Scientia mutara mundi
Our motto is scientia mutara mundi or “knowledge to change the world.” Our hero and exemplar is Dr. W.E.B. DuBois: writer, thinker, and an unsung father of modern Sociology. He believed that the world could be changed for the better because “the problem was in my mind a matter of systematic investigation and intelligent understanding.” By walking the streets, talking with people, observing with clear eyes and an open mind, and recording without prejudice, he embodied praxis. His major work The Philadelphia Negro (1898) became the template for conducting sociological fieldwork in the early 1900s and now grounds the way SPS approaches learning.
Our team is composed of professionals who bring together theory and practice as artists, writers, or social thinkers. SPS believes that students and scholars can change the world through on-the-ground praxis that parses theory through empirical data, makes the abstract legible and accessible, and transforms experience into meaningful learning.
PEP Talks
Praxis / Education / Purpose.
PEP talks inspire our unique iteration while emphasizing praxis-as-method. Our educational mission is amplified by our purpose: having knowledge change both society and the world. Inspiring and illuminating, our 30-minute PEP Talks are given by people who have made dents in the social universe through effective, cross-disciplinary, socially beneficial action or leadership.
Praxiclasses
Access Korea’s top professionals in a unique learning format.
Teachers as well as practitioners, we lead mentees through a uniquely immersive experience of learning academic theory while building field-based skillsets. Our students learn by forming hypotheses out of data, applying relevant technological tools, and thinking critically. Most importantly, praxiclasses meet in small groups of 5 or fewer, offering a customized deep-dive into how today’s experts discern, gather, and constructively utilize specialized knowledge.
Conferences
Experience the dynamic way to learn and grow through communication.
Theory or even data is not worth much if others cannot access, comprehend, and utilize it. The academic conference fosters a collaborative exchange of information. In addition to hosting professionals who contribute cutting-edge ideas, best practices, and ethical arguments from their fields, SPS students are invited to conduct and submit their own research. In recognition of exemplary work, some students will present their findings as conference panel presenters.