The Center for Cosmopolitan Culture is a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering deeper intercultural understanding through research, dialogue, and creative expression. Founded by cultural scholars and creators committed to making rigorous ideas more publicly accessible, the Center supports a wide spectrum of programs—from podcast series and public talks to collaborative publications and educational workshops.
In a world where politics too often distorts and narrows the cultural field, the Center promotes transcultural, breadth, depth and dignity. Rather than advancing a partisan agenda, we aim to create a space where the richness of cultural plurality can be explored and creatively developed, where ideas—especially those grounded in philosophy, history, and art can be shared in ways that are thoughtful, accessible, entertaining, and resonant. Our term “cosmopolitan” derives from the Greek word cosmos whose meanings include to order or adorn. The Center thus has a distinctive aesthetic orientation that aims at enhancing harmony and beauty in our world.
Rooted in the multicultural reality of the United States, the Center extends its reach to voices and traditions across the globe. Beyond the many boundaries that divide us, we exist on the same earth and under the same sky, just as we share many human needs and feelings. The Center emphasizes not an abstract, universalist globalism, but a grounded commitment to the many ways cultures coexist, collide, and enrich each other. Our key notion of cosmopolitan comes from the ancient Greek notion of cosmos As political conflicts often arise through cultural misunderstandings, we see transcultural exploration as a site where political antagonisms may be mitigated or overcome and as a resource for enriching our experience and our humanity. Our work is guided by the belief that deeper cultural engagement enriches the public imagination and the shared discourses that hold communities together.
