge is a laboratory for navigating the links between thought and action as well as critique and construction. Our pedagogical approach bootstraps the conventional role of the arts, humanities, sciences, and technologies to construct new forms of research and practice alongside, within, and between technology. We are a future-forward institution, linking the existing technological possibilities to the changes necessary for the continuation of our global civilization, if not the entire human race and its ecological habitat. The New Centre’s aim is to assemble an environment, both virtual and actual, that inspires our Students, Researchers, and Members to invent alternate understandings that can be put into collective practice. The majority of our Seminars, roundtables and symposia are conducted online via Zoom, enabling participants – from instructors to interlocutors to enrollees – to engage from anywhere in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQ Version 2.0 | 1.1.21.4
1. What is The New Centre?
The New Centre for Research & Practice is a non-profit Licensed Proprietary School authorized by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) of the State of Michigan, USA as of August 29, 2014. Our LPS license authorizes us to provide graduate-level Seminars and certificates of competency in the arts, transdisciplinary studies, critical philosophy & social and political thought, amongst other fields. The New Centre is not a degree-granting institution and does not seek this form of social recognition. The New Centre provides graduate-level Seminars in a range of fields and disciplines to open new paths in artistic, philosophical and political practice. We aim to provide advanced college and university students as well as junior faculty with Seminar and research experience in theoretical frameworks outside the conventional canons and in their most recent stages of development.
2. What is The New Centre’s policy on discrimination?
The New Centre for Research & Practice does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, age, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical characteristics, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law, in its educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, employment, or other school-administered programs. The policy is reinforced by The New Centre for Research & Practice, and where applicable, federal laws such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. The New Centre is an equal opportunity educational institution. Inquiries regarding compliance with these statutes, and referrals to designated coordinators under the ADA/Section 504, Title IX, and the Age Discrimination Act may be directed to the Organizing Committee of the New Centre for Research & Practice at +1 (347) 523-6660, 327 2nd Street, Apt 3, Jersey City NJ 07302, 616.439.1338 , or to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-1100, 1-800-421-3481, TDD: 877-521-2172.
3. Where is The New Centre located?
The legal office of the The New Centre is located in 327 2nd Street, Apt 3, Jersey City NJ 07302 | 616.439.1338. The New Centre’s graduate-level Certificate Programs, workshops, seminars, exhibitions, residencies, and conferences are offered by scholars and instructors from a variety of locations including the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.
4. Can I get a graduate degree via The New Centre?
The New Centre does not offer degree programs to its students nor does it seek this form of social recognition. We are not accredited as a degree-granting institution by Title IV-recognized regional or national accrediting bodies, and do not plan to be. We provide graduate-level certificates via our Licensed Proprietary School agreement with the State of Michigan that complement, enhance, and intensify MA and PhD degree-seeking activities from accredited colleges and universities, as well as those who wish to attend our Seminars independently.
5. How are the Seminars operated?
At present, The New Centre functions as an exclusively online institution, save for occasional hybrid online/in-person simulcasts arranged by affiliate institutions and programs. Our Seminars are provided in the context of six different Certificate Programs, each of which requires the completion of twelve 1 credit modules offered each academic year.
6. At what academic level are the Seminars offered by The New Centre?
Each Seminar is graded as introductory, intermediate or advanced. The introductory Seminars do not require any special background, but all of our Seminars involve studying graduate-level texts and concepts.
7. How is The New Centre funded?
The New Centre is funded by a combination of partially tax-deductible monetary donations through our fiscal sponsor and tuition-driven revenue sources. We welcome your support: we accept both monetary donations and other forms of assistance.
8. How do I stay up-to-date with developments at The New Centre?
All enrollees are automatically added to the The New Centre’s newsletter mailing list, from which updates are sent monthly. For ongoing, realtime updates, please follow the The New Centre’s Facebook Page and Instagram.
9. How can I enroll in The New Centre Seminars?
At present, we are an open-enrollment institution: anyone may enroll in The New Centre’s Seminars. Those seeking credit must complete the Seminars and Certificate Program requirements. To enroll, navigate to the front page of the website, select Seminars and enroll in the Seminar you are interested in.
10. How much does a Seminar cost?
Seminars are available in synchronous (live) and asynchronous (archived) modes. The New Centre is primarily organized around synchronous, certificate-seeking students who join the Instructors, guests and other Members live via Zoom. This mode costs 225 USD per 1-credit, 435 per 2-credit seminar and 600 USD per 3-credit Seminars.
11. How can I enroll in The New Centre’s Certificate Programs?
You can apply by visiting the Apply section of the website. Each credit earned prior to being granted into one of our Certificate Programs will be retroactively accepted into the program you choose, or can also be accepted interchangeably into any other program.
12. What is a Membership?
General Membership is normally 150 USD per year, or 15 USD on a monthly basis. It provides 24/7 access to all Seminars in The New Centre’s archive, access to research resources and peer-to-peer reference assistance, access to posting your own announcements on the member mailing list, attendance at The New Centre Summer School at a reduced rate and participation and voting rights in The New Centre’s Annual General Meeting. Members are added to the mailing list through which you will receive our monthly email updates regarding our internal Seminars/events, as well as relevant external announcements from our affiliates and members (calls for papers or book proposals, conferences, workshops, etc.). In addition, you will be invited to join our Google+ Community, a social network of students, instructors, researchers, and affiliates involved with The New Centre.
13. What is a Friend of the New Centre Membership?
A Friends of The New Centre Membership is 750 USD for a LIFETIME membership. It provides everything available to Members, as well as one Seminar attendance at no cost, receipt of tax exemption in accordance with financial support and thanks in writing in all of The New Centre’s publications for one year. As do Members, Friends of The New Centre Members also receive library access to all Seminars in The New Centre’s Archive, access to research resources and peer-to-peer assistance, access to posting your own announcements on the Member mailing list, participation and voting rights in the New Centre’s Annual General Meeting. The Friends of The New Centre Members are added to the mailing list through which you will receive our monthly email updates regarding our internal Seminars/events, as well as relevant external announcements from our affiliates and Members (calls for papers or book proposals, conferences, workshops, etc.). In addition, you will be invited to join our Discord community, a social network of Students, Instructors, Researchers, and affiliates involved of The New Centre.
14. Can I audit a live Seminar?
Yes, however, auditors do not get a slot in the Zoom session and must only view instead. Zoom slots are reserved for students paying tuition, be them Certificate Students or external enrollees. To audit, you must be a member in good standing of The New Centre. If you seek to audit a live Seminar or a Seminar session after this time, please contact organizers@thenewcentre.org.
15. How can I access the video archives from Seminars previously offered by The New Centre?
Members can access them after the live events are complete.
16. What is the difference between Students and Members of The New Centre?
Members of The New Centre are those who have chosen to support our mission through their Membership support, which entitles them to certain resources and services. Students are those who have enrolled in our Seminars as paid participants.
17. How are students enrolled in Seminars evaluated?
The New Centre students enrolled in Seminars are not given academic grades or marks but evaluated based on three criteria of Pass, Incomplete, or Extraordinary. The last category is saved for students who throughout the Seminar have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to contribute to the research and practice involved in the course load.
18. What is The New Centre’s refund policy?
CERTIFICATE: After the full or the first installment of tuition and fees for a Certificate at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by an applicant, they may request it back. If that request is made in writing to registrar@thenewcentre.org within four days after agreeing to the terms by paying in full or Recurring payments, a refund will be made with respect to whatever portion is paid for at that time; however, 10% of the tuition agreed upon, or a minimum amount of 350 USD, will be kept as a non-refundable processing fee plus any transaction fees charged from the transfer operator. If a refund request is issued after the Student has already Enrolled in Seminars, we will also discount the full price of the Seminars in which that Student has Enrolled. The New Centre will return the tuition in installments within 60 days of receiving the written request, following the rules highlighted above. Monthly-based and other piecemeal forms of Certificate payments are considered actionable commitments on the part of the Certificate Student: if the student has fallen in behind in the monthly or any other form of piecemeal payment, yet has still been taking Seminars, the student remains wholly responsible for paying that portion of the certificate.
SEMINAR ENROLLMENT: Up until the second Session of a Seminar at The New Centre for Research & Practice takes place and the fee has been paid by the applicant, he or she may request their money back by emailing studentservices@thenewcentre.org. If that request is not made in writing or verbally within one day after agreeing to the terms by paying for the services or seminars and receiving an email address and password, in whole or in part, however, 15% of the total plus the PayPal fee will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of the request if made within this time period. Suppose the refund is asked for after the second Session, meaning the person is not eligible for a refund. In that case, we will offer other Seminar options for the person and do our best to accommodate the student in finding an alternative seminar.
FRIENDS OF THE NEW CENTRE: After any portion or the full portion of a Friendship at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request them back in full upon request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within two days after agreeing to the terms by paying for the Friendship, but 15% of the total cost of the Friendship will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be made within 30 days of the written request. If the written request is not made within two days, the remaining-to-be-paid portions will remain the responsibility of the payee to pay. Invoice and portion-based Friendships are not monthly memberships, for the purposes of this policy. Please see ‘Membership (Monthly)’ in the Student Handbook for that policy.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP (ONE OR TWO YEARS): After the full portion of Annual Membership at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request it back in full upon written request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within two days after agreeing to the terms by paying for the Annual Membership and receiving an email address and password, in whole or in part, but 20% will be kept for processing fees. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of request, if made within this time period, but if not made within this time period, the fee will remain the responsibility of the Member who accepted the terms by paying the initial portion. Annual memberships are not monthly memberships, for the purposes of this policy. Please see “Membership (Monthly)” in the Student Handbook for that policy.
MEMBERSHIP (MONTHLY): After any portion or the full portion of monthly membership at The New Centre for Research & Practice are paid by the applicant, he or she may request them back in full upon request, if that request is made in writing or verbally within one day after agreeing to the terms by paying for the monthly membership and before receiving an email address and password. All refunds will be returned within 30 days of the request if made within this time period, but if not made within this time period the payment will remain the responsibility of the monthly member who accepted the terms by paying the initial portion, or by agreeing to accept an emailed invoice. Monthly members who cancel their membership will not be charged for additional months.
Testimonials
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"The New Centre is the best para-academic institution in the world, with brilliant professors, emergent topics, a vast network of scholars, intellectuals, artists, and designers. You can develop your theoretical, practical, conceptual, and political skills through studies in philosophy, art, literature, and design. I can say with certainty that The New Centre has provided me with knowledge more intensively and efficiently than all other courses in formal universities. You can accelerate your artists and intellectual development in partnership with others, you can develop curatorial skills, and you can be accessed by qualified professors and classmates full of care and support for your intellectual life. I strongly encourage you to apply."
- Zenobio Almeida, History Design & Worldmaking, Brazil
“I had already been following The New Centre’s work for a number of years as many Instructors were influential to me, and many texts posted on the &&& Platform aided my own research in invaluable ways. However, with my enrollment as a Certificate Student, my experience has been truly transformative. My strongest motivation to apply came from the fact that in my educational journey, I needed an educational format that delivered not only an advanced level of scholarship and methodical rigor but the type of knowledge providing one with intellectual strength. I believe that where many institutional formats fail, The New Centre succeeds in delivering a pedagogical format that is fitting for this century.”
- Georgiana Cojocaru, Transdisciplinary Studies, Romania
“It was by first becoming a Member of The New Centre that I caught a glimpse of the extraordinary quality of the institution, equally present in the high standards of the Instructors and the never stale, always inquiring thorough reflection in each of the Seminar themes. In fact, by watching some of the Seminars I could see how Students who nowadays are my colleagues and mentors were visibly growing and acquiring tools to become autonomous and very critically minded researchers on their own right. Having previously studied film, philosophy came as a late call and in the first couple of weeks I was able to become immersed in the history of philosophy, from Plato to Cybernetics, from Bayesian Epistemology to Emancipatory logics. Remarkably, every syllabus did not force me to emulate academy tropes. At The New Centre, you are given a chance to research what you want and not what the market calls for”
- Filipe Felizardo, Critical Philosophy, Portugal
“The New Centre is a precious platform, and it is an honor to be a part of it. If you are interested in theory and research as a means to aid your practice, this is the right place for you. It is a space where you can connect with various people from all over the planet, from Instructors to Students, from various disciplines, backgrounds, interests, problems, and cultures. Learning from all of them has been one of the biggest highlights so far. Readings, content, and conversations from all Seminars are absolutely cutting-edge. It is a very relaxed yet very rigorous and respectful environment with a lot of support for us Students. It is so much more than an academic, and I believe it is a ground for future practices, jobs, affiliations, educational applications, knowledge, and thinking.”
- Denise Luna Azevedo, History Design & Worldmaking, Mexico
"The New Centre seemed like a platform to bridge that art-academic transition for me back then, but it truly turned out to be more than that. It was a very transformative experience for me. I joined the History, Design and Worldmaking program in 2021, and just in that very short time I was able to navigate a variety of topics not only in the arts but also in design, critical theory, science and technology studies... And it helped me tremendously to figure out and articulate my research focus. The seminars are a great chance to learn from and get in touch with dozens of reputable academic scholars from various practical and theoretical backgrounds. And also an opportunity to interact and collaborate with students and researchers, engaging in discussion with different platforms. I can't insist enough on how formative and transformative it is to be here and I encourage anyone interested in expanding their theoretical knowledge or developing their practice to join our community and be part of a truly inclusive and more ambitious parallel academia."
- Mostafa Elbaroody, Art & Curatorial Practice, Egypt
"Every seminar I attended [at The New Centre] was very challenging in its theoretical aspirations and yet it wasn't felt in any way demanding. The New Centre seminars explore the most serious and multi-scalar philosophical problems. Still, they do it in a way that is very clear and related to the practical concerns of our everyday life. It's been a pleasure for me to participate in The New Centre seminar's exciting discussions and to exchange opinions with researchers from all parts of the world. The wide-ranging community of The New Centre is something that truly impressed me with its enlightened stance and sense of real openness. What I like more about it is that it never closes within its already accumulated knowledge and always accepts others with curiosity and respect. I hesitated to apply to the philosophy program for a while thinking I didn't have enough to knowledge or that my ability to write was low. But this proved to be an illusion. The instructors have beeb very receptive to my research and took my first attempts to do philosophy with seriousness and care. So don't hesitate to apply: The New Centre's certificate program is a chance to exchange ideas with the best thinkers of our time and to attain confidence that will help you in any future works related to philosophy, arts, and education."
- Lika Kareva, Critical Philosophy, Russia
"I studied at The New Centre in 2020. For me, it served as a key supplement to my PhD studies. It helped my research become more innovative, by bringing in themes and concepts that were not necessarily discussed in my own postgraduate program. I was able to discuss my research directly with Reza [Negarestani] as I formulated my final project. So The New Centre is also an extraordinary place to make friends and connections across disciplines and parts of the world. It's a very lively and diverse community which certainly made my pandemic isolation a lot more bearable. And it has also opened doors, allowing me to have contact with thinkers that are relevant for my work, to get involved with parallel academia organizing, and make professional contact with important people in my field. For all of those reasons, I strongly recommend you apply for The New Centre. The process is flexible and clear——you can talk to them and make things viable for yourself. So if you identify with The New Centre, its researchers and subjects, apply now."
- Ze Antônio Magalhães, Transdisciplinary Studies, Brazil
"As soon as my graduate studies completed, a need for well-established transdisciplinarity between artistic practice, technological toolkits, and theoretical foundations started to become more and more clear and urgent [to me]. With the continuing assistance and support from everyone involved at The New Centre, outstanding instructors, moderators, and co-students, I managed to not only establish a pedagogy for navigating through relevant and sometimes hard to grasp concepts but also to steadily translate these into something useful and tangible for my own personal projects. If you're considering The New Centre, don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship. The New Centre is an online heaven open to everyone willing to explore, discuss, and study the most cutting-edge subjects of our era. By joining, you will become part of a welcoming, helpful, and insightful community of individuals from all over the world and across a vast array of professional backgrounds."
- Georgia Skartadou, Art & Curatorial Practice, Greece
"I used to watch a lot of archival footage of previous Seminars as a Member of The New Centre, but after I finished my MFA at Goldsmiths, I decided to apply to the Certificate Program because I wanted to study some of the topics and questions that interested me with a bit more depth and rigor than I was allowed to do in my practical MFA. I knew that The New Centre consistently runs Seminars taught by some of the most interesting thinkers and practitioners of this generation, not only by their reputation but by their pedagogical and intellectual merit. I really think these are some of the greatest teachers anyone can learn from, and this is not a guarantee afforded by institutional affiliation or academic reputation but by their dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and artistic innovation, which becomes apparent in each Seminar. I have always appreciated the level of care and concern taken on the construction of every Seminar and also the continuing relevance of everything we study at The New Centre."
- Enda O’Riordan, Critical Philosophy, Ireland
"I had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of subjects and theories during the seminars I have attended so far. (...) In these seminars, substantial theory, critical philosophy, and pressing questions that centered on recent technologies were raised and discussed. In addition to this, several invited speakers—all accomplished and tremendously knowledgeable academics, researchers, and professionals from a variety of fields—illuminated the seminars' inquiry from different perspectives. I’ve recently had the pleasure of participating in a seminar that focused on exhibition curation. I am enrolled in another seminar that centers on literature and poetry while linking lyrical ephemera to theoretical lines of thought. All in all, I intend to expand on the theoretical backbone of my art practice throughout the Certificate Program, venture into new subjects, and explore the ideas and perspectives emerging throughout my studies. I see the New Centre as an amazing opportunity to become part of a global, intellectual community and connect with people who might experience and relate in different ways to the time and world we live in, observe, and think through. The great flexibility that TNC provides as an online institution, as well as the generous advice and technical support from all of its members, state the competence and vision of this organization. I highly recommend it!"
- Dagmar Moldovanu, Art & Curatorial Practice, Denmark
“With my work, I had to live nomadically, moving around to temporary homes according to where my work takes me. For this and my Masters' study debt, it has been very difficult to find a study program that is both affordable and flexible as The New Centre is. Its virtual format, which is one of the first of its kind, has been a vital inspiration for me to reinvest not only in my practice but also in a community that is hard to find while living nomadically. During my time so far at The New Centre, I’ve had the privilege of taking Seminars with incredible faculty involved, who were given the unique ability to give Seminars and test ideas they would not be able to anywhere else. Instructors are also invited to produce innovative formats and assignments that are particularly suited to the aims of their research and geared towards our understanding, providing methods that both integrate and invite our skill sets as a diverse student body into our own research.”
- Nicholas von Kleist, Transdisciplinary Studies, United States
“Joining the New Centre was a great opportunity to expand my knowledge not only in Philosophy but in a transdisciplinary way which includes the intersections of different scientific enterprises, artistic practices and the humanities in general. It was also a big chance to get in touch with marvelous people from all around the world with multiple theoretical and practical backgrounds, engaging in interesting conversations and collaborative projects. One of the biggest values held by The New Centre for Research & Practice is the maintenance of a healthy pedagogical environment safeguarding the autonomy of Students and Instructors while providing different kinds of support for the development of their research in Seminars, Workshop or Para-Academic platforms.”
- Cássia Siqueira, Critical Philosophy, Brazil
To see The New Centre Refund Policy CLICK HERE.