Center for Theoretical Study (CTS) is a joint research institute of Charles University and Czech Academy of Science. It is dedicated to transdisciplinary research in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. The Centre’s focus on transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity is also highly suitable for the study of the Anthropocene.
At Center for Theoretical Study, we have been researching the Anthropocene since 2017. We have so far published two collective monographs and a number of articles on the topic. Interdiscipnary discussion is promoted during weekly Monday seminars. Members of CTS give regular talks to both specialists and the general audience, as well as communicate with the media.
Center for Theoretical Study: Working Groups
We engage in intensive study of the Anthropocene in five working groups:
- Deep Anthropocene dedicated to the research of the roots of the Anthropocene found in distant past;
- Biological Diversity in the Anthropocene dealing with global and local changes in biological diversity;
- City – Countryside – Landscape looking at how the landscape becomes inhabited over time, and how its meaning and memory are shaped;
- Broad Anthropocene – The World and its Human focusing on the reflection on the changing relationships between human and non-human, local and global, science, art and politics, as well as between the natural and social sciences;
- Natural and Artificial Intelligence examining advanced AI systems and their interactions with each other and with humans, and theoretical and empirical models of AI risks.
Microcredential Learning Programme Anthropocene
The Anthropocene is also the subject of a new training module, the pilot run of which took place in September 2023. Since 2024, the micro-credential learning programme “Anthropocene: Contemporary World in Transdisciplinary Perspective” has been accredited by Charles University, enabling graduates to obtain an internationally recognised diploma. The course is worth 8 ECTS credits
Microcredential status gives our course not only recognition, but also a higher level of value for each participant. Microcredential learning programmes are a form of lifelong learning that differs from existing qualifications frameworks and has the support of the European Commission.
At the time of the Anthropocene, when we are no longer satisfied with the traditional division of the sciences into natural and social sciences, nor with the distinction between academic and non-academic forms of knowledge, scholars are beginning to study the world in a new way. Anthropocene phenomena are complex, dynamically changing and often non-intuitively interrelated – if we want to understand the present, it is crucial to be able to look at the facts around us from different perspectives. During our microcredential learning programme, the participants learn how to effectively study and interpret the contemporary world in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way. They learn how to go beyond the boundaries of their own expertise, communicate across disciplines and better respond to the complicated – ecological, social and identitarian – challenges of today.
Want to joint our learning programme? Keep an eye on our website. Registration for the new run opens during the spring months.