Education for Development
The «Education for Development» program offers an innovative series of online courses designed to expand access to knowledge and share FUNDAEC’s educational approaches with people around the world.
With a practical approach and the guidance of experienced tutors, the program aims to strengthen the capacities of individuals and groups to foster an increasingly coherent and meaningful social action. Through a dynamic and participatory methodology, the courses enable students to explore essential principles and practices in education for development, linking learning to concrete actions that generate a positive impact in their communities.
To contribute to meaningful social change, it is essential for individuals to apply knowledge, principles, and insights gained from experience in a coherent manner within a collective conceptual framework. Understanding, sharing, and putting these elements into practice in one’s reality is an ongoing learning process. This learning takes place both through individual study and application, and through interaction with a community committed to dialogue, interpretation, and action.
Tempered in the crucible of half a century of continuous efforts in the field of education, these courses constitute a humble contribution that FUNDAEC offers to individuals, groups, and institutions interested in exploring how the interrelationship between scientific and spiritual knowledge can give rise to new patterns of social development that not only foster material progress but also promote the spiritual well-being of societies.
At the heart of our approach lies a twofold purpose:
seen not as separate aims but as parallel and interconnected processes. For this reason, our courses are designed to nurture intellectual and spiritual growth, while also channeling talents and energies into the construction of a just, sustainable, and flourishing civilization.
In our online courses, students take ownership of their own learning, advancing with the guidance of an experienced tutor and the support of a group of peers equally committed to enhancing their capacity to serve humanity.
Currently, two series of courses are available, based on texts developed by FUNDAEC over recent decades. Each series can be studied online through a set of carefully designed units that provide participants with a learning experience that is both flexible and deep.
The duration, cost, and weekly time commitment required for each course vary depending on the series. However, successful completion of any course requires fulfilling the following requirements in a timely and appropriate manner:
«Contributing to the Advancement of Civilization: Towards a Framework» is a graduate-level text created by FUNDAEC after more than a decade of applying its programs in diverse contexts.
The text is composed of two units, each studied in a separate course.
The consecutive study of both units allows for an exploration of the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that guides our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the building of a materially and spiritually prosperous civilization.
Who is it aimed at?
Both courses are intended for professionals and graduate students from a wide range of disciplines who wish to engage in a growing global conversation that links intellectual inquiry with the practical pursuit of social transformation.
This first unit of the «Contributing to the Advancement of Civilization: Towards a Framework» series is a graduate-level course that examines the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that guides our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization, focusing on a discussion of two fundamental elements of this framework: the oneness of humankind and justice.
Course content
This unit consists of three chapters. The first examines the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that governs our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization. Each of the following two chapters is dedicated to one of the two fundamental elements of the framework: Chapter 2 explores the principle of the oneness of humankind, while Chapter 3 presents a discussion on justice as an essential attribute both of the individual and of social structures and processes.
The elements that constitute the conceptual framework explored in this text can be grouped into categories such as our beliefs about fundamental issues of existence; the role knowledge plays both in the life of the individual and in the development of society; the principles governing our lives and our value system; and the approaches and methods we adopt. Several elements of each category are discussed in the following unit that makes up this series.
Who is it aimed at?
This course is intended for professionals and graduate students from various fields who wish to explore how their scholarship, careers, and service can be oriented by the principles of justice and the oneness of humankind.
Required dedication
This course lasts 8 weeks and requires an estimated dedication of 10 to 15 hours per week.
It currently costs USD 120.
This graduate-level course, which corresponds to the second unit of the series «Contributing to the Advancement of Civilization: Towards a Framework», continues to explore the nature of an evolving conceptual framework that governs our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the building of a materially and spiritually prosperous civilization. Following the study of the first unit, “Justice and the Oneness of Humanity”, “The Big Push” focuses on concepts that enhance our understanding of what is meant by “material civilization.”
Course content
This second unit is structured into five chapters that build on the foundation established in the first unit.
This exploration takes participants through detailed exploration of the evolution of development thought during the second half of the 20th century, as reflected in government policies and the programs of major international agencies. Importantly, however, this is not a course in development economics or policy in the conventional sense. Instead, the goal is to understand how five decades of intense international efforts to “modernize” the so-called developing countries have shaped the dominant ideas of what it means to build civilization.
Participants are then invited to take on a twofold task:
Who is it aimed at?
This course is intended for professionals and graduate students from various fields who wish to deepen their exploration of social development. It is particularly relevant for those who recognize that true progress must embrace both material and spiritual dimensions and who are seeking a framework that reflects this integration.
Required dedication
This course lasts 8 weeks and requires an estimated dedication of 10 to 15 hours per week.
It currently costs USD 150.
Prerequisite
To participate in this course, it is necessary to have completed the study of the first unit in the series. If you have already taken “Justice and the Oneness of Humankind,” you may continue your exploration of this conceptual framework for the advancement of civilization through this second unit.
«A Discourse on Social Action» is an undergraduate-level text developed by FUNDAEC after more than a decade of implementing its programs in various contexts.
This text consists of three units, each studied in a separate course.
The sequential study of these three units enables students to enhance their capacity to participate in social action with confidence and intellectual clarity.
Who is it aimed at?
The three courses in this series are especially intended for university students who are committed to social change initiatives and strive to contribute—through their growing experience and understanding—to the prevalent discourses of society. Likewise, these courses offer a valuable learning opportunity for individuals involved in NGOs, educational programs, and community development processes who wish to further enhance their capacity to help build a better world.
Required dedication
Each course lasts 8 weeks and requires an estimated dedication of 6 to 8 hours per week.
The current course fee is USD 100.
This undergraduate-level course, which corresponds to the first unit of the series «A Discourse on Social Action», provides participants with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of fundamental ideas that bring coherence and meaning to both individual and collective efforts for social transformation.
Course Content
Enrolling in this course is, in itself, a sign of your commitment to engage in purposeful social action. We live in turbulent times—moments marked by both danger and possibility. The spirit of this age stirs within us a desire to contribute to the betterment of society, to dedicate our time, energy, and talents to selfless service to humanity.
But important questions remain:
This unit is designed to address these questions by exploring a set of concepts essential to participating in the discourse on social action. Through its 11 chapters, the text invites reflection on themes such as:
Together, these themes create a conceptual foundation that enables participants to act with clarity, vision, and coherence as they engage in the noble task of contributing to enduring social transformation.
Who is it aimed at?
This course is intended for individuals engaged in social action who are seeking a space for reflection in order to articulate their ideas, practices, and understanding of reality with greater clarity, coherence, and purpose. It is particularly valuable for university students and graduates from diverse disciplines who wish to align their personal, academic, and professional efforts in light of key concepts essential to both individual and collective transformation.
This undergraduate-level course, which corresponds to the second unit of the series «A Discourse on Social Action», invites participants to reflect on the meaning of education—both in universal terms and in relation to their own learning journey—within the broader framework of efforts to contribute to social transformation.
Course Content
Education is not simply the transmission of information; it is a foundational force in the lives of those who aspire to contribute to social change. For this reason, this second unit focuses on examining the purpose and nature of educational processes that aim at the moral and intellectual empowerment of participants. It emphasizes the strengthening of understanding and the development of moral capabilities as essential pillars of transformative learning.
The text encourages students to adopt a proactive posture toward their own learning and invites them to explore central themes such as:
Through this exploration, participants come to see education not only as an academic pursuit, but as a transformative process that shapes both individual lives and society as a whole.
Who is it aimed at?
This course is designed for university students eager to take an active role in processes of social action and to contribute thoughtfully to the prevailing discourses of society. It also provides a rich opportunity for educators—whether in formal or non-formal settings—including teachers, coordinators, and school administrators at all levels. Additionally, it welcomes those engaged in NGOs and community development initiatives who seek to explore the nature of educational processes that empower individuals and communities for meaningful transformation.
This undergraduate-level course, which corresponds to the third unit of the series «A Discourse on Social Action», gives participants the opportunity to deepen their understanding of key elements of the scientific method, with the aim of developing a more systematic and methodical perspective—one that enhances the effectiveness of their initiatives in the field of social action.
Course Content
The first unit of this series emphasized the importance of integrating learning into our efforts as a means of strengthening our effectiveness in social action. The second unit explored fundamental concepts related to education. In this third unit, participants take the next step: examining the idea that to truly learn effectively, one must adopt a methodical approach. And to do this, it is essential to become familiar with the methods of science.
Personal and social transformation requires us to approach life as investigators of reality and seekers of truth. To investigate reality, we need skills, attitudes, and a body of knowledge that allow us to observe, measure, design and carry out experiments, identify patterns and relationships, construct models of different aspects of reality, and apply theories developed by various scientific communities.
This course examines key concepts within the scientific enterprise, explores the characteristics of the language of science, and considers its applications to processes directly linked with social action and development. The aim is not simply to study science for its own sake, but to equip learners with the tools to make their social engagement more thoughtful, rigorous, and impactful.
Who is it aimed at?
This course is especially designed for undergraduate students, graduates, and professionals across all disciplines who wish to deepen their understanding of science as a system of knowledge and the methods it employs. It is equally valuable for those engaged in community development, education, or social initiatives who want to strengthen their capacity to link action with systematic learning.
