The Berggruen Institute, a “think and action tank” founded by investor and philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen, has announced the launch of the Berggruen Philosophy and Culture Center.

In partnership with universities and institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, and China, the center will convene some of the world’s leading thinkers across cultures and disciplines to develop new ideas about the cultural and philosophical roots of political thinking. The center’s core initiatives include cross-cultural and multidisciplinary work around topics such as democracy and meritocracy, humans and technology, and sustainable innovation. It also will include a global fellowship program that will give thinkers the opportunity to study, work, and live at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, University of California, Los Angeles, New York University, Cambridge, Tsinghua University, and Peking University. In addition, the center will award a $1 million Berggruen Philosophy Prize annually to honor a thinker whose ideas have had a broad philosophical and cultural impact, as well as hold an Aspen-Berggruen Ideas Competition.

"Ideas shape our humanity, therefore understanding their origin and political traditions are critical to producing long-lasting change for a better world," said Berggruen, who chairs the institute. "In a rapidly globalizing yet increasingly fractured world, we aim to close the gap that has been widened by narrow views."