SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins

On Friday, March 9th, 2018, the Board of Trustees at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, passed a resolution supporting the establishment of The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) committed $150 million to a joint effort with Johns Hopkins University to create the SNF Agora Institute, in order to forge new ways to address the deterioration of civic engagement worldwide and facilitate the restoration of open and inclusive discourse that is the cornerstone of healthy democracies.

Drawing inspiration from the Agora of ancient Athens, which was a hub of conversation and debate, and the center of the city-state’s democratic governance, the gift establishes the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as an academic and public forum bringing together experts from fields such as political science, psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, ethics, sociology, and history.

The Institute will examine the dynamics of societal, cultural and political polarization and develop ways to improve decision-making and civic discourse. It also will design and test mechanisms for strengthening democracy through dialogue and social engagement, and convene subject matter experts from a range of perspectives to explore new approaches to divisive issues.

World-renowned architect Renzo Piano and his Genoa-based office, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, are designing SNF Agora’s new home on the Hopkins campus, and have unveiled their plans. “A building that houses an institute dedicated to democracy should be open, accessible, transparent – the work is for everyone,” said Renzo Piano of the designs. SNF Agora building expected to be completed in 2024.