Philosophical Convention – Prometheus Academy is an intensive and advanced course on Objectivism, organized by Ayn Rand Center Europe and New Economic School – Georgia in Batumi, Georgia. This was our first project of its kind and we are proud to say that it gathered students from more than 13 countries.
During 5 days of this intensive course, more than 70 participants had an opportunity to attend various lectures presented by world-renowned speakers – experts in this field, including: Craig Biddle, Matt Kibbe, Terry Kibbe, Alex Cordell, Leopold Ajami, Boaz Arad, et. al. There were also other events, such as the Intercultural Evening and Treasure Hunt.
The main goal of this project was to introduce the students to the philosophy of Ayn Rand in a different, interesting way and to further expand their knowledge of Objectivism. Lectures and workshops were interactive, so everyone had a chance to ask questions, give comments and debate on various philosophical concepts. Participants were delighted to spend time with each other, but also with speakers, with whom they shared meals and enjoyed free time in between the official program.
During the Intercultural Evening, students presented their countries’ cultures through music and singing, sweets, snacks, and drinks, which all the other participants could share.
The highlight of group work was the Treasure Hunt in which 10 teams competed against each other for valuable rewards, while exploring the beautiful city of Batumi.
We believe that projects such as this one are the best way for students to form an alumni network through mutual contact and to practice teamwork.
At the end of the program, all the participants were presented with a certificate of completion, as well as with valuable gifts, including a box set of books “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand.
This project was funded and supported by Carl Barney and the Prometheus Foundation, Atlas Network, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Who’s Gonna Stop Us?
We have also received great feedback! Here’s some of our students’ testimonials:
- Irakli Iagorashvili
- Daniil Chubar
- Dušan Nedić
- Aleksandra Jelesijević
- Mert Torun
‘’I think that the beauty of this conference is that it is not just a conference, It’s more a workshop. You are more actively involved in the processes, you share your ideas with other people and you also have an opportunity to meet really nice speakers in person and to have a one week with them.’’
‘’ I’ve been a participant in this beautiful event here in Georgia and I have enjoyed It a lot. I believe this event created a beautiful network of people from different countries with different backgrounds. I believe, If we continue creating stuff like this all together, life will be better for everyone.’’
‘’ This is my first conference and my impressions are great. It was a wonderful time here in Batumi. First of all, I got a chance to meet more people from this community and that’s a huge thing for me. The second thing is that I’ve been honored to listen to great lecturers, something that I was only able to do at John Galt School. So this was another completely new experience for me.’’
‘’I have got a new experience. I was so happy that I was at the Prometheus Academy, because I gained a lot of friends, I gained a lot of knowledge and I’d like to thank Ayn Rand Center Europe, because they gave me an opportunity to be here and they gave me all the things that I need. Thank you!’’
‘’ I’ve been studying Objectivism for a long time and this conference was very wonderful for me because I had a chance to meet many wonderful lecturers and they amazed me and helped me with my contradictions too! I had time to meet with other people who shared my values and ideas.’’
